I Made Lasmawan, the artistic director of the CC Balinese Gamelan orchestra, was recently featured in
American Gamelan and the Ethnomusicological Imagination, which he says highlights what it means to devote one’s life to world music ensemble education.
A native of Bali, Lasmawan studied and received his degree in Indonesian traditional Gamelan music from conservatories in both Bali and Java, and taught for several years in Java before coming to the United States in 1990. Gamelan, a traditional music ensemble in Indonesia, is composed of mostly percussive instruments. Most common are tuned gongs, various types of metal-keyed instruments, bamboo flutes, xylophone, and occasionally stringed instruments.
Now in his 29th year at CC, Lasmawan is considered one of the foremost experts in both Gamelan performance and Indonesian music; he has been aiding the Indonesian consulate, acting as an ambassador to bring his knowledge of music and Indonesia into an American space. Not only has Lasmawan performed Balinese music throughout the U.S., Indonesia, and Asia, but he has also presented his original research on Balinese music at the Society for Ethnomusicology and the International Council for Traditional Music. Lasmawan brings his love for Indonesia, his love for music, and his love for teaching into his work at CC and elsewhere.
