My name is Yakub Saputra. I'm a composer, jazz pianist, and music educator from Indonesia. I grew up in a musical family. My father is a music teacher, and my late mother was a worship leader. I began studying classical piano at the age of 11 and have been serving my church since then.

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I love composing orchestral music, but I couldn't find places to support this passion while growing up. So, I decided to create my own mini-orchestra in high school. We called it CAMEN Orchestra (and it still exists today!). Here, I wrote all the music and conducted, despite a lack of formal training. I decided early on not to wait for anyone and take control of my dreams.

 

This little orchestra was well-loved by our community, and one highlight of this endeavor was performing in front of the Swedish Ambassador. This experience cemented my calling: music.

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I moved to the States in 2011 and received a scholarship to study 21st-century composition at the University of Houston. I enjoyed my time there, learning music full-time, gigging with my first jazz trio, and performing with the jazz orchestra.

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It was an amazing year until one morning, I received a phone call from one of my close friends, who told me that my mother had just passed away. I lost my mother to terminal cancer. Her loss was devastating, and I almost quit music altogether.

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In 2014, I was offered a full-ride scholarship at Cornel School of Music to study under Otmaro Ruiz, Abraham Laboriel, and Jimmy Branly. This opportunity rekindled my love for music. I started performing in iconic jazz venues around LA, such as Blue Whale, Mambo's Cafe, House of Blues, Disney California Adventure, and other Disney Parks.

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In 2015, I went on my first international tour to Bermuda with HTG. A year later, I was the runner-up in the International Six String Theory for Piano.

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In 2017, I was mentored by film composer Michael A. Levine and worked in his studio on numerous projects. I also took on a role as his technical assistant for Siren. I started composing music for MPATH, Michael's curated music library, and later for Alvani Tunes.

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As a composer, my recent TV placements include The Affair (Showtime), Poldark (PBS), and Price of Fame (REELZ). My music is distributed by APM (USA) and EMI Music (Worldwide) and has been featured on Netflix, Masterpiece PBS, The One Show, and BBC.

As a session keyboardist, I play onstage and in studios with local and international artists. I have been a music director and have shared the stage with Abraham Laboriel, Tommy Walker, Lea Simanjuntak, Katia Moraes, Pongky Barata, Sophie Navita, Inul Daratista, Nia Daniaty, Hetty Koes Endang, Yosi Mokalu of Project Pop, and Harvey Malaiholo.

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I am passionate about teaching the next generation. Several of my students have won regional and international competitions and have performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York.

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This year, besides my writing and performing, I have decided to focus on creating great music education content that excites people on social media and in the form of an online course you can find here.

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I am grateful to be endorsed by Studio Logic and Audix Microphone.

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To me, music is a medium. It allows me to connect with people and help them through their lives. If my music can make people feel comforted, reassured, entertained, and even enraged to the point of clarity, I consider it a mission accomplished.