Gamelan Son of Lion

Among America's longest-running ensembles devoted to gamelan stands Gamelan Son of Lion. Its instruments, constructed by founding member Barbara Benary from steel keys, cans, and hubcaps, have underpinned an expansive body of work rooted in the gamelan practices of Java, the modest island within Indonesia’s Malay Archipelago. The group’s performances, exceeding one hundred works in total, have encompassed electronic compositions as well as large-scale theatrical pieces that incorporate opera. Alongside Benary, the original roster included composer Daniel Goode, the clarinetist who trained under Henry Cowell and Philip Corner. February 1999 brought the premiere of Re:Sound—Goode’s score, staged by Oberfelder—at New York’s Soho Joyce Theater Space. Operating as a not-for-profit corporation, Gamelan Son of Lion has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, Arts International, and multiple private foundations.