"THE WHEEL"

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

At Gaudeamus Festival, renowned Javanese singer and composer Peni Candra Rini joins the New European Ensemble and Andy McGraw for The Wheel.

Inspired by the traditional Javanese macapat cycle, eleven poetic songs follow the spiritual and existential stages of human life. The resonances, overtones and cyclical rhythms of the gamelan meet the colours of a contemporary chamber ensemble, creating an entirely new world of sound.

A place where ritual becomes experiment.
Where meditation becomes movement.
And where tradition and imagination begin to turn together.

𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻. 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿.

📅 Wednesday 9 September, 19:00
📍 TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht
🎟️ Tickets via @gaudeamusnl

ABOUT COMPOSITION

“The Wheel” is a new song cycle based on eleven ancient Macapat poems that have been passed down for over 500 years. Reimagining this tradition, the work explores how ancestral wisdom can speak to the uncertainties of contemporary life.

Each song is built from a single pitch derived from the Slendro and Pelog tuning systems, unfolding into a new experimental scale inspired by the unique sound of a particular gamelan instrument. Through this work, I hope to imagine a new ethical and poetic guide for moving through the different stages of life while remaining connected to the spirit of the Macapat tradition.

Commissioned by @gaudeamusnl and premiering at the Gaudeamus Festival on 9 September.
Check this 👉🏻 Gaudeamus Event Page