Iswargia Renardi Sudarno was born in Bandung, Indonesia, and started his piano lesson there at the age of eleven, with Mrs. Wibanu, Partosiswojo, John Gobée and Oerip S. Santoso. After finishing his bachelor degree in architecture at the Bandung Institute of Technology, he continued his musical education at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, USA, and completed his study with a Master of Music degree, under the tutelage of reknown pianist and pedagog, the late Karl Ulrich Schnabel. Whilst in New York he took conducting courses with David Gilbert at the Manhattan School of Music and Vincent La Selva at The Juilliard School Evening Division. During summers he also worked with Bela Siki at the Johannesen School of the Arts (Victoria, Canada), Gabriel Chodos and Rita Sloan at Aspen Music School (Aspen, USA), and Robert Levin at Mozarteum International Summer Academy (Salzburg, Austria). Mr. Sudarno received a full scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) to study for one semester at the Staatliche Hochschule fuer Musik Freiburg, Germany, under the guidance of the late Hansjoerg Koch. Other awards received include the Aspen Music School Scholarship and Norman Stanley Smith Award from the Manhattan School of Music (for the best achievement in piano pedagogy learning).
Mr. Sudarno has performed as a soloist with many orchestras in Indonesia, among others the Jakarta Concert Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Indonesia, Indonesian Arts Institute Symphony Orchestra. and Nusantara Symphony Orchestra. Currently he is the music director of the Jakarta Sinfonietta as well as the Jakarta Conservatory Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician he has appeared with many international experienced musicians in USA, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Norwey, Sweden, Finland, Korea, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia. Along with other leading Indonesian musicians, he founded the Jakarta Conservatory of Music, and currently is appointed to be the conservatory’s director. Besides teaching at the conservatory, he is in frequent demand for masterclasses, conferences and competition throughout Indonesia and Asia. His students have won many national and international piano competition.
Beside playing and teaching piano, his other major activity is conducting. Currently he is the music director of Jakarta Sinfonietta and Jakarta Conservatory Chamber Orchestra. Previously he has been the music director of National Youth Orchestra of Indonesia, and the tutor of Nusantara Symphony Orchestra.