world music

END OF TERM CONCERTS are an important part of Ensembles that we have really been missing, so towards that end we are holding a VIRTUAL CONCERT.  The Balinese Gamelan Ensemble, Chapel Choir, Choirs@UWaterloo, Integrated Instrumental Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble will all be participating.  Stay tuned for further details.

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 University of Waterloo Balinese Gamelan Ensemble will perform a selection of traditional and modern compositions.  First started in 2013, the ensemble led by artist-in-residence Dewa Suparta and Dr. Maisie Sum is expanding its repertoire and level every term.  

Balinese Gamelan Ensemble

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 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.

Reaching out: a unique exploration of cross-cultural and inter-cultural community song.  The University choir will sing works from within our own community, originating in Estonia, Iran, Senegal, New Zealand, and Bali. Join us for a unique choral experience.
University Choir

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.