Based in Denver, Colorado, USA, Gamelan Tunas Mekar is a community ensemble under the direction of Balinese composer and Artist-in-Residence I Made Lasmawan. Their mission is to learn and perform the traditional and new music of Bali, Indonesia and offer a cultural exchange about the unique island of Bali. Gamelan is a primarily percussive music, literally meaning “to hammer.” Bronze-keyed instruments and tuned gongs are struck with various wooden and padded mallets in interlocking flurries of sound. Supplemented by double-headed drums and bamboo flutes, the shimmering sound of gamelan accompany everything from secular dances to shadow plays to the most sacred temple ceremonies. Modeled after typical village groups found throughout Bali, and learning by traditional methods, this community ensemble provides American audiences the rare opportunity to experience one of the world’s most beautiful and sophisticated performing arts.