Available as: Musician, Instructor (ensemble or individual lessons), Consultant for projects and events
I fell in love with Javanese Gamelan in 2007 with the National University of Singapore’s Singa Nglaras Gamelan Ensemble. Since then, I’ve travelled frequently to Surakarta (Solo), Central Java to learn the music via classes at the Institut Seni Indonesia (Surakarta), private lessons with prominent musicians, and participation in the city’s rich musical life.
From 2012 to 2024, I was the Music Director for Singa Nglaras Javanese Gamelan Ensemble, a pro-bono position where I conducted rehearsals, selected and arranged repertoire, managed logistics for performances, and facilitated collaborations between the ensemble, arts venues and Indonesian artistes. I moved to Germany in November 2023, and have been active with Hamburg Elbphilharmonie’s Sekar Kenanga and Berlin’s Lindhu Raras Gamelan ensembles.
Recent projects I have worked in independent of the ensembles above include Hoh Chung Shih’s cross cultural
contemporary work Luminous Clouds at SIPA (Solo International Performing Arts) in 2022, Ki Purbo Asmoro’s 2023 Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppetry) performance in Graz, organised by the Institut für Ethnomusikologie der KUG, Graz, and EMPIRE: Rooting for the Antihero, a theatre production by Franz von Strolchen for steirischer herbst ’24.
Xin Wei THOW 