Gamelan Burat Wangi and Gamelan Sekar Jaya

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm

Cost: Free; no reservations required.

For the very first time, Cal Arts’ Gamelan Burat Wangi and Bay Area’s Gamelan Sekar Jaya share the stage in the tradition of mebarung. In Bali, mebarung performances are anticipated with great excitement as two gamelan orchestras showcase their most virtuosic works. Joyous, playful and filled with admiration, these “battles” demand that each group perform at its highest level. In declaration of their mutual respect for each other and their reverence for Bali, the ensembles will join together for rejang dewa, a dance offering that illustrates the spiritual and sublime source of Balinese arts.

Gamelan Burat Wangi was established in 1972 under the artistic direction of Nyoman Wenten and Nanik Wenten. This professional company of 40 members, based at California Institute of the Arts, provides an artistic anchor for the Indonesian community of Los Angeles. They recently performed to great acclaim at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Established in 1979, the 60-member strong Gamelan Sekar Jaya is the only foreign organization to receive the Dharma Kusuma, Bali’s highest award for artistic achievement. The company performs traditional works and has sponsored the creation of more than sixty cutting-edge compositions and choreographies. They are directed by guest teachers Emiko Saraswati Susilo and Dewa Putu Berata.

With thirty-two years of shared lineage and close friendships, this evening is nothing short of a family reunion.