Solo Klenengan

A monthly klenengan held in Surakarta, Central Java, sponsored by members of the North American gamelan community

Reports -- archive of detailed reports on each klenengan

Audio -- links to audio files of recent klenengan, and instructions on how to get CDs
(for sponsors only - please e-mail Chris Miller <cjmiller@wesleyan.edu> to get the user ID and password)

Dates of upcoming klenengan

Contact Information

About the Klenengan

How it Started...

In the Spring of 2001, members of the North American gamelan community based in the northeast decided to organize and raise funds to sponsor a monthly klenengan in Solo. The purpose of the klenengan is two-fold: to help musician friends who continue to suffer financially from the economic crisis, and to promote classical music activity in Solo, where campursari and Sragenan are so dominant. The klenengan is fashioned after the "Minggu Wagen" that was started by Anne Stebinger in 1999 and run by Kitsie Emerson and Bp. Wakidi.

The Fundraising Concept

The concept used in fundraising is one of subscription. One time donations are, of course, welcome, but donors were encouraged to think of the project as ongoing. The initial response to the call for support exceeded expectations. The $6200 from more than 35 supporters is well beyond the target of $4800 for a year's worth of klenengan budgeted at $400 each.

more about fundraising...

While the funds raised are more than enough for this inaugural year, certain donations were intended to be one-time rather than ongoing. New donors are thus always encouraged. Given a number of factors - among them variance in the actual expense for each klenengan and fluctuations in the exchange rate - the organizers are waiting for the first year to pass before suggesting how the surplus might be used. Two possibilities are to save the money to cover shortages in upcoming years, or to sponsor additional events.

more about budgeting...

Who Started it

The key organizers (in alphabetical order) are Barry Drummond, Kitsie Emerson, Chris Miller, Marc Perlman and Anne Stebinger. The initial meetings were also witnessed by our teachers, Bp. Harjito, Sumarsam, and Wakidi. Kitsie must be credited with promoting the concept and spearheading the initiative to realize it. She and Bp. Wakidi continue to oversee the running of the klenengan itself.

Characteristics of the Klenengan

The organizers of the klenengan decided that it should have the following characteristics. Further explanation of some of these points is covered in the notes on budgeting.

  • they are held monthly, on the third Saturday of each month, except when this conflicts with a major holiday or other event.
  • certain musicians were specifically invited, but the word is put out that it is open to anyone. All musicians attending receive an envelope, whether or not they were specifically invited - younger musicians receive a smaller envelope. (It is customary for payments to be enclosed in envelopes, as a matter of discretion.)
  • the gendhing played are completely up to the participants, and not planned ahead of time. (This is in part to complement the more formal and organized Anggarah Kasihan klenengan at SMKI, in which gendhing are chosen in advance by a different musician each month.)
  • non-Javanese guests are most welcome, but do not play. Recording is allowed, as long as the equipment used is inconspicuous (big mic stands with humongous mics in the faces of the musicians is NOT OK).
  • This klenengan is an event sponsored by members of the North American gamelan community.
  • The location chosen for the klenengan is the factory/house of Bp. Mulyadi, in the Lojiwetan neighborhood of Solo.

Dates for 2002

  • January 19
  • February 16
  • March 16
  • April 20
  • May 18
  • June 15
  • July 20
  • August 17
  • September 21
  • October 19
  • November 16
  • December 14

Klenengan take place factory/house of Bp. Mulyadi, in the Lojiwetan neighborhood of Solo, and usually begin around 8 pm. For more information on the events themselves, contact Kitsie Emerson.

Contact Information

Event Planning: Kitsie Emerson <ekathryn@hotmail.com>

Contributions: Barry Drummond <bdrummon@emerald.tufts.edu>

CD Dubbing Tree: Anne Stebinger <asteb@attglobal.net>

Website: Chris Miller <cjmiller@wesleyan.edu>