by Jo Hilder | Mar 16, 2012 | 2012, Highlights GPM
16-18 March Gamelan performers from Wellington had a strong presence at WOMAD 2012 in New Plymouth with three shows presenting music from Java, Bali and Sumatra. Read an account here on the NZSM website. Wayang Kulit at WOMAD 2003 (Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Joko Susilo) at WOMAD (Photo: Dominika Zielinska) Joko Susilo and Megan Collins – Tiger Show Wayang Kulit (shadow puppetry) with Pak Joko Susilo Saturday 17 March on the Shell Gables Stage GPM Performers: Budi Putra (kendhang), Jo Hilder (gender barung), Greg Street (rebab, gender panerus), Jason Erskine (slenthem), Rupert Snook and Clare Tattersall (demung), Stephanie Cairns, Helen O’Rourke and Tristan Carter (saron), Judith Exley (saron panerus), Marie Direen (bonang barung), Jack Hooker (bonang panerus), Mike Jones (kenong), Alisa Hogan (kethuk), Pippa Strom and Carina Esguerra (gong, kempul), Juliet Palmer, Briar Prastiti and Annika Naschitzki (gerong/sindhen), Anton Killin (gambang) Minuit with Gamelan Taniwha Jaya Sunday 18 March on the Shell Gables Stage This new collaboration featured some of Minuit’s best-known songs with Balinese gamelan parts added by Jason Erskine. For more information, see here or listen here. GTJ performers: Rupert Snook, Anton Killin, Jacqui Stowers and Jack Hooker (gangsas); Jason Erskine, Gareth Farr, Jo Hilder and Tristan Carter (reyong); Briar Prastiti and Mike Jones (jublag); Carina Esguerra (gongs); Clare Tattersall (kempli); James Rolfe (ceng-ceng) “Kaba Iniak Mudo” Sumatran/Javanese tiger puppet show Saturday & Sunday 17 & 18 March in the Kidzone Joko Susilo (dalang) and Megan Collins (kaba, rabab pasisia, saluang, drums) with Bronwyn Poultney on Javanese genderand drums. We also had fun participating in the WOMAD parade. Thanks to the NZ School...
by Jo Hilder | Feb 18, 2012 | 2012
Saturday 18 February 2012 Jim Beam Homegrown Festival on the Wellington Waterfront Gamelan Taniwha Jaya (Balinese gamelan directed by Gareth Farr) appeared with Minuit in this new collaboration which featured some of Minuit’s best-known songs with Balinese gamelan parts added by Jason Erskine. For more information, see...
by Jo Hilder | Jan 29, 2012 | 2012
Sunday 29 January 2012 at the Long Hall, Pt Jerningham, Roseneath, 13b Maida Vale Rd. Joko Susilo (Javanese dalang) and Megan Collins presented ‘Kaba Iniak Mudo‘ with Wayang kulit Javanese) shadow puppets), Kaba (Sumatran song & story telling), and music from The First Smile (Cirebon gamelan). The show about tigers was much enjoyed by children aged 4 years and up. This was followed by an illustrated talk by Joko Susilo about his own training and experiences as a traditional puppeteer in Indonesia. Techniques and repertoire of wayang kulit were demonstrated with reference to the extensive collection of puppets brought with the Cirebon gamelan to New Zealand by Allan Thomas in...
by Jo Hilder | Oct 27, 2011 | 2011
Thursday 27 October 2011, 7pm Adam Concert Room, NZ School of Music, Kelburn Campus Gamelan Taniwha Jaya and students of PERF252/352 at the NZ School of Music under the direction of Gareth Farr presented a full programme of classic Balinese music for the first time in Wellington with a full ensemble. Programme: Beleganjur “Gamelan of walking warriors”, the gamelan beleganjur ensemble is a traditional funeral procession music – a far cry from the sombre funeral marches of Western cultures. The noisy ceng ceng (cymbals) and reong (pot gongs) are intended to frighten the demons away, so that the soul can leave the body in peace. Baris This is an arrangement of one of the most popular dance pieces in Bali - usually performed by a young boy, and often one of the first pieces a young dancer will learn. Its origin is from a warlike sacred dance, but is now secularised and intended to show off the virtuosity of the dancer. The angsel (break) is one of the more obvious features of this music – a recurring rhythmic accent where the dancer and musicians syncronise a jerky sudden gesture. Kompyang There are two very common Balinese techniques on display in this piece – a melodic technique (empat – ‘four’) where half of the players play the melody four notes higher than the others – and kotekan (flowers) an elaborating technique where the players play patterns that interlock with each other. Sekar Gendot Written in 1927 by one of the most famous Balinese composers, I Wayan Lotring, Sekar Gendot was originally for the much smaller ensemble that accompanies the shadow...
