UNC Gamelan Nyai Saraswati Ensemble

Named for the Hindu goddess of music, arts and science, Gamelan Nyai Saraswati is a traditional Javanese musical ensemble at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The gamelan arrived in Chapel Hill from Central Java in December of 2000, wrapped in Indonesian newspapers, clove cigarette packing boxes, plastic “raffia” twine, and with the bronze blackened from its three months at sea.  Now, the gamelan currently resides in Hill Hall on the UNC campus, and the ensemble performs regularly scheduled concerts at UNC as well as throughout the Triangle and the state. Members of the ensemble (several of whom had no previous musical experience before joining) include students and faculty from UNC and other universities in the Triangle, as well as members of the surrounding community. You can read more about UNC’s Gamelan ensemble here.