Gita Bahana Nusantara 2026 Auditions Open in Yogyakarta Special Region, Four Talents to Represent at Merdeka Palace
Young people in the Special Region of Yogyakarta have been given the opportunity to perform at an official state stage. The Cultural Affairs Office (Kundha Kabudayan) of Yogyakarta has opened the Gita Bahana Nusantara (GBN) Choir Auditions 2026 to select the best singers who will represent the region at Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day commemoration ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.
Four top contestants will be selected from soprano, alto, tenor, and bass vocal categories. They will join provincial representatives in the national Gita Bahana Nusantara team to perform at the official ceremony on 17 August 2026.
Dian Lakshmi Pratiwi, Head of Yogyakarta’s Cultural Affairs Office, stated that the GBN programme is part of youth development through music and the selection process for regional representatives at the national level. She added that GBN is not only a platform for vocal development but also a means to strengthen national character and unity among young people.
“This activity is part of youth development through music and the selection process for representatives of the Special Region of Yogyakarta to join the national Gita Bahana Nusantara team performing at the 81st Republic of Indonesia Independence Day ceremony at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta,” Dian said on Friday, 29 May 2026.
GBN serves as a platform for nation-building through musical and cultural expressions involving talented youth from across Indonesia. Beyond developing musical skills, the programme also strengthens nationalism, togetherness, and the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika among young people.
Regarding the Yogyakarta selection, Zita Uttungga Dewi Maharani, Head of the Performing Arts Section at the Cultural Affairs Office, explained that participants will undergo several assessment stages before the best representatives for each vocal category are chosen.
“During the auditions, participants will perform a mandatory song set by the committee, undergo musical notation reading tests, and vocal range assessments,” she said during the Gita Bahana Nusantara 2026 Choir Audition Socialisation in Yogyakarta.
“Judges, comprising both national and regional representatives, will assess aspects including vocal quality, vocal technique, interpretation, adherence to the score, and musical notation reading ability,” she added.
Auditions are open to Yogyakarta residents aged 16-23, unmarried, physically and mentally healthy, with vocal abilities matching soprano, alto, tenor, or bass categories. Registration runs from 29 May to 6 July 2026. Participants will then attend a keynote pitch session on 9 July and the main auditions on 10 July at the Bima Room, Cultural Affairs Office.
“Participants are also expected to be able to read musical notation or sight-read as part of the selection criteria,” she said.
Zita acknowledged that participant enthusiasm is consistently high each year. However, the requirement of holding a Yogyakarta ID card often discourages some young people from competing. She noted that Yogyakarta’s selection quality often serves as a benchmark for other regions due to its more complex audition materials, which include singing while also mastering sight-reading, solfège, musical notation, and rhythm.
“Other provinces may have simpler tests, but in Yogyakarta, it’s more complex. Therefore, it’s necessary to conduct socialisation so participants are not caught off guard,” she said.
During the event, one of the audition judges, Pancasona Adji, reminded that success for participants depends not only on vocal quality but also on mental readiness when facing the judges. He noted that many participants possess good abilities but fail to showcase them fully due to nervousness.
Before the singing session, participants must undergo several selection stages, including reading notation, rhythm testing, and solfège. Therefore, thorough preparation is key to showcasing their full potential during the auditions.
“Most prepare well but become nervous once on stage, unable to demonstrate their abilities. Preparation must be 100% to fully unleash their capacity and talent,” he said.
Axel, a student at Yogyakarta State High School No. 8, is participating in the GBN selection for the first time this year. Motivated by the desire for new experiences in professional choir settings, he has not been heavily involved in large-scale choir activities, making the GBN auditions an opportunity to develop his skills.
Despite not attending a music-focused institution, Axel said his passion for singing has grown since childhood. To maintain vocal quality, he regularly warms up and intensifies practice sessions before competitions or performances.
“Preparation involves daily warm-ups and intensive training when there’s a competition,” he said.