Beginning Javanese Gamelan Ensemble Spring Concert
Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 6:30pm
Belzberg World Music Hall
RESERVE NOWFree and open to the public.
Wesleyan’s Javanese Gamelan Ensemble, under the direction of University Professor of Music I.M. Harjito and with assistance from PhD student Ethan Schwartz MA ‘22, presents the music of Central Java.
Students in the Javanese Gamelan Ensemble focus on the direct, hands-on experience of performing Central Javanese gamelan music, augmented by occasional discussions and the showing of documentary films. Since 1983, Wesleyan has owned a set of gamelan instruments from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, a donation to the University from Louise Ansberry. The use of some of the instruments in the gamelan trace their origins back to the 12th century. Today, this magnificent orchestra features colorful bronze gongs and metallophones, wooden xylophones, drums, bowed- and plucked-string instruments, flutes, and vocalists. Traditionally, the gamelan accompanies Indonesian feasts, ceremonies, dances, and other significant events including Independence Day celebrations and concerts sponsored by various institutions. The Wesleyan gamelan study group had been in existence since the late 1960s, before the Center for the Arts opened in the fall of 1973.
Admission is free, and everyone is welcome. We encourage you to RSVP to help us with our planning and to get a reminder the day before this event. While RSVPs are not required for entry, they are a big help! While you're on campus, feel free to talk with our gallery assistants about the exhibitions and other upcoming special programs, like our student-led tours.