Gamelan

Balinese Gamelan EnsembleThe Balinese Gamelan is meant to be heard outdoors, so please join us at Waterloo Town Square for a terrific evening concert.  Free admission.  This ensemble is directed by I Dewa Made Suparta, a noted Gamelan composer, and Dr. Maisie Sum.  Stay after the concert to try out an instrument or two.

Balinese Gamelan in Waterloo Town SquareGamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali in Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. It is taught without notation, which means the students have to memorize their parts. Directed by artist-in-residence I Dewa Made Suparta, the group plays both traditional Balinese music and modern compositions.

Balinese Gamelan and two dancers

Directed by Dr. Maisie Sum and featuring Grebel Artist-in-Residence I Dewa Made Suparta, the UW Balinese Gamelan and the Grebel Community Gamelan will perform a mix of contemporary pieces and traditional classics.  Come find out why people who love music are fascinated by the gamelan.

Free admission, and a chance to try the gamelan yourself after the concert.

The UWaterloo Balinese Gamelan Ensemble will be appearing at the KULTRÚN FESTIVAL on Saturday July 8, 2pm and a free workshop at 3:45pm. Join us at this wonderful FREE international festival in Victoria Park.  

UWaterloo Balinese Gamelan

On the island of Bali, Indonesia there is a plethora of musical ensembles called gamelan, the local term for a set of instruments made primarily of bronze or bamboo. The UWaterloo Department of Music at Conrad Grebel University College is home to a gamelan semara dana consisting of bronze gongs and metallophones, drums, and bamboo flutes. 

On the island of Bali, Indonesia the idea of community and the spirit of interaction are highly valued and extend to music-making. Being an aural/oral tradition, repertoire—from ritual pieces to modern compositions, instrumental or dance—is learned through imitation and repetition, by listening and watching (i.e., without the use of notation). Students experience this communal process of creating a unified sound on a gamelan semara dana (one of several types of gamelan found in Bali) consisting of gongs, metallophones, drums, and flutes.

UWaterloo Balinese Gamelan and Grebel Community Gamelan with                        Balinese Artist-in-Residence I Dewa Made Suparta  

On the island of Bali, Indonesia there is a plethora of musical ensembles called gamelan, the local term for a set of instruments made primarily of bronze or bamboo. The UWaterloo Department of Music at Conrad Grebel University College is home to a gamelan semara dana consisting of bronze gongs and metallophones, drums, and bamboo flutes. 

This is a "must hear" event for anyone interested in "World Music".  This percussion ensemble will perform a selection of very intricate pieces from the Island of Bali, Indonesia.  Directed by Dr. Maisie Sum, with Artist-in-Residence I Dewa Made Suparta.  All ages welcome.  This concert is also an International Education Week Event.

Gamelan Ensemble