THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2025

PENI CANDRA RINI

with GAMELAN RAGA KUSUMA ENSEMBLE

PENI CANDRA RINI

From traditional performances in small Javanese villages, to performing with the Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall, Peni has performed around the world.

Peni Candra Rini composes and performs traditional, neotraditional, and experimental music from Java. Faculty at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, she has received awards and support from the Aga Khan Foundation, the Asian Cultural Council (NYC), the Asia Society (NYC), the US State Department, the Fulbright Program (Washington DC), the Indonesian government, and many other programs. She has composed and performed with renowned musicians and ensembles around the world: from traditional performances in small Javanese villages, to performing with the Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall, to touring the world as part of Robert Wilson’s I La Galigo project.

Peni Candra Rini is the daughter of a master puppeteer from East Java Indonesia, and one of few female contemporary composers, songwriters, poets, and vocalists who performs sinden, a soloist-female style of gamelan singing. Strongly committed to preserving and sharing the musical traditions of her country, Candra Rini has created many musical compositions for vocals, gamelan, and karawitan, and has collaborated with various artists worldwide, including Katsura Kan, Noriko Omura, Aki Bando, Kiyoko Yamamoto (JP), Found Sound Nation New York, Elena Moon Park (USA), Ali Tekbas (Turkey), Mehdi Nassouli (Morocco), Asma Ghanem (Palestine), Rodrigo Parejo (Spain), among many others.

Candra Rini has collaborated with various gamelan groups from all over the world, and has performed at major festivals including Mascot SIPA Solo International Performing Arts 2016, TEDx Ubud 2019, Big Ears Festival 2019, Mapping Melbourne 2018 Multicultural Art Festival, International Gamelan Festival 2018 Surakarta, Indonesian Tong-Festival Festival 2018 in The Hague, Holland Festival 2017, WOMADelaide festival 2014 in Adelaide, Spoleto Dei Duo Mondi Festival 2013, and Lincoln Center White Light Festival 2011. Her recorded albums include Ayom (2019), Timur (2018), Agni (2017), Mahabharata - Kurusetra War (2016), Daughter of the Ocean (2016), Bhumi(2015), Sekar (2012), and Bramara (2010).

In 2012, Candra Rini completed an artist residency at the California Art Institute with funding from the Asian Cultural Council. During that time, she appeared as a guest artist at eight American universities and participated in master classes with vocal master Meredith Monk. In addition to this extensive work as a performer, Candra Rini is also a lecturer in the Karawitan Department, an Aga Khan Laureate, and a former Fulbright Scholar. In 2021, she earned a doctorate in Musical Arts from the Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) in Surakarta.

The program also includes an immersive sound bath of gamelan bells and gongs based on traditional repertoire performed by Gamelan Raga Kusuma. The ensemble is a community gamelan based in Richmond Virginia. It is directed by Andy McGraw, Professor of Music at the University of Richmond, and was co-founded in 2006 with I Gusti Sudarta, faculty at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts. In 2015 members of the group founded Orkes Keroncong Rumput (www.rumput.org) which studies Indonesian stringband music. Both ensembles study traditional repertoire and work with Indonesian collaborators to create new works.

With only 100 seats, shows at Révéler are intimate and immersive. A romantic venue with exquisite sound and dreamy vibes, Révéler offers a unique selection of cocktails, wines, beers, bubbles, and non-alcoholic beverages. Our kitchen delivers small plates crafted with care.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR JAM SESSIONS

BE COOL // OMP is the place for peace, love, support and kindness. Critique must be requested.

LISTEN // Be mindful of what other players are doing. Be mindful of dynamics. It's OK to not play - music needs silence, too.

COURAGE // The good stuff is beyond your comfort zone. Make mistakes. See rule #1.

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SHOW NOTES

Admission: $15

Doors: 7:00pm

Music: 8:00pm - 10:45pm

21+ / 16+ must be accompanied by an adult

Reserved seating.

LOCATION

3108 W Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
804-918-5681