About

Founded in 2001, Gamelan Gita Asmara is Vancouver's premiere Balinese Gamelan ensemble. A community group based at UBC, GGA has performed yearly throughout the BC lower mainland area, including The Chan Centre, The Annex, The Roundhouse, Performance Works, Anvil Theatre, and local tours in the Gulf Islands. In 2013, they performed across Bali, bringing innovative musical offerings forged through long-term collaboration with Balinese artists back to their source. GGA’s former teachers include Dewa Alit, Wayan Sudirana, and I Putu Gede Sukaryana (Balot). In their 25th anniversary year, they are grateful to receive funding from the Vancouver Foundation.

We are very fortunate to collaborate with musician and composer I Putu Swaryandana Ichi Oka (Ryan). As a Balinese musician, teacher, and composer, he has taught and composed actively all over the island and toured abroad several times. Some of his composition highlights are “Legong Swatika” for Cudamani's 2021 US East Coast Tour and “Anglelana Lamuk” for Bali Arts Festival 2022. After moving to Vancouver for UBC's Andrew Fellowship artist residency, he has composed for Gamelan Gita Asmara, Gamelan Bike Bike, as well as a saxophone quartet piece for the Orpheus Quartet and a piano four-hands piece. Ryan is interested in applying Balinese compositional techniques to Western instruments and incorporating Western instruments into gamelan ensembles.

Our History

Founded in 2001 by Michael Tenzer, Gamelan Gita Asmara is Vancouver's premiere Balinese Gamelan ensemble. Since achieving non-profit status in 2006, we have performed yearly throughout the BC lower mainland area, including in venues such as the UBC Chan Centre, The Annex, The Roundhouse, Performance Works and even touring to the Gulf Islands. In 2013 we toured to Bali and collaborated with the one of Bali's most famous groups, Gamelan Çudamani, performing across the island. 

We have been host to a number of incredible Balinese musicians, teachers, and composers. This long history of collaboration began with famed composer Dewa Alit (2001-2004), then Wayan Sudirana (2004-2013), Dewa Made Suparta (on and off between 2013-2023), I Putu Gede Sukaryana (Balot) (2017-2021), and I Putu Swaryandana Ichi Oka (Ryan) (2022-present).

Housed in the UBC Asian Centre, we rehearse weekly on our seven-tone instruments called "Gamelan Semaradana".