This is a directory of currently active gamelan groups in Canada. Its purpose is to provide a communication network so that gamelan performers and enthusiasts can get current information about each other easily, and so those who are interested in playing or listening to gamelan music can locate groups near them.

The North American list (USA and Canada) was first compiled in 1983 by Barbara Benary with assistance from Jody Diamond and Richard North, and was revised in 1997-8 and posted to the web by Marc Hoffman. The current list is hosted by the American Gamelan Institute, and maintained by Diamond and Benary.

If you are aware of any necessary changes or additions please let us know!

Each listing follows this format: Name of the group, kind of instruments and builder if known, repertoire played, and contact information. Groups may also add a description of the group, its philosphies, special projects, etc.

If you are aware of any errors or omissions in this list, please send the information to changes@gamelan.org.

The information that follows was last updated on April 9, 2006.

ALBERTA--- Calgary

Name of Ensemble: Balinese Gender Wayang Ensemble of Calgary
Instruments: Balinese Gender Wayang
Repertoire: Traditional
Contact:
Brita Renee Heimarck, dir.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
(403) 247-3853
Email: brh3@cornell.edu

I would be happy to have additional members for a group, which performs for various concerts or functions at the University of Calgary or in churches.

BC--- Vancouver

Name of Ensemble: Gamelan groups at University of British Columbia
Instruments: Balinese gong kebyar and Javanese slendro
Repertoire: Traditional
Contact:
Michael Tenzer
School of Music, U.B.C.
6361 Memorial Road
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2, Canada
Javanese program: Sutrisno and Chris Miller
Email: mtenzer@unixg.ubc.ca
Email: cjmiller@sfu.ca

BC--- Vancouver

Name of Ensemble: Simon Frazer University School for Contemporary Arts and Vancouver Community Gamelan/Venerable Essence of Honey.
Instruments: Javanese
Repertoire: Traditional
Contact:
Community gamelan contact:
Tony Reif (604) 737-1632
School for Contemporary Arts contact:
Barbara Leighs, Admin. Asst. (604) 291-3363, fax (604) 291-5907
Email: gamelanbc@yahoo.com

The Community Gamelan meets regularly. The university offers credit courses in gamelan every year taught by Sutrisno Hartana

ONTARIO--- Ottawa

Name of Ensemble: Semara Winangun
Instruments: Balinese Pelegongan, of the same type and tuning as the Teges gamelan.
Repertoire: Traditional
Contact: Lori Snyder
Email: ottawagamelan@gmail.com
Web page: http://ottawagamelan.org

This community group was started by Eric Da Silva in 2002, and meets Tuesday evenings at the Indonesian Embassy. We have played at the Toronto Arts Expo, the Ottawa Tulip Festival and many Indonesian Embassy events.

ONTARIO--- Toronto

Name of Ensemble: Evergreen Club Gamelan.
Instruments: Si Pawit--Sundanese degung
Repertoire: Traditional, Canadian and other new music
Contact:
Blair Mackay (Artistic Director)
Box 200
275 King St. East
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5A 1K2
416 652-8253, fax: 416 652-8006
Email: Mark Duggan madu@interlog.com
Web page: http://www.evergreenclubgamelan.ca

The Evergreen Club, based in Toronto, is Canada's first professional performing gamelan and is dedicated to the commissioning and performance of contemporary music and to traditional Sundanese music with gamelan master Burhan Sukarma. Since its advent in 1983, the Evergreen Club has performed numerous world premier works by many leading contemporary composers including John Cage, Gilles Tremblay, Lou Harrison, James Tenney, Walter Boudreau, John Wyre, John Siddall, and John Celona.

ONTARIO--- Toronto

Name of Ensemble: Dharma Santi
Instruments: Semar Pegulingan
Repertoire: Traditional, with some student compositions
Contact:
Annette Sanger
Email: sanger@utsc.utoronto.co
Narrative:This gamelan is owned by the University of Toronto, and is played by student groups in the Faculty of Music and at the Scarborough campus.

ONTARIO--- Toronto

Name of Ensemble: Gamelan Gong Sabrang
Instruments: Central Javanese pelog and slendro
Repertoire: Traditional
Contact e-mail: sabrang@sympatico.ca

Gamelan Gong Sabrang (Gamelan Across Oceans) is a Toronto community collective formed in June 2001 by a group of gamelan enthusiasts, specializing in the traditional courtly music repertoire from Central Java, Indonesia. Our sister group, Gamelan Puspito Laras, is in the city of Solo, Central Java. We have developed an ongoing partnership with Puspito Laras, an all-women's neighbourhood group, and provide financial support  as and when we can to help them to purchase instruments or provide an honorarium for their teacher.

ONTARIO--- Toronto

Name of Ensemble: GamTor: Gamelan Toronto
Contact: Andrew Timar atimar@istar.ca
Nur Intan Murtadza nmurtadza@hotmail.com

Gamelan Toronto is a community group that began in 1995. It draws from an eclectic group of people that features musicians, dancers and singers as well as those interested in the cultural arts of Indonesia. We rehearse weekly at the Indonesian Consulate's gamelan set - Kyai Muncar Manis. Our group has performed for the CanAsian Dance Festival 2001, Gamelan Summit 1997 and Bridge (2001) a new dance work - choreography and music by Peter Chin.

ONTARIO--- Toronto

Name of Ensemble: Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Gamelan: Venerable Son of the Rising Mist
Instruments: Javanese pelog and slendro
Repertoire: Traditional, Canadian and other new music
Contact: Nur Intan Murtadza nmurtadza@hotmail.com
Andrew Timar atimar@istar.ca

The TDSB gamelan is part of the World Music Curriculum offered for grades 1-8 students. Teachers receive either the slendro or the pelog set for a period of six to eight weeks and also a gamelan curriculum co-written by Sandra DeAngelis and Andrew Timar. Workshops held by gamelan consultants Andrew Timar and Nur Intan Murtadza are designed to facilitate teachers in their use of the gamelan curriculum

QUEBEC--- Montreal

Name of Ensemble: Giri Kedaton
Instruments: Balinese gong kebyar, gamelan angklung, gamelan joged, Beleganjur
Repertoire: Traditional and modern
Contact: Sylvan Mathieu (artistic director), Eric Vandal
Email: girikedaton@hotmail.com
web page: http://www.girikedaton.com

We are celebrating our 10th anniversary and we offer a special event every full moon (concerts, conferences or workshop). Our dancers are Ni Komang Swijani and Annick Brault. The gamelan is 'in residence' at Université de Montréal.