Skip to main content

Story: Indonesians

Gamelan orchestra

Audio file

The unique sound of the gamelan (Indonesian percussion music) has been compared to ‘moonlight and flowing water’. In November 2004 Victoria University of Wellington’s Javanese gamelan orchestra, Padhang Moncar, performed in St Paul’s Cathedral. Listen to Padhang Moncar in performance.

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Melanie Lovell-Smith

Sound file from Victoria University of Wellington

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Indonesians – Culture, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/music/905/gamelan-orchestra (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 4 March 2009.