Renowned Balinese composer-ethnomusicologist I Wayan Sudirana will lead a discussion on musical fundamentals of Balinese Gamelan, its cultural context, and his work as a composer and director of Gamelan Yuganada in contributing to the living, evolving Gamelan tradition.
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Bio
Born in Ubud, Bali, I Wayan Sudirana is one of Indonesia’s most well-known composers. With an international profile as a performer and educator, he is also one of the most recognized professors at the Indonesian Institute for the Arts in Denpasar. After graduating from the Institute, Wayan Sudirana studied at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he received his MA and PhD in Ethnomusicology. He was commissioned by the Canadian government to compose a piece combining Balinese gamelan, Japanese Taiko, and bagpipes, to be performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He has collaborated with renowned composers and other artists, including Michael Tenzer (2003–2013), Andrew Clay McGraw (2006–2010), Peter Michael Steele and Joshep Sandino (2007), Gamelan X, and has performed at Carnegie Hall, New York. Sudirana has authored a book on the future of the Balinese sacred ensemble (2019) and released two albums featuring his own compositions (2019 and 2020).