Indonesian Gamelan

Indonesian gamelan music has been played at Victoria University since 1975. The first gamelan set of instruments was an ancient village gamelan from Cirebon (north Java), purchased in 1974 by Allan Thomas. In 1980 a Javanese set (pelog) was made available 'on permanent loan' from the Indonesian Embassy, part of a set commissioned and presented to the Embassy by Bu Tien Suharto. In the mid-80s the university commissioned a matching set of slendro instruments, and together these formed the Gamelan Padhang Moncar.

The ensemble plays traditional Javanese repertoire. With the co-operation of the Indonesian Embassy a succession of teacher/directors have been provided - Midiyanto, Joko Sutrisno and Budi Putra (current). Other expert musicians including dalang Joko Susilo, with whom we have done numerous wayang performances, have enriched the gamelan’s experience. Composers from within the School of Music as well as international guests such as Lou Harrison, Jody Diamond, Wayan Yudane and Dody Ekagustdiman have created new compositions especially for our gamelan. Already four CDs have been published and a fifth is in preparation. In 2003 the group undertook a special project of campur sari with celebrated Indonesian diva Waljinah and her seven-person krocong orchestra, and in 2004 Didik Nini Thowok, cross-gender dancer from Yogya, collaborated with the gamelan.

Members of the group have made two study tours to Indonesia, the last in 2002. In 2000 we celebrated 25 years of gamelan in NZ with an International Gamelan Festival with invited groups from the US, Australia, Singapore and of course Indonesia.

Recently a second set of instruments became available for use, a set of Balinese gong kebyar, on loan from the composer Gareth Farr, known as Gamelan Taniwha Jaya. I Wayan Gde Yudane, a leading Balinese composer, directs this ensemble, teaching basic skills, traditional repertoire and also composing new repertoire. Thus students have the opportunity to experience the sound worlds and repertoiure of two contrasting gamelan traditions. In late 2004 both the Javanese and Balinese gamelan contributed to Vita Brevis: Inter-Cultural Meditation on Life’s Brevity, a collaboration with the choir of St Mary of the Angels, and three guest vocalists from Indonesia, Ngoman Sukerta, Muriah Budiarti, and male soprano Suyarto.

New players are welcomed. If you are interested, please contact Jack Body (email: Jack.Body@nzsm.ac.nz Tel. 463 5853

Balinese Gamelan director: Wayan Yudane
Javanese Gamelan director: Budi Putra
Manager: Jack Body

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