Indonesian nonprofit organization Nusantara Arts presents Buffalo's first Indonesian Arts Festival

Nusantara Arts Press Release & Photo

Nusantara Arts is thrilled to present “Ayo! Festival of Indonesian Gamelan music, Dance & Legend,” Buffalo’s first ever Indonesian arts festival. The festival will take place May 23 (starting at 6 p.m.) at Nusantara Arts Cultural Center, and May 24 (starting at 5:30 p.m.) at Buffalo’s historic Connecticut Street Armory. The festival will include music, dance and film.

“ ‘Ayo!’ is the biggest and boldest production of the beautiful and complex art of Indonesia that Buffalo has seen to date,” Nusantara Arts founder and Executive Director Matt Dunning said. “Nusantara Arts is pulling out all the stops for an unforgettable set of performances that feature over 40 musicians and performers, and supported by two fascinating artists visiting Buffalo for world-premiere presentations of relevant and bold new work.”

Some of the main features of the festival include performances by Buffalo’s Indonesian performance community supported by world-renowned guest artists Gusti Komin and Heri Purwanto. Javanese gamelan and Balinese dance drama performances Saturday at the Connecticut Street Armory are a highlight. Friday features the premiere of “Carve, Chisel, and Paint” (Dir. Kartiko Nugroho, 2025), a new Nusantara Arts-produced documentary film about Wayang Kulit Shadow Puppets.

Gamelan is an umbrella genre of many different melodically focused percussion ensembles from Indonesia spanning over a thousand years. Gamelan music has developed and spread over thousands of islands in the archipelago of Nusantara (modern-day Indonesia), with many distinct ensembles, music theories and styles. Nusantara Arts teaches and performs gamelan music from the islands of both Bali and Java on six unique sets of instruments.

Ticket options include early bird passes, student and senior discounts, single day passes and more. For tickets and more information, visit nusantaraarts.com.

Nusantara Arts is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and celebrating the rich, vibrant cultural heritage of Indonesia in Western New York and beyond. It creates expansive experiences through Indonesian music and performing arts. For more information, visit nusantaraarts.com.