Nusantara Arts offering series of free Indonesian music classes

Nusantara Arts press release & graphic

Following a successful year-end campaign to make all classes free in 2026, Nusantara Arts is excited to offer another session of free beginner music classes starting next month. Classes offered include intro to Javanese gamelan starting April 12, and intro to Balinese gamelan starting April 19.

“Gamelan music is such a fun thing to get into,” said executive director of Nusantara Arts, Matt Dunning. “You get to learn about music and dance from a foreign country on the other side of the world, with wonderful people, in a positive and engaging environment. It's community-based and offers just the right ratio of fun, learning and challenge to whet an ongoing appetite for many participants.”

Nusantara Arts has rapidly become the cultural hub for Indonesian arts in Western New York, preserving and sharing the musical and dance traditions of Bali and Java. Through these free class offerings, the organization deepens its roots in the local community and creates a space where people of all ages can learn and connect.

Classes at Nusantara Arts are offered in an inclusive and fun environment at 490 Lafayette Ave., Buffalo, in the Elmwood Village. Beginner classes can be taken on their own, or in preparation to join Nusantara Arts Community gamelan groups that perform all over Western New York and beyond.

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.

Intro to Javanese gamelan runs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. weekly on Sundays, April 12-May 17. Intro to Balinese gamelan takes place from 1-2:30 p.m. weekly, on Sundays from April 19-May 24.

For more information, visit nusantaraarts.com.