I am a contemporary composer–vocalist rooted in Javanese tradition, creating works that bridge ritual, experimental music, and contemporary performance.
This is an excerpt from Jiwa Kala — a multimedia performance exploring the environmental knowledge embedded within Indonesian ritual, song, and belief. Premiered at the @modlincenter Richmond, Virginia, on April 19, 2026.
“What crucial knowledge is embedded in our offerings, in our beliefs?”
Within the urgency of climate change, Jiwa Kala reimagines time as a living entity — breathing through sound, moving through bodies, and flickering through shadows. Rooted in Javanese mythology, the work invokes Kanjeng Ratu Kidul and Dewi Sri as guardians of ecological balance, reminding us of the fragile relationship between humans and the natural world.
More than a concert, Jiwa Kala is an offering — a journey across time, ritual, and consciousness. A call to pause, to listen again to the pulse of the Earth, and to ask: do we still have time before everything is truly lost? And “where will we run when the world is in the fire?”
Watch Performance
Credits
- Composer & Vocals: Peni Candra Rini
- Arrangers: @amcgrawrva, @benjamin.broening and @daniel_leibovic
- Gamelan & Vocals: @guruhpurbo
- Multi-instrumentalist & Video: Andy McGraw
- Gamelan Ensemble: @gamelanrva
- Shadow Theater: I Gusti Sudarta, @jennyma1960
- Western Musicians: @joannekongvegan, @christophwagnercello(NYC), @blackboxnewmusic
- Dancers: @rusinidance, @alfiandri_, @sudarta.gusti.9
- Visual elements: Andy, Bejita, @sindavio, @dontstartevil & Miri
- Costume : Prapto
- Video : @seanbullockvideo
Special Thanks
Special thanks to all collaborators, sponsors, and venues who supported the journey of this work: @mangkunegaran @carnegiehall @roulette_intermedium @bigearsfestival @asiasociety @monheimtriennale @rachelanncooper @urichmond.music @idudsentanaart @kidung.asmarani @jagadculturehouse @sijoeke @sitanuenighoff @pruff2017 @1628.silvia @rangkungbasundari and all artistic partners.