An Afternoon of Japanese Koto and Balinese Gamelan: UMD Japanese Koto Ensemble and UMD Gamelan Saraswati Ensemble

An Afternoon of Japanese Koto and Balinese Gamelan

UMD Japanese Koto Ensemble and UMD Gamelan Saraswati Ensemble
Sunday, December 12, 2021 . 3PM
Special Announcement: 

The digital recording of this event will be available to view until February 12. You may access the recording here.

Event Attributes

Presented By

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Accessibility: 

For more information regarding accessible accommodations, please click here.

Venue: 

Join us in-person at The Clarice or watch the livestream from the comfort of your home.

A combined ensemble concert celebrating music from Japan and Bali. The UMD Japanese Koto Ensemble features music played on the koto, a traditional Japanese 13-string instrument. Koto music reflects the quiet beauty, simplicity and harmonizing effect of Japanese nature. The UMD Gamelan Saraswati Ensemble presents traditional Balinese gamelan music that showcases complex interlocking rhythms often performed in tandem with the delicate motions and multifaceted expressions of Balinese dance.

Concessions: 

The Clarice lobby concession bar Encore will not be open for food and beverage sales during this event.

Health + Safety

There may be COVID safety policies such as mask requirements in place when you attend this event. Please see our health & safety page for the most up to date information about attendance!

PROGRAM MENU: PROGRAM · PROGRAM NOTES · ABOUT THE ARTISTS

PROGRAM

 

UMD Japanese Koto Ensemble
 
Yasashii Gassokyoku – Medley
Traditional Japanese Koto Music
Yoshihisa Saito (arr. 1990)
 
Etenraku (7 + 5 syllable poems with vocal)
Traditional
 
Ochiba-suru koro (Season of Falling Leaves)
Katsuko Chikushi (comp. 1952)
 
Yuyake Koyake Hensokyoku (In the Glow of the Sunset)
Seiho Nomura (arr. 1960)
 
 
INTERMISSION
 
UMD Balinese Gamelan Saraswati Ensemble
 
Bulu Gading (Golden Bamboo)
I Made Wisnu Ari (comp. 2021)
 
Banang Selisir
Traditional
I Nyoman Suadin, choreographer
Latifah Alsegaf, dancer
 
Harum Semitha (Beautiful Smile)
Traditional
 
Gilak Rahwana
Traditional
 
 

PROGRAM NOTES

 
Yasashii Gassokyoku
Traditional
Yoshihisa Saito (arranged 1990)
 
1st Koto: Faith Antonetti, Alexandra Danckaert, Josephine Danckaert, Nicholas Gaffney, Malaika Nyawara, Joshua Batugo, Priscilla Seah, Paolo Lami, Julie Yang
 
2nd Koto: Raina Newsome, Henry Wilson, Jackie Lee
 
Bass Koto: Dennis Erickson, Colin Khem
 
This is a medley of traditional Japanese songs including Sakura (Cherry Blossoms); the ancient song Koto Uta that first appeared in a koto music textbook in a Tokyo music school in 1888; Kazoeuta (Counting song), an ancient Japanese school children’s song that was selected in 1892 by the Japanese government to be taught in elementary schools; and Oedo Nihonbashi (The Edo Bridge), named after a very famous historical bridge in Tokyo.
 
Etenraku
Traditional
Advanced class students: Dennis Erickson, Paolo Lami, Julie Yang
 
7 + 5 syllable poems with vocal
a ki no ha ji me ni na ri nu re ba
ko to shi mo na ka ba wa su gi ni ke ri
wa ga yo fu ke yu ku tsu ki ka ge no
ka ta bu ku mi ru ko so a wa re na re
 
It’s autumn now
Half the year has passed already
Like the moon waning, my life is passing by
I feel lonely.
 
Etanraku is sacred music that was often performed for religious ceremonies during the 8th and 9th century in Japan.
 
Ochiba-suru koro (Season of Falling Leaves) Koto Duet
Katsuko Chikushi (composed 1952)
 
1st Koto: Jackie Lee
 
2nd Koto: Colin Khem
 
One bids farewell to autumn watching a leaf fall, then another and another…. In the distance temple bells ring, announcing the end of another day. One is overcome by nostalgia.
 
