Gamelan Community Gathering 2026

On Sunday, 7 June 2026, the Gamelan Community Gathering returned to an outdoor setting after several years, bringing together more than 20 musicians and dancers from across Switzerland, alongside international guests, in the courtyard of Sommercasino Basel.

The open-air setting created the perfect environment for a day of music, dance, workshops, and exchange. The courtyard offered space for the different ensembles, covered areas, catering facilities, and changing rooms, while the adjacent park provided a beautiful shaded setting for the workshops. These conditions made it possible to create an open, flexible, and at the same time focused atmosphere.

At the heart of the musical program was a Gong Kebyar performance by a mixed ensemble bringing together amateur musicians from the Musikschule Basel, students from the Hochschule für Musik, Jazzcampus, and Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, as well as invited musicians from Germany and Belgium. The repertoire included Tabuh Gari, Hujan mas and Catur Yuga.

The dance program featured three dancers, Inten Sriasih, Wayan Pitriana and Amandine Mareschi. They performed Tari Pendet and Tari Panyembrama. The performances were complemented by the children's gamelan ensemble of the Musikschule Basel, a Tingklik ensemble, and a Gender Wayang duo performed by members of Gamelan Anggur Jaya from Freiburg, Germany.

A particular highlight was the participation of Balinese musician Krishna Sutedja, who performed kendang and suling in several pieces and led a Kecak workshop, sharing his experience and knowledge with participants.

The Gamelan students from the Musikschule Basel and the FHNW particularly benefited from participating in this event, as they had the opportunity to play in a full ensemble, become familiar with new instruments, and exchange with experts in Indonesian music. The children were also able to admire the dancers' costumes and dances and perform in front of an audience.

Attendance was exceptionally high: numerous visitors attended both the concerts and actively participated in the Kecak, Gamelan, and dance workshops, spending the entire day with us. The Indonesian Ambassador and his staff travelled from Bern specifically to attend the event.

The feedback from both musicians and audience members was consistently enthusiastic!

In the evening, the programme was complemented by a contemporary music concert held at Sommercasino Basel, organised by the association avidilumi-ch. This event also attracted considerable interest and was very positively received.

Videos from the Gamelan Community Gathering are available in the ARCHIVE section of the EGS website.

Basel, 12 June 2026

Sara Andreacchio