Udgita Canda Gamelan

The UC Gamelan Ensemble is a Balinese gong kebyar ensemble based at the University of Canterbury – Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha in Christchurch, New Zealand. The ensemble supports both academic study and community engagement, offering for-credit courses for students while warmly welcoming members of the wider public to participate. The gamelan was established in 1995, when the University of Canterbury became the first university in Aotearoa New Zealand to acquire a full Balinese gong kebyar ensemble—an initiative championed by Senior Lecturer Elaine Dobson. From its inception, the project was guided by a vision of inclusivity, aiming to involve “the whole village” of students, staff, and community members. In 1996, the ensemble was formally blessed and named Banyu Gunung Salju (“Water, Mountain, Snow”) by renowned Indonesian artist I Wayan Sadra, who also trained the first cohort of performers. Throughout the 2000s, the ensemble developed a strong public presence through regular performances and workshops, including a major 10th anniversary celebration in 2006 featuring guest artists from Indonesia and Australia, among them Joko Susilo. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the instruments were temporarily damaged but restored in time for subsequent performances, including Dobson’s composition Extraordinary Facades, reflecting the post-earthquake environment. After a brief hiatus during the rebuilding of the School of Music (2013–2014), the ensemble was revived under the leadership of Associate Professor Glenda Keam, with alumna Joanie Chung Yee directing rehearsals and performances. In 2016, the group collaborated with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in a performance of a work by Evan Ziporyn for gamelan and orchestra. Since 2017, the ensemble has entered a new phase under the direction of Professor Justin DeHart, in collaboration with Balinese artist-scholar I Made Kartawan. Renamed Udgita Canda—a phrase suggesting “powerful, sacred, poetic rhythm” and playfully referencing the University of Canterbury—the ensemble continues to expand its artistic and educational activities. Kartawan has contributed new compositions and performance leadership, while the group remains committed to collaborative music-making, intercultural exchange, and the ongoing vitality of Balinese performing arts in Aotearoa. Today, the UC Gamelan Ensemble sustains its founding ethos: a vibrant, inclusive musical community where students, staff, and the public come together to perform, create, and engage deeply with Balinese music and culture.