Ria
Soemardjo
Ria's solo voice performances reflects fragments and pieces of traditional Javanese songs a cappella. Born in Melbourne, of Australian and Javanese Indonesian descent, Ria Soemardjo’s distinctive vocal style is shaped by her love of traditional vocal styles as well as an inventive and eclectic approach to improvisation.
Curious about her father’s love for the beautiful, haunting songs of his traditional Javanese heritage, Ria has researched this vocal style characterized by non-western tunings and highly complex vocal ornamentation.
Ria recently spent a season in Thailand, working with a Thai cultural puppetry performance group who tour urban and regional areas, performing to festivals, schools and villages. The aim is present important cultural, social and educational issues, in an entertaining and light heart way, reaching a wider Thai audience through a traditional Thai comic and theatrical medium.
Gamelan Cirebon Melbourne
The gamelan ensemble, comprised of an assortment of instruments, includes gongs, drums and metallophones producing a particularly joyful style of music traditionally heard at festivals and celebrations to accompany dancing The group, directed by Michael Ewing, rehearses regularly at Melbourne University.
This gamelan ensemble also present a lively, raucous village music originating from Cirebon in West Java, Indonesia. This type of gamelan music has been rarely performed in Australia.
Ria's solo voice performances reflects fragments and pieces of traditional Javanese songs a cappella. Born in Melbourne, of Australian and Javanese Indonesian descent, Ria Soemardjo’s distinctive vocal style is shaped by her love of traditional vocal styles as well as an inventive and eclectic approach to improvisation.
Curious about her father’s love for the beautiful, haunting songs of his traditional Javanese heritage, Ria has researched this vocal style characterized by non-western tunings and highly complex vocal ornamentation.
Ria recently spent a season in Thailand, working with a Thai cultural puppetry performance group who tour urban and regional areas, performing to festivals, schools and villages. The aim is present important cultural, social and educational issues, in an entertaining and light heart way, reaching a wider Thai audience through a traditional Thai comic and theatrical medium.
Gamelan Cirebon Melbourne
The gamelan ensemble, comprised of an assortment of instruments, includes gongs, drums and metallophones producing a particularly joyful style of music traditionally heard at festivals and celebrations to accompany dancing The group, directed by Michael Ewing, rehearses regularly at Melbourne University.
This gamelan ensemble also present a lively, raucous village music originating from Cirebon in West Java, Indonesia. This type of gamelan music has been rarely performed in Australia.
