Jakarta. French pianist Maxime Zecchini held a solo piano recital at Institut Francais d'Indonesie in Central Jakarta on Friday (26/05).

The 38-year-old pianist Zecchini has a repertoire for using only his left hand, despite performing compositions that would typically require both hands.

Zecchini said, the idea of exploring the left-hand repertoire began several years ago when he was studying one of the most popular concerto composed by Maurice Ravel called "Pour la Main Gauche."

Inspired by classic opera composers like Mozart and Giuseppe Verdi, the art of playing the piano with one hand is technically challenging, yet sensual and appealing for him.

"The idea of playing the piano with only five fingers was an extraordinary wonder to me," he said. "It's also very challenging because the entire composition has to sound like I play it with both hands."

2017 is a very busy year for the pianist who received a degree from the International Piano Academy in Italy. After concluding his concert in Europe, East Asia, and Africa, as well as finishing his anthology album, he said he is planning to explore Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Singapore.

"My previous concert was held in East Asian countries like China and Korea. When I had the opportunity to hold a concert in Jakarta I was very happy because I have always wanted to come here."

Born in Paris in 1979, Zecchini started his music education in Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique Lyon in France. Under the guidance of Gery Moutier and Daniele Renault-Fasquelle, he earned a national diploma with high honors, which brought him to the advanced proficiency class under the well-known pianist, conductor and teacher, Jean-Francois Heisser.

Zecchini has performed in numerous festivals and concerts across the globe.

For his recital in Jakarta, he played some of the most popular compositions by Alkan Fantaisie "Opus 76," "Verdi "Miserere," "Extract de l'opera Le Trouvere," and Mozart's "Fantaisie en re Mineur," along with his original creations.

He also did a personal rendition of the Indonesian traditional song "Jali-Jali" as a special gesture for his Indonesian audience.

"Music has taught me discipline. It took me six months to prepare for this concert here in Jakarta. It is rigorous work to make it perfect but the rewards are always impeccable," he said.

Zecchini said he is also interested in gamelan, a traditional Indonesian music instrument, and is planning to hold a concert in collaboration with Indonesian musicians.

"It is always a pleasure to discover different cultures. I have heard about gamelan a long time ago and I am interested in incorporating it into my concert. I will need to do my research first and hopefully, I can make it happen soon."

Zecchini is the first French pianist to receive a degree from the prestigious "Incontri col Maestro Academy" in Imola, Italy. He is also the winner of the international competition in Arcachon, France in 2000 and was awarded the Cziffra Foundation Prize and won the Ragusa-Ibla competition in Sicily, Italy in 2002.

He has released six out of 10 "Anthology" albums — using only his left hand — under the Advitam Records label and with international distributor Harmonia Mundi.

Besides Jakarta, he has also held concerts in Bali, Jogjakarta and Bandung in May as part of his debut tour in Southeast Asia.