Since forming in 2011, Gamelan Yowana Sari has been a performing Balinese Art Ensemble in residence at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, NYC. Under the direction of Michael Lipsey and Fred Trumpy, Yowana Sari has toured Bali multiple times, studying and performing under the master composer and musician I Dewa Ketut Alit in Pengosekan. In 2024, the group commissioned new works from Michael Gordon and Evan Ziporyn, which were performed alongside compositions by Dewa Ketut Alit, Vivian Fung, and Kyle Miller at Bang on a Can’s Long Play Festival and MASS MoCA Summer Music Festival. Following these performances, GYS returned to Bali to study and perform with Dewa Alit’s Gamelan Salukat, as well as to record their debut album.
The group has performed at such major festivals as River-to-River, Make Music New York, and the Asheville Percussion Festival. GYS has a long-standing relationship with Midori and Friends, and Queens County’s CASA program (Cultural After School Adventures), and works with public school students on team-building activities through gamelan-based percussion music.
The group’s interest includes the rich traditions of Balinese compositions as well as contemporary works that involve electric guitar and bass.
September 21 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Looking East: Balinese Gamelan Ensemble Yowana Sari & Friends
