The Gamelan Son of Lion

Among the longest-running Gamelan ensembles in the United States stands Gamelan Son of Lion. Its founding member Barbara Benary constructed the instruments, which feature steel keys along with cans and hubcaps, enabling the group to build an extensive collection of works drawn from Java’s Gamelan heritage on that compact island within Indonesia’s Malay Archipelago to the south. The ensemble’s performances exceed one hundred compositions and encompass electronic compositions as well as lengthy theatrical works that incorporate opera. Daniel Goode joined Benary in the initial roster; this composer, also a clarinetist trained under Henry Cowell and Philip Corner, contributed significantly. During February of 1999 the group presented its premiere of Re:Sound, a Goode creation with choreography by Oberfelder, at New York’s Soho Joyce Theater Space. Operating as a nonprofit entity, Gamelan Son of Lion has received backing from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, Arts International, and multiple private foundations.