by Jo Hilder | Jun 12, 2011 | 2011
Sunday 12 June 2011, 5pm Adam Concert Room, New Zealand School of Music, Kelburn Campus Gamelan Padhang Moncar performed with students of PERF 250 (Gamelan Performance) and an Indonesian community choir. Programme: Students: Lancaran Pambuka slendro manyura Ketawang Parisuka pelog nem Ladrang Mugirahayu slendro manyura Gamelan Padhang Moncar Shalawat Badar (arr. B. Putra, with Indonesian community choir) Gendhing Bedayan Lobong ketuk 2 kerep minggah ladrang Kandamanyura Lelagon Swara Suling pelog nem Sesaji (by Budi...
by Jo Hilder | Apr 16, 2011 | 2011
Saturday 16 April 2011 Wellington Waterfront (Shed 6) Gamelan Padhang Moncar accompanied Dunedin-based dhalang Joko Susilo in presenting wayang kulit (traditional Javanese shadow puppetry) at the Southeast Asian Night Market in two short shows. Joko presented the story “Gathutkaca Sungging” with pelog gamelan, featuring gerong (vocal chorus) and sindhen (female vocals) - gara-gara included Swara suling and Lelagon Prau Layar (AKA Praon). Performers: Joko Susilo (dhalang) Budi Putra (gamelan director) Annika Naschitzki, Anton Killin, Blake Johnston, Briar Prastiti, Carina Esguerra, Greg Street, Helen O’Rourke, Jack Hooker, Jason Erskine, Jo Hilder, Judith Exley, Megan Collins, Mike Jones, Noel Meek, Pippa Strom, Rani Allan, Rupert Snook, Stephanie Cairns, Tristan Carter This event was kindly supported by the Asia:NZ Foundation and the Embassy of the Republic of...
by Jo Hilder | Mar 29, 2011 | 2011
Sunday 29 March 2011 Mount Roskill War Memorial Park, Auckland Gamelan Padhang Moncar performed twice at this day-long cultural...
by Jo Hilder | Mar 5, 2011 | 2011
Saturday 5 March 2011 Wellington Zoo, Newtown, Wellington Gamelan Padhang Moncar provided background music for this event to raise money for the new sun bear enclosure at the zoo, as well as for Free the Bears Asia, helping to protect threatened bears...
by Jo Hilder | Dec 4, 2010 | 2010
Saturday 4 December 2010, 11am-4pm Indonesian Embassy, 70 Glen Road, Kelburn, Wellington Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya performed twice as part of this successful (and sunny) fundraising event for the victims of natural disasters in Indonesia (Mt Merapi eruption and Mentawai...
by Jo Hilder | Nov 20, 2010 | 2010
Saturday 20 November 2010, 6-8pm Massey University Museum Building, Great Hall Gamelan Padhang Moncar was part of Musicircus in the Blow Creative Arts Festival run by the College of Creative Arts/Toi Rauwharangi, Massey University,...
by Jo Hilder | Oct 17, 2010 | 2010
Sunday 17 October 2010, 7pm Adam Concert Room, NZSM, Victoria University Campus This was a concert of Balinese gamelan music and compositions by I Wayan Gde Yudane, one of Bali’s most innovative of composers. Wayan Yudane’s music has been performed throughout the world and includes collaborations with Temps Fort Theatre, France and Cara Bali Group, Munich, Germany. Performed by Gamelan Taniwha Jaya and NZSM students of PERF 252/352. Programme: Gambang Kuta Liar Samas excerpts from Kosalia Arini New works by Yudane: Temporal Paradox for violin, viola and Gamelan Bali Causality for piano, four...
