gamelan

Tag: gamelan

Gamelan ensembles close World Music Series

Lawrence University’s own 15-member Balinese gamelan ensemble —Gamelan Cahaya Asri — closes the college’s 2017-18 World Music Series with a performance Sunday, May 20 at 3 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The concert is free and open to the public.

members of the Lawrence gamelan ensembleJoining Gamelan Cahaya Asri will be the 14-member community gamelan — Gamelan Sekar Kemuda — which includes players as young as 13 and as old as 82. A children’s gamelan of 11 students aged 5-10 years old, also will perform.

The concert will include a performance by Chicago-based Balinese dancer Claire Fassnacht. A 2013 Lawrence graduate, Fassnacht leads gamelan and dance workshops, private lessons and cultural lectures. She has performed as a musician and dancer with several gamelan ensembles in the U.S. and Bali, Indonesia. From 2015-17, she was a dancer and musician with MIT’s Gamelan Galak Tika in Boston.

Featuring metallophones, gongs, drums and bamboo flutes from Indonesia, the concert will include meditative traditional ceremonial pieces and vibrant contemporary works by Balinese composers.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.”  Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

Adult Summer Mini-Seminars Offer Life-Long Learning Opportunities

Wine, woods and world music is on the menu for Lawrence University’s 2013 Summer Seminar series.

Modeled on its popular Bjorklunden seminar series in Door County, Lawrence is sponsoring a pair of adult, life-long learning opportunities this summer on its Appleton campus.  The three-day-long classes are conducted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, with lunch provided.

Professor of Biology Nicholas Maravolo, a botany specialist, leads the mini-seminar “Woods and Wine” July 23-25. Mornings in this class will be spent learning to read the landscapes of the area’s rich ecosystems through field walks, plant identifications and stimulating discussions.

The second half of the class features a leisurely lunch discussion of the scientific and cultural dimensions of wine, including wine-tasting sessions.  Transportation to the field trips and wine tastings is provided.

In addition to extensive fieldwork that has taken him to the American West, throughout Central and South America, Europe and the Pacific Rim, Maravalo has taught wine science and appreciation to a variety of audiences and has traveled the world to experience the ambience and tastes of various wine countries.

A quartet of scholars will lead an exploration of some of the world’s most interesting music and the cultures that created it in the mini-seminar “World Music” July 30-August 1. This highly interactive class will have participants making an Australian didjeridu, performing on a Balinese gamelan and learning the traditions of Native American music. No previous music training is needed.

The course will be team-taught by four members of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music:  I Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana, director of the Lawrence Gamelan (Balinese music); Sonja Downing, assistant professor of ethnomusicology, (Balinese music); Brian Pertl, dean of the conservatory (Australian aboriginal music) and Brigetta Miller, associate professor of music (Native American music).

Registration deadline is June 28. More information is available here.

About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.

Lawrence University Kaleidoscope Concert: A Musical Cornucopia

From Bizet to Broadway, Lawrence University’s biennial Kaleidoscope concert promises to strike at least one chord with every music lover. Showcasing the musical talents of nearly 350 Lawrence students, the third edition of the concert will be performed Saturday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, 400 W. College Ave., Appleton.

Tickets, at $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $7 for students, are available at both the Lawrence University Box Office, 920-832-6749, and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Box Office, 920-730-3760.

First performed in 2006, the 75-minute, non-stop musical whirlwind will feature a dozen student groups performing from all corners of the theatre, including the side balconies, main floor and upper balcony.

“Kaleidoscope is really the cornucopia of concerts. It is designed to cover a broad spectrum of musical offerings and give the audience a sampling of everything from intimate chamber music and funky jazz to musical theatre and Brazilian percussion,” said Andrew Mast, director of bands at Lawrence and the coordinator of this year’s concert.

“It will be the most ambitious thing Lawrence does musically this year and requires a lot of work on the part of our students to pull it off given in the short time they’ve been back in school,” Mast added. “But it’s a special opportunity to perform in a beautiful hall like the Performing Arts Center. I know everyone is excited about putting on a great show.”

Highlighting the concert’s repertoire will be three works with Lawrence connections, including two compositions that will have their world premiere. The Lawrence Wind Ensemble will debut “Arclight Alley,” written by 2006 Lawrence graduate David Werfelmann, while “Layaanjali,” a composition by Assistant Professor of Music Asha Srinivasan, will have its world premiere performed by the Lawrence Saxophone Ensemble. Director of Jazz Studies Fred Sturm will direct the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble in a performance of his recent composition “Signal Fires.”

The program also includes performances by Lawrence’s new gamelan ensemble, the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, the Lawrence Concert Choir, Cantala women’s choir, the Sambistas percussion ensemble, a string quartet, opera and musical theatre excerpts and a six-hand piano performance.

The concert’s grand finale will feature a performance of the “Jupiter Hymn” from Gustav Holst’s seminal work “The Planets” by the entire Kaleidoscope cast under the baton of Lawrence President Jill Beck.

“The fast-paced nature of the concert, with no breaks between the relatively short, but audience-accessible works along with the constantly changing staging truly makes for a unique concert experience,” said Mast. “We hope the audience enjoys listening to it as much as we enjoy performing it.”

Lawrence University gratefully acknowledges Appleton Group Wealth Management, LLC for its sponsorship of the Kaleidoscope concert and extends its deep appreciation for its generous support of this special community arts showcase.