05/22/2026
Ten years ago, I came home from two years studying gamelan in Central Java with one question: could this music find a home in Buffalo?
The answer turned out to be a resounding yes and then some.
What started in 2016 as a small club rehearsing in borrowed spaces on the west side has grown into Nusantara Arts, a nonprofit with four Indonesian ensembles, a Balinese dance program, an afterschool partnership with Buffalo String Works, and around 25 performances a year. Buffalo has become one of the most active centers for Indonesian performing arts in the country.
On May 24 at Asbury Hall, we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary with Two Islands, One Gong, the largest presentation of our instruments we’ve ever done.
The evening features all four of our ensembles:
• Students from our Balinese afterschool program opening the show on the Angklung gamelan
• The original iron and brass instruments that started everything in 2016
• The deep-voiced bronze gamelan, including Puspawarna, the piece carried aboard the Voyager Golden Record as a representation of human culture
• Classical Balinese works and Sisya Jegeg, a new composition by our Balinese artistic director I Gusti Komin Darta, featuring 10 dancers
Ten years. Four ensembles. A community of musicians, students, teachers, and audience members who have made this music part of Buffalo’s fabric. I couldn’t have predicted any of it from the village in Karagan, and I certainly couldn’t have built it alone. This community built something genuinely remarkable. We’d love for you to be part of the celebration.
We can’t wait to see you on the 24th!
Sincerely,
Matt Dunning, Executive Director
Click the link in bio to get your tickets 🖇️🎟️