by Jo Hilder | Sep 26, 2010 | 2010
Sunday 26 September 2010, 7-9pm Adam Concert Room, NZSM, Victoria University Campus This concert of Indonesian music and dance from West Sumatra featured percussion, dance and song in traditional music and dance and innovative new compositions created by leading Minangkabau composers and choreographers. Elizar Koto, Asril Muchtar, Oktavianus Binahmad, Denny Maiyosta and company (senior West Sumatran musicians and dancers from Sumatra’s major arts institute, ISI Padang Pajang) visited Wellington for one week. As well as the performance above, they gave a workshop and concert at Te Papa on Saturday 25 September, and a dance and a music workshop at Victoria University of Wellington on Monday 27 September. In a stimulating week-long programme in Wellington, the visiting Minangkabau troupe from Sumatra, Indonesia, gave performances at Te Papa, and at the Adam Concert Room, as well as a series of workshops at VUW. Their programme combined sung and instrumental music with dance and martial arts in a way that makes our separation of these art forms seem artificial. Local ethnomusicologist Megan Collins, and her mentor Jack Body, have a long involvement with studies of the arts of Indonesia. The Embassy’s continuing support of these activities, particularly the gamelan orchestra, was again highlighted by their sponsoring of these visitors. Performers from the cultural training centre, ISI Padangpanjang, enter the stage with a quiet confidence and easy discipline of movement that bodes well for what follows. Their stylized hand, arm, leg and foot positions have such smooth transitions that they seem easy, but “seem” would be the operative word. Clean, clear postures require an innate sense of balance, and the randai martial art...
by Jo Hilder | Sep 5, 2010 | 2010
Sunday 5 September 2010, 11:30am Adam Concert Room, NZSM In partnership with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the New Zealand School of Music presented Percussion Day. As part of this, Jack Body presented Balinese gamelan with I Wayan Gde Yudane and students from PERF250 and members of Gamelan Taniwha...
by Jo Hilder | Jul 31, 2010 | 2010
Saturday 31 July 2010, Adam Concert Room, NZSM Gamelan Padhang Moncar performed Lou Harrison’s Ketawang Wellington as part of the SMP Ensemble concert, Echoes
by Jo Hilder | Jun 14, 2010 | 2010
Monday 14 June 2010, 6pm Adam Concert Room, NZSM, Victoria University Campus Students of PERF presented three traditional pieces as their final performance assessment. Gamelan Padhang Moncar then accompanied six Indonesian dancers performing Gambyong Parianom followed by a suite of pieces based on wayang (shadow puppet) repertoire, and ending with a lively piece by Ki Nartosabdo, Lelagon Prau Layar. We were joined for this last number by members of the Dharma Wanita of the Indonesian Embassy as a chorus. The audience took up the invitation to dance to this last number and were then rewarded with delicious refreshments. Programme: Ladrang Gleyong pelog nem Ketawang Asmaradana slendro manyura LancaranUdan Mas pelog barang Gambyong Parianom Paseban Jawi (including Lancaran Bondet and Cucur Biru) pelog lima Lelagon Prau Layar (AKA Praon) pelog nem Photos: Megan...
by Jo Hilder | Mar 20, 2010 | 2010
Saturday 20 March 2010 Frank Kitts promenade - right on the Wellington waterfront Gamelan Padhang Moncar accompanied Dunedin-based dhalang Joko Susilo performing Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppetry) in the midst of the busy Night Market. Joko presented the storyAlap-alapan Surtikanthi in two 90 minute shows. Performers: Joko Susilo (dhalang), Budi Putra (gamelan director), Pippa Strom, Mike Jones, Helen O’Rourke, Tristan Carter, Bronwyn Poultney, Catherine Robertshawe, Rupert Snook, Alisa Hogan, Marie Direen, Greg Street, Thomas Barker, Rani Allan, Jo Hilder, Jason Erskine, Judith Exley, Anton Killin This event was kindly supported by the Asia:NZ Foundation and the Embassy of the Republic of...
