Ensemble Kyai Fatahillah

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said that “without music, life would be a mistake.”

In the spirit of his declaration, the German cultural center, Goethe-Institut, has organized an international festival for young musicians in Southeast Asia. The Young Composers in Southeast Asia Competition and Festival, held once before in Kuala Lumpur, will open in Bandung on Friday.

The festival will begin with a workshop for 10 young composers, selected by an international jury for pieces they submitted in an application process. During the workshop, the composers will exchange creative ideas and further develop their music.

Two ensembles —the Berlin-based Mosaik and the Bandung-based Kyai Fatahillah — will perform the final pieces this October in Bandung, Yogyakarta and Jakarta. The three best compositions will receive extra prize money.

“The German-speaking cultures and countries — Germany, Austria and Switzerland — are connected through a strong musical tradition, having brought forth some of the most famous composers in the world, like Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart,” said Goethe-Institut director Franz Xaver Augustin.

For that reason, he said, it is only natural that a German cultural institute should focus on music.

“We’re trying to give the countries where [the Goethe-Institut] is represented a voice,” Augustin explained. “And here in Southeast Asia, we have an enormously rich tradition of local music as well.”

Augustin said he was under the impression that traditional music was on the verge of disappearing in many parts of Southeast Asia, no longer a major part of cultural life. This observation helped inspire the Young Composers competition.

The project, one of Goethe-Institut’s largest of the year, aims to help revive each country’s musical traditions and combine them with the knowledge of Western experts.

“Another goal of the workshop is to create a network among these young composers, since contemporary music is a niche, which is always restricted to a smaller group of people,” Augustin said. “That’s why it is so important for the young composers to be connected with each other throughout the region.”

As a nod to Indonesia for hosting the competition, musicians were asked to submit pieces they had composed for either Western instruments or Sundanese gamelan instruments — or a combination of the two.

Dieter Mack — a professor at the Lubeck Academy of Music in Germany and the artistic director of the Young Composers program — said this criteria posed a tough but worthwhile challenge for composers.

“I have never been personally interested in forcing two cultures together like a forced marriage, at whatever cost,” he said. “I don’t believe in ‘world music’ but I am fascinated by all music of the world,” Mack said. “However, with regard to instruments, it was a real challenge for these composers to step outside their conventions in instrumental practice and compositional use.”

Mack has been a frequent visitor to Indonesia since 1978. Between 1992 and 1995 he served as a guest lecturer in Bandung at the Indonesian University of Education (UPI), a partner institution for the Young Composers competition.

Fluent in Indonesian, Mack seemed like a perfect fit to not only become one of the jury members, but also to oversee the Young Composers program as a whole.

“This experiment — the competition, workshops and concerts — is a platform with many chances for inspiring artistic encounters, surprises, confrontations and even some possible dead ends,” Mack said. “But isn’t that an important aspect of any art in relation to society?”

“Art, especially music, can evoke very different emotions, but it can also spark processes of critical reflection about our society and cultural development in the widest sense of its meaning,” he added.

One of the competition’s 10 finalists will be Matius Shan Boone, who is among Indonesia’s most active young composers. His pieces have been performed at numerous festivals across Asia and Europe.

“Sometimes it astonishes me to see that, even though I am Indonesian, my compositions are much more appreciated outside of my country,” Matius said.

For young people growing up in Southeast Asia, an interest in classical or contemporary music is not very common. The overwhelming majority of young people listen to pop and rock music, or whatever else is topping the charts.

But for Matius, a composition and piano student at Pelita Harapan University’s Conservatory of Music in Jakarta, the more he learned about classical music, the more he saw there was to discover.

In this year’s competition, Matius submitted a piece he wrote for flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, violoncello and, last but not least, the saron, an instrument used for gamelan.

Matius said his university courses often focused on Western music and instruments, so he found it difficult to incorporate an instrument like the saron.

“It was very challenging for me to see if I could find a way to make them become one,” he said.

His composition is called “Mukena,” the name of a prayer dress for Muslim women.

“It symbolizes something hidden, something mysterious,” Matius explained. “But the mystical component will vanish once we try to reveal what’s behind it. My music speaks of that conflict.”

The Kyai Fatahillah and Mosaik ensembles will play his composition during the festival, as well as the songs of his fellow composers.

The ensembles will also perform music composed by members of the jury, including Mack and Iwan Gunawan, Kyai Fatahillah’s founder and conductor.

Augustin plans to make this competition a regular event — a kind of biennial, he said, with some clarification.

“I think that if an event has only taken place twice so far, you can’t actually call it a biennial just yet,” he said with a laugh.

“But yes, hopefully we can have the next edition of the Young Composers competition and festival in two years’ time.”

Young Composers in Southeast Asia Competition 

Oct. 8

Taman Budaya

Bandung

7:30 p.m. 

Oct. 10

Taman Budaya

Yogyakarta

7:30 p.m. 

