Çudamani: Gamelan and Dance of Bali 

Tirta - Water
Wed. September 22, 2021 | 7:30PM
Alice Jepson Theatre 

“Brilliant performers, stunning cohesion…a village awakens and our eyes open.” – Los Angeles Times

Internationally hailed as one of Bali’s most forward-thinking music and dance ensembles, Çudamani is known for their superb artistry and unflagging love for the classical treasures of Balinese tradition. Nurtured and trained in the village of Pengosekan, the group is among Bali’s most respected and accomplished. One of their many singular features is that many of their artists are multidisciplinary, mastering gamelan, dance, voice, and visual art resulting in artistically unified presentations.

The 20-member ensemble weaves layers of intricate sound from the deep great bronze gongs to the delicate sounds of the bamboo flute, transporting audiences into the vibrant world of the treasured gamelan art form. The ensemble features its newest creation with Tirta-Water, a visually stunning and profoundly moving production based on the myriad ways the Balinese understand, relate to, and celebrate the life-giving cycle of water – as central to their prayer, to their rice cultivation, and to the health and well-being of all living things.

 This engagement of Çudamani is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Support funded in part by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

Co-sponsored by University of Richmond’s Asia Connect and Department of Music in partnership with the community ensemble Gamelan Raga Kusuma.

ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Lecture Demonstration on Dance, Music, and Culture of Bali followed by a reception with the artists, Mon. September 20, 6:30-7:30pm, International Commons, Carole Weinstein International Center 

Indonesian Cultural Night in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, with snacks, information booths, interactive workshops, and demonstrations by Gamelan Çudamani, Tue. September 21, 6:00-7:30pm, Westhampton Green

Introduction to Balinese Dance with Gamelan Çudamani, Tue. September 21, 7:00-8:00pm, North Court Choir Room

Balinese Music Workshop with Gamelan Çudamani, Tue. September 21, 7:00-8:00pm, Jepson Theatre stage

RESOURCES 

Gamelan Çudamani Website  

The Gamelan and Indonesian Music in America by Andrew McGraw, Oxford University Press blog, an overview of the cultural context of gamelan performance in the west today.

Asia Society: A brief introduction to Balinese music  

Community-based Gamelan Raga Kusama co-founded by music professor Andy McGraw