by Jo Hilder | Nov 30, 2009 | 2009
Monday 30 November 2009, 6:30pm Adam Concert Room, NZ School of Music, Kelburn Campus This farewell concert for Irwansyah Harahap and Rithaony Hutajulu featured a number of compositions by Irwan drawing on a range of cultures. It also featured premieres of piano compositions by Jack Body and John Rae performed by Dan Poynton (piano), and guest performers Bryan James (shakuhachi), and Sanjay Dixit (tabla). The evening culmintated in a brand new composition for gamelan, clarinet, bassoon, and baritone saxophone and ultimately, a dinner table! A lot of fun was had by all. Irwan and Ritha were in Wellington on a three-month artist residency with WARE (Wellington Asian Residency Exchange), a programme sponsored and organised by the Wellington City Council and Asia:New Zealand Foundation in collaboration with the New Zealand School of...
by Jo Hilder | Oct 3, 2009 | 2009, Highlights GPM, Highlights GTJ
October 3 & 4, 2009, 8.00pm Adam Concert Room, NZ School of Music, Kelburn Campus $25/$15 concession Gamelan Padhang Moncar (Java) and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya ( Bali ) presented a programme selected by Jack Body to celebrate his 30 years of teaching at Victoria University/NZSchool of Music. This concert of new music was for gamelan in combination with an assortment of wonderful and rarely heard instruments including the sheng (Chinese mouth organ) and hasapi (Indonesian lute), as well as traditional Western classical instruments. Listen to Jack Body talking about the difference between sound and music, upcoming gamelan concerts and his approach to his work (27 Sep 2009). Read a review of these concerts. Guest artists included: Wang Zheng-Ting (China/Australia) - Chinese sheng (mouth organ) Irwansyah Harahap ( Indonesia ) - Indonesian gambus (lute) Rithaony Hutajulu ( Indonesia ) - vocal NZ String Quartet John Rae (percussion) Richard Nunns, Alistair Fraser (taonga puoro) Tevita Katoa, George Upu (percussion) Featuring newly composed works by: Jack Body and Wayan Yudane: A House in Bali (string quartet & Balinese gamelan, and narrator) Helen Bowater: Sun Wu Kong -Monkey (Javanese gamelan, string quartet, sheng, singers(s), rebab, frog toys) Irwansjah Harahap: Born (string quartet, sheng, clarinet, marimba, hasapi etc) John Psathas: waiting : still (Balinese musician & piano) Ross Harris: Enteng - light, easy (Balinese & Javanese gamelan) Gareth Farr: The Seventh Age (Balinese gamelan, viola and sheng) Leon DeLorenzo: Melangkah dan Melangkah (electroacoustic and masked actor) David Sanders: Wire, Bronze and Spokes (Balinese and Javanese gamelan and ‘prepared’ spinning wheel) Megan Collins: Mata (taonga puoro, rabab pasisia, saluang, percussion & gongs) Andrzej Nowicki: Abstand...
by Jo Hilder | Mar 24, 2015 | Highlights GPM, Highlights GTJ
Celebrated transgender dancer Didik Nini Thowok has performed with us twice in New Zealand as well as in Indonesia at the 2007 Yoygakarta Gamelan Festival. Te Papa’s 10th Anniversary, 2008 At Te Papa, Didik performed traditional Javanese and Balinese dance, with live music from Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya. He also danced the Maori story of Rona e te Marama (‘Rona and the Moon’) to music by Gareth Farr for both gamelan combined. This work had premiered at the 2007 Yogyakarta Gamelan Festival. Didik was joined in a newly choreographed Balinese dance by Evie Suyadnyani, a dancer visiting from Bali. They danced exquisitely to music composed especially for them by I Wayan Gde Yudane. A Night to Remember, 2004 Didik was joined in by cross-dressing Gareth Farr (Lilith La Croix) for an outrageous evening of dance and music from both Java and Bali, with a bit of flamenco thrown in. Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya combined forces for this one-off event in May 2004 which played to a capacity audience at Soundings Theatre in Te Papa. Night of contrasts a venerable delight WHAT: A Night to Remember WHERE: Soundings Theatre, Te Papa, Sunday REVIEWED BY: Jennifer Shennan A NIGHT to Remember was a cross-over programme of dance and music, including gamelan orchestras in both Javanese and Balinese styles. There were two male performers in female roles, court dances freed from tradition then camped up cabaret fashion, and characters in comic routines. A capacity audience delighted in these contrasting elements, the programme presented by Jack Body. Didik Nini Thowok, from Indonesia, is a celebrated dancer specialising in female roles. The opening Javanese dance,...
