Following the wonderful experience in May, we are once again offering the music workshop with ethnomusicologist and musician Julija Novosel during the final weekend of Andreja Kulunčić’s exhibition “Making the World a Better Place.” The workshop is led by Julija Novosel, who teaches gamelan at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Zagreb. Everyone will have the opportunity to try basic playing techniques and join in performing a traditional gamelan composition. No previous musical experience is required.

Javanese gamelan refers to a type of bronze percussion orchestra, accompanied by other instruments and vocalists, developed at the royal courts of Central Java. With the growing global interest in non-Western musical traditions, gamelan has spread across Europe and the Americas, where many ensembles are active today.

How did gamelan originate? Why is it played seated on the floor? How does an orchestra function without a conductor? Why are instruments made in pairs, and what are their roles? How do gamelan players behave? These are just some of the questions that workshop participants will explore.

As a Darmasiswa scholarship recipient, Julija Novosel spent two years studying gamelan performance in Yogyakarta. She is currently a PhD student and assistant at the Institute of Ethnomusicology, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz.

The program is free with a purchased ticket for the exhibition.

Supported by the City of Zagreb – Intercultural Welcome Programmes.

GAMELAN – INDONESIAN MUSIC WORKSHOP with Julija Novosel
October 11, 2025 at 4 PM / MSU Zagreb