This program is co-sponsored by the American Indonesian Cultural and Educational Foundation.

Join us for a concert of Javanese gamelan compositions composed by the renowned composer I.M. Harjito, featuring a mix of traditional gamelan and hybrid compositions that incorporate other instruments. Now 80, the master musician is one of the greatest Javanese musicians and composers of his generation. Harjito will present a selection of his works in the classical style as well as others that combine a gamelan with other instruments and ensembles such as string ensemble, bagpipes, and erhu. The concert will be the first time a full retrospective of his works will be presented to the public.

Joining Harjito is the composer/vocalist Peni Canda Rini, a professor of music at Indonesia’s National Institute of the Arts, a collaborator with the Kronos Quartet, and winner of the Aga Khan Music award. The complete gamelan ensemble will include other Javanese musicians teaching at US universities as well as Harjito's most experienced American students, many of whom have lived and studied in Indonesia.

The concert celebrates the 75th anniversary of US-Indonesia diplomatic relations. I.M. Harjito has made immense contributions to the cultural interactions between the U.S. and Indonesia for the past forty years. Since 1975, he has taught several generations of American students at Wesleyan University, University of California, Brown, Smith, and Tufts, and performed as a guest artist at many other colleges and institutions. He has appeared on numerous recordings of jazz and world music artists as well.