by Jo Hilder | Jul 18, 2009 | 2009
Saturday 18 July 2009 Gamelan Room, NZ School of Music (Kelburn Campus) Tutor: Budi Putra, director Gamelan Padhang Moncar This practical 3 hour workshop offered by Victoria University’s Centre for Continuing Education introduced the basic playing techniques of the instruments, and explained how the music is put together. At the end of the session all participants performed a classical gamelan piece...
by Jo Hilder | Jun 19, 2009 | 2009
Friday 19 June 2009, 6:30pm Adam Concert Room, New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University A showing of the legendary film Opera Jawa (2006, Garin Nugroho, director) was preceded by live music from Gamelan Padhang Moncar and refreshments kindly provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia. Donations went go to the Gedong Gandhi Ashram Education Fund. This fund assists with the education of needy youngsters associated with a unique ashram in East Bali which follows Gandhian philosophy. Thanks to Alison Hoffmann and Terry Cox for organising this...
by Jo Hilder | May 1, 2009 | 2009
Friday 1 May, 2009 Adam Concert Room, NZ School of Music, Kelburn campus As part of an SMP Ensemble concert, Gamelan Padhang Moncar members performed in Terry Riley’s “In C” (arranged by Anton Killin) for Javanese gamelan and western instruments. The SMP Ensemble (director: Andrzej Nowicki) is a forum for Wellington-based composers & performers, including many studying at the New Zealand School of Music and with gamelan associations. This concert also included Gareth Farr’s Kembang Suling for flute and...
by Jo Hilder | Apr 3, 2009 | 2009
Friday 3 April 2009, 12pm & Wednesday 15 April 2009, 12:15pm Adam Concert Room, New Zealand School of Music, Kelburn Campus and St Andrews on the Terrace, Wellington Gamelan Padhang Moncar was joined by the NZSM jazz choir in two free lunchtime concerts of vocal and gamelan music. Directed by Budi Putra (gamelan) and Julian Raphael (choir) and featuring Susan Walton (sindhen - Javanese vocals) and Tristan Carter (electric...
by Jo Hilder | Mar 29, 2009 | 2009
Sunday 29 March 2009 War Memorial Park, 13 May Road, Wesley, Auckland Gamelan Padhang Moncar performed twice at this festival with Tristan Carter on electric violin. We also gave a hands-on workshop for interested adults and children.
by Jo Hilder | Mar 25, 2009 | 2009
Kaba Iniak Mudo - The Story of Iniak Mudo, the Sumatran Tiger Cub This innovative Indonesian musical puppet show by ethnomusicologist/performer Megan Collins and master puppeteer Joko Susilo combines Javanese puppetry and Sumatran sung story-telling (kaba) traditions into an engaging show for children. “Kaba Iniak Mudo” is a sung story about a girl called Yasmin and her encounters with a magical Sumatran tiger cub called Iniak Mudo. Megan Collins spent two years conducting research in a small hill town of Padangpanjang in Sumatra where there are many myths and art forms associated with tigers - people never say the word ‘tiger’ directly but use “grandmother” (Iniak) as a term of respect. They have a story telling music called kaba that has tiger sung poems/stories as part of the repertoire. This show was created especially for a the Auckland Zoo to celebrate the birthday of their Sumatran tiger cub in 2009. Megan Collins collaborated with Joko Susilo (a professional Javanese puppeteer resident in Dunedin) to create a show which melds Javanese and Sumatran traditions. Megan sings the narrative in English and Indonesian, while Dr Susilo manipulates the puppets. They are often joined by Bronwyn Poultney on Javanese gender and other Indonesian musical instruments are sometimes added to the shows. At Auckland Zoo the audience of predominantly primary school children loved the 40-minute show, which was repeated three times throughout the daylong celebrations. They have since presented the show at several local schools in Wellington, as well as in the Kidzone at WOMAD...