Yuyake Koyake Hensokyoku (In the Glow of the Sunset)
Seiho Nomura (arranged 1960)
 
1st Koto: Faith Antonetti, Alexandra Danckaert, Josephine Danckaert, Nicholas Gaffney, Malaika Nyawara, Henry Wilson, Paolo Lami, Joshua Batugo, Priscilla Seah, Raina Newsome
 
2nd Koto: Kyoko Okamoto
 
3rd Koto: Julie Yang, Jackie Lee
 
Bass Koto: Dennis Erickson, Colin Khem
 
Bulu Gading (Golden Bamboo)
I Made Wisnu Ari (composed 2021)
 
This piece, like many Balinese compositions, is inspired by nature. Bamboo is valuable for making ceremonial offerings which usually include rice, flowers, fruits and spices. Bamboo is also used for parts of the gamelan instruments, such as the resonators and flutes.
 
Banang Selisir (trad.)
I Nyoman Suadin, choreographer
Latifah Alsegaf, dancer
 
The music is the traditional piece Bapang Selisir and is an example of the courtly Semar Pegulingan style. There is a base melody and the drummer leading the musicians, cues the angsels or breaks. The dance is in the refined female style and draws on movements from the classical Balinese dance Legong, which itself evolved from the court dance drama called Gambuh.
 
Harum Semitha (Beautiful Smile)
Traditional
 
This piece is an adaptation of a traditional song. It evokes a general feeling of happiness and contentment.
 
Gilak Rahwana
Traditional
 
There are many Balinese compositions based on the eight-beat gilak pattern. Characterized by the cycling gong pattern that alternates between the large gong and the small, higher-pitched kempur, the music using the gilak form typically accompanies ceremonial processions in Bali or forms the basis for longer compositions. Originally played in the gamelan gong kebyar style during the Ramayana dance drama, this song has been adapted as an instrumental piece for gamelan angklung.
 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

 
ENSEMBLE DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHIES
 
Founder and music director of the Washington Toho Koto Society since 1971, KYOKO OKAMOTO is a graduate of the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. She was certified as teacher of koto following completion of her training in the Ikuta School of Koto in Japan. She teaches privately in the Washington metropolitan area and holds faculty appointments at the University of Maryland, College Park, UMBC and the George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.
 
Okamoto's lectures, demonstrations and recitals have attracted college and community audiences in the Midwest, New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. She has recorded for film productions with the Smithsonian Institution and the National Symphony Orchestra, and with other groups of Western musicians.
 
 
Originally from Tabanan, Bali, I NYOMAN SUADIN discovered music and dance as a young child by watching his father participate in the village gamelan and by playing in a children's gamelan. He later received formal training at KOKAR, the National High School for the Performing Arts, in Denpasar. In 1986, he traveled to Germany to present music and dance. Since 1988, he has traveled throughout the United States and performed with gamelan ensembles. In addition to directing the University of Maryland Balinese Gamelan Ensemble "Saraswati," he teaches at the Eastman School of Music and Swarthmore College. He is also the founder and artistic director of Gamelan Mitra Kusuma.
 
 
ENSEMBLE PERSONNEL
 
UMD Japanese Koto Ensemble
 
Director
Kyoko Okamoto
 
Musicians
Faith Antonetti
Joshua Batugo
Dennis Erickson
Colin Khem
Alexandra Danckaert
Josephine Danckaert
Nicholas Gaffney
Paolo Lami
Jackie Lee
Raina Newsome
Malaika Nyawara
Priscilla Seah
Henry Wilson
Julie Yang
 
UMD Balinese Gamelan Saraswati Ensemble
 
Director
I Nyoman Suadin
 
Musicians
Christopher Adams
Isabele Arteaga
Laniya Davidson
Andrew Ferguson
Cecilia Hu
Anna Kelleher
Peter Kozlov
Maria Paoletti
Matthew Regan
Ella Sherman
Jasmine Voon
Amber Wang
Jingyu Xu
Yiding Yuan