Nyi Gemi Raras

The Melbourne Community Gamelan (MCG) was formed in 1990 when a Commonwealth Government grant for the promotion of Asian Studies in Education to the University of Melbourne enabled the purchase of the instruments, and the establishment of a permanent group of performers. This was facilitated by ethnomusicologist Professor Catherine Falk. The ensemble is equipped with both slendro and pelog gamelan instruments, a full set of wayang puppets and a screen. The bronze instruments were made in Madiun and the set was named 'Nyi Gemi Raras' by Ki Poedijono OAM (1940-2021), MCG's founder and its first teacher. 'Nyi' is a female honorific title. 'Gemi' is a portmanteau of 'Gamelan Melbourne Uni'. 'Raras' means harmonious. The current musical director of the MCG is Ilona Wright, who also takes weekly classes for undergraduate students at the university. The faculty also has a gamelan degung, a set of kacapi-suling (occasionally used by Sekar Kidul) and a topeng Cirebon set (actively used by Putra Panji Asmara).