Our History
Candra Wyoga is a name given by our musical director, I Made Lasmawan. "Candra Wyoga"
has a double meaning referring to both the "Wyoming Gamelan" and "mediation on the
full moon". Our instruments were handmade in Bali, Indonesia and shipped to Laramie
in the summer of 1996. We are one of the longest running community gamelans in the
country. The Wyoming Gamelan was purchased with a generous gift from the Allan and
Regina Willman Fund, a private fund left to the Department of Music by Allan Willman
who chaired the department for many years.
Professor Emeritus Rod Garnett founded and ran the community group for many years.
Many of our members are both alumni and current UW employees. This is a valuable outlet
for us to share, connect, and grow together as a community. We routinely bring Balinese
artists from abroad and around the country to perform and conduct workshops.
Our Teachers
I Made Lasmawan
Balinese drummer and composer I Made Lasmawan was strongly influenced by his family and involved in the arts since childhood. He trained formally both in Bali and Java. Made has since traveled throughout the world, including Belgium, France, England, Singapore, Japan, and Mexico. He is a prolific composer who has taught gamelan in Bali, California, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and elsewhere.
Ni Ketut Marni
Ketut was born into a family of traditional dancers and musicians, and studied Balinese dance from a very young age. She graduated from SMKI, the Traditional School of Performing Arts in Denpasar, Bali with a major in Dance and has performed for TVRI (Television of the Republic of Indonesia). Ketut teaches with her husband Pak Made and resides with him in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Jordan Hayes
While at the Eastman School of Music, Jordan completed a Bachelors of Music in Violin Performance, a Bachelors of Music in Music Education, a Masters of Arts in Ethnomusicology, and secondary studies in Vocal Performance and World Music. Jordan was fortunate to study Balinese gamelan at Eastman with I Nyoman Suadin. Jordan moved to Denver, CO in 2012 to continue playing and studying Balinese music with master Balinese music teacher I Made Lasmawan. Jordan plays with Gamelan Tunas Mekar in Denver and Gamelan Candra Wyoga in Laramie.
Events and Outreach
We have offered extensive outreach and events over the years, including free semesterly concerts on campus, school workshops, performances at Arts in the Park, Farmer's Markets, Freedom has a Birthday, Jubilee Day Parade, open mics, Summer Solstice at the UW Art Museum, High School Summer Institute, and UW Summer Bridge (to name a few).