Oct. 11

Goethe-Haus

Jakarta

7:30 p.m.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/arts/se-asias-young-composers-in-the-spotlight/468308

Ghost TrackSalihara Theater

Dance

Ghost Track and Ascent

LeineRoebana

Coreographers: Andrea Leine and Harijono Roebana, in collaboration with the dancers

Composer: Iwan Gunawan

Teater Salihara | Tuesday, August 02, 08:00 PM

Tickets Rp 50.000,- | Students Rp 25.000,- (limited seating)

LeineRoebana is a modern dance group established by two choreographers, Andrea Leine (Dutch) and Harijono Roebana (Indonesian). Since the 1990s, this group has been recognized and holds an important position in the dance world in the Netherlands.

The initial idea for Ghost Track came from gamelan, the sound character of which for Leine and Roebana is interesting and challenges the sense of hearing. This collaboration later also involved Iwan Gunawan—who has his roots in traditional Sundanese music and also has knowledge of contemporary Western music. With this mixture, the two choreographers began to work on their dance pieces. The fundamental question that they attempt to explore is about the differences that may appear in the movements of European and Indonesian dancers. If a dancer communicates with movement, then is the culture and practice each dancer follows going to give them a different language of movement? Ghost Track is an exploration performed by and with one another—with the consequence of exploring oneself and the tradition in which each individual participates.

ASCENT

Besides showcasing Ghost Track, LeineRoebana will also present Ascent, one of their works which debuted at the Chassé Theater, Breda, Netherland, on January 14, 2009. According to Trouw magazine, this piece shows physical strength transformed into a magical quality. There is a beautiful, but dark atmosphere, in the spirit of Ascent—thanks to the electronic composition by Yannis Kyriakides.

This demonstration is part of rehearsals scheduled by LeineRoebana in Indonesia in July 2011 and later in Europe in October 2011. This demonstration of the piece will be followed by a debut performance in the Netherlands on November 18, 2011. The complete 80-minute performance will also be shown for the first time in Asia in around February 2012 at Teater Salihara.

Source: http://salihara.org/en/event/2011/06/07/dance-demontration

Young Composers Southeast Asia

Workshop & Concerts

Entry Free

Reservation Preferred

Workshop:

30.09.2011-07.10.2011

Concerts:

02.10.2011: Taman Budaya Bandung / 19.30 pm (International Composers / Jury Members) 08.10.2011: Taman Budaya Bandung / 19.30 pm (Young Composers) 10.10.2011: Taman Budaya Yogyakarta / 19.30 pm (Young Composers) 11.10.2011: Goethe-Haus Jakarta / 19.30 pm (Young Composers)

For the second time, Goethe-Institut in Southeast Asia in cooperation with Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) in Bandung / Indonesia has invited young composers of the region to join our international Composers Competition. As a special honneur to the host country Indonesia, the competition this time included compositions for Western instruments, for Sundanese Gamelan Pelog Salendro instruments or a combination of the two.

The great amount of entries from all over Southeast Asia was overwhelming and it shows the great artistic potential of this region in the field of contemporary music. Out of all compositions, an International Jury from Southeast Asia and Germany has chosen the best 10 pieces.

From the 30th of September until the 7th of October, the Young Composers will be invited to Bandung / Indonesia to share their experience and to learn from the International Composers. Goethe-Institut is proud to announce the participation of the Berlin-based ensemble mosaik specialized in Western contemporary music. For the Sundanese instruments Kyai Fatahillah from Bandung is participating.

Furthermore the programme will include four concerts. One concert will present the work of the International Masters who are also the Jury (02.10.2011: Taman Budaya Bandung / 19.30 pm). As for the other three concerts (08.10.2011 / 10.10.2011 / 11.10.2011) in Bandung, Yogyakarta and Jakarta the compositions of the Young Composers will be brought to performance.

Tickets can also be picked up at:

Goethe-Institut Bandung

Jalan Martadinata 48 Bandung 40115 Tel.: +62 22 4236440

UPI Bandung

Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229 Bandung 40154

Goethe-Institut in Jakarta

Jl. Sam Ratulangi 9-15 Jakarta 10350 Tel.: +62 21 23550208

For further information please call: Tel.: +62 21 23550208-131 or email: Mail Symbolsohns@jakarta.goethe.org

Source: http://www.goethe.de/ins/id/lp/kue/en8082949.htm

ensemble kyai fatahillah (from Bandung, Indonesia)

meets duo fatale (from Basel, Switzerland)

playing compositions from JOPO /  Ingeborg Poffet /  Iwan Gunawan

The first time they have met at the 2nd int. Cracking bamboo festival 2010 in Vietnam and Indonesia, where they have played together 2 concerts at the sold out opera in Hanoi, one in Bandung and one at the music conservatory in HoChiMin City. In Bandung kyai fatahillah and the duo fatale had an extra concert meeting at the Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, jurusan Pendidikan Musik FPBS.

Immediately they knew, that they had to create an own project together, so they started to exchange ideas, datas, knowledge and music from their groups.

