Hosted at Mingei International Museum
Audiences will be treated to a rare and captivating performance of wayang kulit, Indonesia’s renowned shadow puppet theater. This ancient art form uses hand-carved leather puppets, accompanied by a traditional gamelan ensemble, to bring to life epic tales from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
In this special presentation, celebrated shadow puppet master (dhalang) Woro Mustiko Siwi—one of the few women in Indonesia to achieve national and international acclaim in this traditionally male-dominated art form—will lead a condensed one-hour performance, thoughtfully adapted from the full six- to eight-hour format. The story, rooted in Javanese culture yet rich in universal themes, will be performed in English for the first time by an Indonesian woman puppeteer.
For audiences in California, this performance offers a rare opportunity to encounter the visual and sonic intensity of wayang kulit outside its homeland. The interplay of flickering shadows, shimmering metallophones, and powerful storytelling creates an atmosphere that is both meditative and exhilarating—an experience that transcends language and geography.
Following the performance, Woro Mustiko Siwi and Gamelan Kasuryan director Joko Sutrisno will host a Q&A session, inviting audiences to engage more deeply with the cultural, musical, and artistic traditions of Java. This interactive discussion will provide insight into the history, symbolism, and contemporary relevance of wayang kulit, offering a rare glimpse into one of Indonesia’s most enduring and profound performing arts.
About the Artists
Woro Mustiko Siwi, who will preside as dhalang (puppet master) for this evening’s performance, is a highly accomplished Indonesian musician, dancer, and wayang kulit puppeteer. Recognized in her home country as a prominent cultural figure, she has received several prestigious awards, including the 2014 Anugerah Musik Indonesia (Indonesian Music Award) and the 2017 Anugerah Kebudayaan (Cultural Award) from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture for her mastery of traditional Javanese puppetry.
Woro was born into a distinguished family of artists in Surakarta, Indonesia. Her great-grandmother, Kenyo Carito, was the first female puppeteer at the Kasunanan Surakarta Palace, and her grandfather, Joko Raharjo, was a respected puppet master. Woro began studying puppetry under her grandfather and continued her formal training at Sarotama, a renowned arts center in Surakarta. She is currently pursuing a degree in puppetry at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Surakarta.
Woro has performed internationally, collaborating in events such as the Noah Road to Kuala Lumpur concert (2017), Erwin Gutawa’s Ethnocestra concert in Eltorf, Germany (2019), the Harmonature concert at the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis, Bulgaria (2023), the Senandung Nusantara concert at KLCC Plenary Hall, Malaysia, and the Alun-alun Nusantara performance in Los Angeles, USA (2024).
Joko Sutrisno, director of the gamelan ensemble, is an accomplished Javanese musician, composer, and educator who has engaged with students and audiences both in Indonesia and abroad. Sutrisno graduated from the Indonesian Institute of Arts, Surakarta, Java, in 1987.
He directed the gamelan ensemble at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, for eight years before moving to Minnesota in 1995, where he served as artistic director of the Sumunar Gamelan and Dance Ensemble. He was recently appointed professor of gamelan at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the UC Riverside School of Music. Joko Sutrisno has received numerous local and national awards, including Creative Individuals grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board (2022 and 2024) and Arts Impact for Individuals grants from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Center in St. Paul (2022 and 2023). In 2024, Sutrisno was appointed an Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) apprentice.
As a Center for World Music teaching artist, Sutrisno directs the Javanese gamelan ensemble at Canyon Crest Academy. He is also currently the consulting director for the student gamelan ensembles at Saint Thomas University, the University of South Dakota, Concordia College, and Hamilton College.
Kasuryan is a community-based Javanese gamelan and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles. Pak Joko Sutrisno is the group’s director.
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