Gamelan in the Garden

Gamelan in the Garden, presented by Gamelan Sekar Jaya with the Gardens of Golden Gate Park on Saturday, June 8, is a showcase of Balinese performing arts held in the beautiful San Francisco Botanical Garden. 

The afternoon will kick off at 1pm at the Great Meadow, with a free performance for all attending the garden that day.  This is performed by Gamelan Sekar Jaya’s jegog ensemble, large bamboo instruments sure to wake you up and encourage you to dance along! The jegog is joined by our marching beleganjur ensemble, full of drums and crashing cymbals. The jegog and beleganjur performance is followed by a free workshop on the jegog instruments, suitable for all ages and experience levels. The jegog performance and workshop will take place in the Great Meadow. Additionally, Gamelan Sekar Jaya will be joined by Harmonic Drift, an immersive and interactive percussion ensemble-on-wheels, sure to bring out everyone’s inner child through playful and joyous exploration. 

This is followed by a ticketed performance in the Celebration Garden from 4– 5:30pm, with a short intermission. Gamelan Sekar Jaya presents Perang Undur-Undur, a spectacular dance-drama in the Balinese gambuh tradition accompanied by the hauntingly beautiful bronze gamelan semar pegulingan. Gambuh dates to the 16th century, and is rarely performed in the United States. In this performance, Gamelan Sekar Jaya brings this ancient tradition to the modern stage, sharing with audiences an epic tale of invasion, trickery, heroism, and — ultimately — the restoration of balance. This season, Gamelan Sekar Jaya’s ensembles are directed by I Gede Oka Artha Negara (jegog), Ni Nyoman Srayamurtikanti (semar pegulingan), and I Made Suteja (dance). 

Limited seating is available at Celebration Garden. Bringing a blanket or a camp chair is recommended. There is an admission fee to the SF Botanical Gardens (free for SF residents). The event ticket for the concert in the Celebration Garden includes general admission.