In april 2011 they all met again and created an exciting performance with new compositions by the leaders of the groups. So the gamelan will appear in a contemporary style, playing scores with a conductor as well as in the traditional way.

The main idea for the fata-fata-project is to combine western instruments with the traditional gamelan on the onehand. On the other hand the new idea is to combine pelog and slendro within the gamelan itself, which is a new idea and not used until now. So it needed to invent an new way of writing for the compositions. The musically research of duo fatale has gained the result of doing this. One of the small revolutions is that one person has to play two instruments at the same time, which needs a new arrangement of the instruments. The next step are new playing technics which are needed in the new compositions, which all of them have to find out, like how to play three notes at the same time with only one stick in one hand and adistance of half a meter?

So the whole project is a huge challenge and experiment of finding new ways of playing wonderful ideas and realizing a sensational experience for the audience.

JOPO & Ingeborg Poffetfrom Switzerland are known as the Duo fatale, world wide playing concerts on international festivals, clubconcerts and for film music-studios. They work with electronic, realize computer-music as well as they are producers and sound-engineers, always inventing new projects and creating new formations,collaborations, compositions, concepts and multi-media-events. They have published many cds & dvds, mostly on XOPF-Records, and sheets- and book-projects on AUGEMUS-Musikverlag.

more informations on

Kyai Fatahilla on youtube & myspace & kyaifatahillah.webs.com   duo fatale on youtube & www.duofatale.ch

GAMELAN NOT OVERSCHADOWED BY TRADITION ANYMORE

by  Ton Maas

Amsterdam

A widespread prejudice is existing against Balinese Gamelan, shown during the 2nd edition of the International Gamelan Festival Amsterdam in the main hall of the Amsterdam Tropical Museum again. Super slick, dazzling fast and for western ears highly polished gamelan playing by Balinese would be specifically developed for the tourist industry.

Sure, gamelan offered the island lots of profit, but the most important reason for this perfect way of playing has to be found in their tradition. You could say Balinese don’t like chance, which can be found in all fields of art to be experienced there. In order to exclude all  arbitrary expression, they pay extreme attention to detailed technical skills, whether is be about painting, woodcarving or gamelan playing. So even in the fastest passage they juggle their mallets, they show even the smallest variation is on purpose and meaningful.

During the Bali night in the festival (IGFA) Gong Semara Ratih were smiling all the time while performing the most breathtaking caprioles. The group showed some novelties which were not for everybody. Just before the public applauded for the first performance of Orang Besi by Christine Southworth a loud ‘boo’ was heard.

Happily the same voice  cried out ‘bravo’ after the first performance of a new composition by I Ketut Cater from Bali .

Last Thursday this edition of the festival was marked by the header GAMELAN NOW, to announce lots of novelties. Compositions were played by composers from the Netherlands , USA , Spain , China and Indonesia . Contrary to western developments  the Javanese and Balinese seemed to be mainly focused on organic developments within their tradition. In general the Indonesian compositions were mostly convincing. Specially the compositions by the Sundanese composer Iwan Gunawan were very impressive, specifically where he was inspired by the American Steve Reich. In Kulu Kulu performed by two gamelan ensembles, fast rhythmical patterns sliding as waves as in surf breakers.

Source: Daily News Papers "De Volkskrant", 14.September 2010

Translated by P.H. van de poel

Ensemble Gending will make another tour to Indonesia this summer

we will rehearse and tour together with Indonesian ensemble Kyai Fatahillah

and Ensemble Kyai Fatahillah will visit us in Holland in September !

The Oversteek program from 2006 will be followed up with a much more thorough cooperation between the two ensembles, both in Bandung, Indonesia and in Holland. The ensembles met each other in 2006 for the first time, touring together in Indonesia with a crossover program of Indonesian and Dutch compositions. Kyai Fatahillah performed Gending (written by the Dutch composer Ton de Leeuw) and Ensemble Gending performed compositions of the Indonesian composers Dedy Hernawan, Slamet Sjukur en Dody Ekagustdiman.

We performed in the same program, but we didn't rehearse or play together, this was a first encounter.

Now, 4 years later, we are given the opportunity to engage in a much more involved cooperation. We will rehearse together for a week at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia at Bandung, giving workshops to the students together. Bandung is the residence of Kyai Fatahillah and it's artistic director Iwan Gunawan. In this period we will rehearse the parts of the program that the two groups will actually perform together on stage. After this period we will tour in Indonesia together, also performing in Jakarta and at the Yogyakarta Gamelan Festival.

In september, Kyai Fatahillah wil visit the Netherlands and we will perform together at the International Gaudeamus Music Week and the International Gamelan Festival Amsterdam IGFA.

Kyai Fatahillah plays new compositions from both Indonesian and western composers and adds theatrical elements to it's performance occasionally, just like Ensemble Gending. The two groups do this in a strikingly different manner however, coming from completely different cultures. This time the musicians of both ensembles will have an unique opportunity to learn from each other and to show this to an audience in Indonesia as well as in the Netherlands.

For details program please see in http://ensemblegending.nl/agenda_en.htm