New Jakarta Ensemble to perform in New York<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): New Jakarta Ensemble will make its North
\nAmerican debut with a unique mix of East and West at the Asia
\nSociety in New York next week.<\/p>\n
Using drums, wood blocks, Tibetan singing bowls, bells,
\nflutes, gongs and other instruments from Indonesia and beyond --
\nincluding the Arabic region, China, the Caribbean and Africa --
\nthe group will perform on May 21.<\/p>\n
This group of traditionally trained musicians from West
\nSumatra, led by internationally acclaimed composer Tony Prabowo,
\nperforms new music that combines both Eastern and Western
\nelements.<\/p>\n
The concert will include a work-in-progress excerpt of Empty
\nTradition\/City of Peonies, a dance theater piece featuring a
\nspecial guest, Chinese-born American choreographer\/dancer Yin
\nMei, according to a statement from the Asia Society made
\navailable to The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
While indigenous musical cultures are faltering in many Asian
\nnations, in Indonesia, traditional music is flourishing. As a
\nresult, there are relatively few composers writing new
\ncontemporary music. Among the most prominent is Tony Prabowo.<\/p>\n
Born in Malang, Indonesia, in 1956, he became involved with
\nmusic at the age of eight. Ten years after he began to study
\nviolin, he started composing, including a collaboration with
\nSlamet Abdul Sjukur, the acclaimed senior Indonesian composer.<\/p>\n
In the 1980s, Tony worked intensively with dancers and
\nchoreographers in Indonesia and Japan. He also composed music for
\ntheater, including The Ritual of Solomon's Children at the New
\nYork International Festival of the Arts in 1988. His composition
\nDongeng Sebelum Tidur (A Tale Before Sleep) was given its
\nAmerican premiere by the New Julliard Ensemble in 1996. It also
\npremiered his most recent work Autumnal Steps: Homage to
\nTakemitsu, in February, 1997.<\/p>\n
The New Jakarta Ensemble was formed in 1996 when choreographer
\nLinda Hoemar asked Tony Prabowo to compose a percussion piece for
\nher dance performance Lalu? (So?).<\/p>\n
Tony asked Epi Martison, a choreographer and percussionist
\nspecializing in traditional music of West Sumatra, to join him.
\nFour other young traditional West Sumatran percussionists,
\nMusliwardinal, Armen Suwandi, Anusirwan and Demal Hendri Caniago,
\nalso became involved.<\/p>\n
All of them received formal training at the Academy of
\nTraditional Music in Padang. The group first performed during the
\nIndonesian Dance Festival in Jakarta in 1996. In May, 1997, the
\ngroup was invited to perform at the Sufi Music Festival in London
\nand was joined by the extraordinary vocalist Nyak Ina Raseuki.<\/p>\n
The New Jakarta Ensemble performs contemporary music created
\nthrough a process of directed improvisation led by composer Tony
\nPrabowo. In this way their traditional music training shapes the
\nmusic while it is still being \"composed\" in rehearsal. The music
\nis then set and finely honed to the most minute detail.<\/p>\n
\"We use the traditional oral approach of conveying the text to
\nthe players,\" the composer said. \"There is a basic concept on
\nwhich they build, with oral interactions setting the tone and the
\nrole of each musician.<\/p>\n
\"Western music is a world of composers, but the traditional
\nEastern one is of players.\"<\/p>\n
Rachel Cooper, assistant director of performing arts at the
\nAsia Society and director for the project, said: \"Tony Prabowo is
\nunique in his ability to write new music for western music
\nensembles as well as traditional Indonesian musicians. The music
\nof the New Jakarta Ensemble does not fall into a single category
\nof East or West or traditional music. It is something completely
\nnew.\"<\/p>\n
For one segment of their performance at the Asia Society, the
\nEnsemble will feature a sneak preview of an evening-length dance
\ntheater Empty Tradition\/City of Peonies.<\/p>\n
The project was commissioned by the Asia Society through a
\ngrant from Meet the Composer. The full production will be shown
\nin October.<\/p>\n
The dance theater's commissioning is made possible in part by
\na grant from Meet the Composer\/International Creative
\nCollaborations program, in partnership with the Ford Foundation.
\n(sim)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-jakarta-ensemble-to-perform-in-new-york-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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