by Jo Hilder | Apr 6, 2025 | 2025, Events Recent
Sunday 6 April, 2pm King’s Theatre, Stratford We were thrilled to be invited to present wayang kulit with Ki Joko Susilo at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, under the guidance of our musical director, Budi S. Putra. We accompanied Joko as he dramatised the story of Ciptoning, an excerpt from the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. On Monday morning, we held gamelan and puppetry workshops for students from local schools....
by Jo Hilder | Mar 5, 2025 | 2025, Events Recent
Wednesday 5 March, 6-7pm Asia-Pacific Music Studio (MS303), NZ School of Music An introduction to one of the most well-known musical traditions of Bali: Gong Kebyar. This was a hands-on session where participants learned about the instruments, how the music is put together and had a chance to try their hand playing the instruments, including the most fantastic deep and resonant gong. The workshop was led by experienced members of Gamelan Taniwha Jaya – the Balinese gamelan brought to NZ by Gareth Farr and now housed at the NZ School of Music at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. We welcome newcomers to join the...
by Jo Hilder | Jan 13, 2025 | 2025, Events Recent
Monday 13 January, Tākina Convention Centre, Wellington The 48th World Conference for the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance (ICTMD) was held in Wellington in January 2025. Music and dance from Java and Bali was well represented at this significant event. Our Javanese gamelan, Gamelan Padhang Moncar collaborated with dancers from Triadhika Productions, Jakarta in presenting two dances with live music: Gambyong Parianom and Srimpi. Gamelan Padhang Moncar also performed Nusantara Indah (karya Dedek Wahyudi). Dancers from Triadhika Productions perform Gambyong Parianom (Photo: Hendra Yudha) Srimpi dancers from Triadhika Productions (Photo: Soyam Dean) Mahdi Bahar, from Jambi University, Sumatra, performed a selection of dendang Minangkabau songs, on the rabab darek with Megan Collins on vocals. Mekar Bhuana, a New Zealand/Balinese gamelan and dance centre, also presented Balinese dance with live music as well as concerts of selonding music and gender wayang at the conference. Putu Evie Suyadnyani and Ayu Reehanna Wandira from Mekar Bhuana Mekar Bhuana perform gender wayang Mekar Bhuana Selonding...
by Jo Hilder | Oct 13, 2024 | 2024, Events Recent
Sunday 13 October 2024, 7pm Adam Concert Room, New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington Kelburn Campus The 2024 students of Javanese gamelan (PERF255) at the NZ School of Music (tutored by Budi S. Putra) presented their final recital. Gamelan Wellington also celebrated 50 years of gamelan in Aotearoa. Grace Lawrence receives the Indonesian Embassy gamelan prize for 2024 PERF255 Student on demung Gamelan Padhang Moncar Gamelan Taniwha Jaya The concert also included items from Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya. Guest dancer, Veronica Agustin Dyah performed Tari Pendet with Gamelan Taniwha Jaya, and a masked dance to the music of Asmaramurka by Nanang Karbito. Tari Pendet Tari Pendet Mask dance Mask dance All photos courtesy of Maxie Caseando...
by Jo Hilder | Oct 6, 2024 | 2024, Events Recent
Sunday 6 October, 11am-3pm Te Papa Tongarewa, Level 4 - Rongomaraeroa (the marae) We celebrated 50 years of gamelan in Aotearoa New Zealand with this day of music and dance performances from many parts of Indonesia. Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya accompanied dancers by students from Indonesia who also performed other dances interspersed throughout the day to recorded music. Our Javanese director, Budi Putra, led an interactive angklung session. Guest performers were: Puspawarna Gamelan – Javanese gamelan from Dunedin Udgita Canda/ University of Canterbury Gamelan – Balinese gamelan from Christchurch Sanggar Pertiwi – Indonesian dance group from Auckland Sekolah Menengah Atas Taruna (SMAT) Krida Nusantara – Dancers and angklung from a high school in Bandung, Indonesia Veronica Agustin Dyah - Indonesian dancer Performances included: Tari Pendet - Balinese welcome dance by SMAT dancers accompanied by live music from Gamelan Taniwha Jaya Nusantara Indah by Dedek Wayudi (dancers from SMAT Krida Nusantara accompanied by Gamelan Padhang Moncar) Kompyang by I Wayan Lotring & an arrangement of Seketi (Gamelan Taniwha Jaya) Ladrang Wilujeng, Langgam Aja Lamis, Ladrang Gegot etc (Puspawarna Gamelan from Dunedin) Baris Bebarongan and Tabuh Petegak Lonceng (University of Canterbury Gamelan) Dances: Lenggang Puspika and Belibis Dance (Sanggar Pertiwi from Auckland) Dances: Bona Jeges (Batak) and Perang (Kalimantan) (SMAT Krida Nusantara) JaBaLan - Balinese & Javanese gamelan together with the voices of Joko Susilo and Budi S. Putra Also on display were beautiful Indonesian batik fabrics and two of the antique instruments from the first gamelan to arrive in Aotearoa in 1974. This event was a collaboration between the Embassy of Indonesia, Gamelan Wellington, the NZ School of...
by Jo Hilder | Aug 17, 2024 | 2024, Events Recent
Saturday 17 August 2024 Shed 6 on the Wellington Waterfront Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya performed at the Indonesian Festival, Nusantara in Aotearoa, hosted by the Indonesian embassy for the 2024 Independence Day celebrations. Gamelan Taniwha Jaya was joined by special guest I Gusti Ngurah Agung Surya Pradipta performing the Balinese mask dance, Topeng...