by Jo Hilder | Mar 22, 2009 | 2009
Sunday 22 March 2009 As part of Palmerston North’s “Festival of Cultures“, a small (gadon) group from Gamelan Padhang Moncar performed two 45 minute sessions outside Wholly Bagels, on the...
by Jo Hilder | Nov 1, 2008 | 2008
November 2008 Gamelan Room NZ School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Campus Suggested koha of $5 During November 2008, Gamelan Padhang Moncar held several workshops for the public and members of Victoria University staff. We performed a traditional Javanese piece, showcasing the two different tuning systems and then participants asked questions about the music before getting hands-on. During the workshop, they learned basic technique, how to play a simple piece and more about how the music works, by moving around the ensemble and trying a range of instruments - including those...
by Jo Hilder | Oct 4, 2008 | 2008, Highlights GPM, Highlights GTJ
Cross-cultural multi-media music-theatre 4-5 October, 2008 Adam Concert Room, Victoria University of Wellington (Kelburn Campus) Acclaimed master of Balinese masked dance, I NYOMAN SUKERTA combined with local artists to reinterpret Shakespeare’s famous text. This new collaboration between NZ and Indonesian artists was a hugely entertaining, sometimes startling, reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s view of human life. Mixing multi-lingual declamation, exotic vocal styles, physical theatre and gamelan percussion this production transcended the many boundaries of time and place, language and culture. Shakespeare was never more universal than this! All the world’s a stage…. Hear more about the show on Radio New Zealand’s Upbeat, where Eva Radich talked to Jack Body and Nyoman Sukerta. The infant The schoolboy The lover The soldier The justice The lean and slippered pantaloon The final phase All photos by Robert Catto /robertcatto.com. Full photo gallery here. DVD available on request. Featuring: Gamelan Padhang Moncar Gamelan Taniwha Jaya a specially formed Randai group Tristan Carter (electric violin) Helen Bowater, Christine White (vocals) Megan Collins (rabab pasisia, vocals) and Graduates of the Wellington Performing Arts Centre: Salesi Le’ota Deborah Rea Jessica Aaltonen Gamelan Performers: Budi S. Putra (dir Gamelan Padhang Moncar); I Wayan Gde Yudane (dir Gamelan Taniwha Jaya); Helen Bowater; Marie Direen; Judith Exley; Gareth Farr; Beth Goodwin; Jo Hilder; Mike Jones; Anton Killin; Kylie Nesbit; Catherine Robertshawe; Richard Robertshawe; Lyndee Jane Rutherford; Greg Street; Pippa Strom; Svenda Strom Randai Performers: Jessica Aaltonen, Megan Collins, Salisi Le’ota, Leutu Matautia, Bronwyn Poultney, Yono Soekarno Music by: Gareth Farr, Wayan Yudane, Budi Putra Producer: Jack Body Director: Lilicherie McGregor Lighting: Thomas Press Guest artist: I Nyoman Sukerta (Bali) Sponsors: The NZ School of Music Asia:NZ Foundation Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia...
by Jo Hilder | Sep 28, 2008 | 2008
Sunday 28th September 2008, 7pm Adam Concert Room, NZ School of Music (Kelburn Campus) “The Story of Upiak and Sutan” A new collaboration between Megan Collins (NZSM) and guest choreographer Kirstin Pauka (Hawaii University). A group of students and others presented this folk-theatre show of Indonesian martial arts dances performed in a round. Clapping, slapping pants percussion and haunting vocal melodies from the Minangkabau people of West...
by Jo Hilder | Sep 9, 2008 | 2008
Tuesday 9 September 2008 Duxton Hotel Gamelan Taniwha Jaya performed Sekar Ginotan, and accompanied I Nyoman Sukerta in the Balinese mask dance, Jauk Manis as part of the entertainment at the reception held to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and...
