Oroville fundraiser stars world-class musician from Yuba City

Mar. 3—Ayke Agus, a world-class violinist and pianist, will be starring in the upcoming Dream Big Project on March 11 in Oroville. The Dream Big Project is a local fundraising event meant to provide musical education and opportunities to students in Oroville and the surrounding area.

North Valley InTune Music Foundation, a nonprofit group, kicked off the project right before the pandemic, so this year will mark its second annual performance. Other featured musicians will include prominent Yuba-Sutter performers such as John Paris, Virgil Atkinson, and Jan Roberts-Haydon, the principal flutist in the Yuba Sutter Symphony.

The performance will take place from 5-9 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Historic Oroville Inn located at 2066 Bird St. in Oroville. Tickets cost $150 for general admission and include a gourmet dinner catered by Union. There will also be an auction with prominent fine art pieces and chances to win a dinner and lessons with Agus.

Agus relocated to Yuba City from Southern California in 2018, following her husband's desire to be closer to family. She had started frequenting the area in 2012, hosting a series of private performances and benefit concerts including a handful of fundraisers for the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts in Yuba City during its renovation.

"We really loved the community, unbelievable community," said Agus. "Just incredible and helpful, always trying to support whatever I tried to do for the theater at that time."

She and her husband, Matthew Mallen, are now retired and spend a great deal of time traveling both domestically and internationally.

Agus may be best known for her work with Jascha Heifetz, thought to be one of the greatest violinists of all time. Heifetz was Agus' mentor for nearly 17 years until his death in 1987. After his passing, Agus was instrumental in finishing some of his work and authoring a biography about their time together entitled "Heifetz as I knew him." She was also instrumental in the making of the biographical documentary "God's Fiddler: Jascha Heifetz," by Peter Rosen.

"My lifelong mission after Heifetz passed was to continue his legacy," said Agus. "He was considered as the violinist of the golden era, he was also an incredible pianist. ... Things have changed so much in the last 20 years, it's not about evoking emotion anymore it's about impressing. Music is supposed to make you feel something — happy, sad, excited — not make you agitated."

Agus was first introduced to Heifetz's music when she was still an infant in her mother's womb. Born in Indonesia, Agus said her father worked as a builder and engineer for Catholic missionaries.

"In Indonesia, we don't have any music stores or sheet music, we have nothing," explained Agus. "So every time my father's building was going to be checked by one of the Dutch missionary officers, they would kindly ask my father what my mother would like from Holland. She would always answer, 'I want music scores and recordings for my daughter.'"

Because of her mother's love for Heifetz's music, Agus was raised with a fondness for his style and developed the rare gift of absolute pitch. Even still, her future as a musician was unclear due to her confinement in Indonesia.

"In those days, the 1960s, the government of Indonesia was very strict, socialist, and they knew that I was very very special in the country," said Agus. "So when I was given a visa to study abroad in America ... I was not allowed to exit the country because they considered me a national treasure."

Agus continued to care for her grandparents until their passing and her exit permit was granted shortly after. She came to America after finishing high school and attended Daemen College in Buffalo, New York, on a full-ride scholarship. She later received another scholarship to Juilliard School of Music for graduate studies, but chose to audition for the Heifetz Masterclass at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles instead.

Since then, the rest has been history and Agus dedicates her time to playing at prestigious venues, participating in fundraisers, and teaching lessons both locally and abroad via Zoom. She hopes that the community will consider attending the Dream Big Project and is determined to continue spreading her passion for music wherever she goes.

Tickets for the Dream Big Project can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/2a459c99.