I NYOMAN WENTEN is one of Bali’s most accomplished dancers and musicians and is a highly celebrated teacher and performer. He is deservingly legendary Indonesian performing artists and recognized and celebrated as a true master of Balinese music and dance. Furthermore, has distinguished himself as a teacher of those arts forms in the US for many decades. A native of Bali, a small island in the Indonesian archipelago, he has descended from many generations of great artists. He first studied with his late grandfather, who was a master puppeteer, musician, dancer and teacher. Mr. Wenten deepened his traditional training with formal study, first at Bali’s Conservatory of Music and Dance known as (Kokar), then at the National Academy of Music and Dance in Yogyakarta, Central Java, known as ASTI.
He has studied with many national treasures and great teachers, in Java such as: K.P.H. (Kanjeng Pangeran Harya) Notoprojo known as Pak Cokro, Romo Suryobronto, KRT Brontodiningrat, Romo Netyo, Romo Sasminta Mardowo, Romo Nggung Kisowo, Bapak S. Maridi etc. His roster of Balinese teachers consists of: Bapak Wayan Berata, Bapak Nyoman Kakul, Bapak Ida Bagus Raka Bongkasa, Bapak Agung Raka Batuan, Bapak Agung Oka Sading, Bapak Wayan Rendi, Bapak Nyoman Rembang, Bapak Raka Saba, Bapak Gusti Nyoman Panji etc. Wenten also holds an MFA degree from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, and a Ph.D in ethnomusicology from UCLA.
From 1965-1966, during President Sukarno era, he was a member of the Presidential Cultural Exchange. He have had performed to different Head of State and dignitaries in many part of the world, such countries: China, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, North and South Korea, the Philippine, etc.
Wenten is known not only for his traditional music and dance but also for his creative East-West compositions and performance work. He has collaborated with numerous well known musicians, dancers, composers and choreographers, including:
Morton Subotnick, Elaine Barkin, Miriam Scott, Robert Kyr, George Lewis, David Rosenboom, L Subramaniam, Adam Rudolph, Bill Alvis, Joti Rockwell, Judith Hill, Will Salmon, S. Maridi, Sardono W. Kusumo, Sal Murgiyanto, I Wayan Belawan, Nyoman Cerita, I Wayan Dibia, I Nyoman Catra, I Made Subandi, I Nyoman Winda, I Wayan Suweca, Ben Suharto.
The Collaboration with Linda Sohln Elison, artistic director and principal choreographer for Rhapsody and Taps, garnered the prestigious Lester Horton Prize for an outstanding musical composition; a 45 minutes piece which consisted of a four part dance choreography.
In 2003 he performed in Hong Kong collaborating with the Beijing Opera and D-Drum of Dallas, USA in an adoption of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s the Magic Flute.
He and his group, Gamelan “Burat Wangi,” (Fragrant Offering) have had performed at prestigious venues such as Disney Concert Hall, Music Center Doroty Chandler Pavilion, Aratani Theater, the REDCAT in Los Angeles. October 2005 Wenten led his gamelan group “Bharata Muni,” from his village, Sading, Bali. The members consisted of 48 musicians and dancers tour ing to many major cities in Mexico for four weeks. The following year (2006) the group (Bharata Muni) was nominated for the “Las Lunas” for the best foreign group to perform in Mexico during the year of 2005.
He also collaborated with a Canadian playwright Mr William Maranda to produce a music, and dance theater based on the Greek Story the King Oedipus. This spectacular showpiece involved 75 musicians, dancers, member of Balinese monkey chanters, and actors. It was performed at the Krisranawa theater, Taman Budaya, Performing Arts Center in Denpasar, Bali, for The Bali Arts Festival 2006.
Recently Wenten has collaborated with composer/musician David Rosenboom, dancers/choreographers such as Nanik Wenten, Hiroko Hojo, Bob Carroll and Andriana Mitchell, Viny Golia, performed in Denpasar, Bali for the Indonesia Arts Festival International V, November 2007 and October 2009 in Jakarta for the Indonesia Arts Festival VI and Indonesia Festival VII in Surakarta. Most recently, again Wenten collaborated with Rhapsody in Taps for the company’s 35th anniversary celebration. And also with Open Gate Theatre presenting Hecuba: A Mixed Media Opera, the story based on the Euripides Play, directed by Will Simon. Wenten’s teaching career has consisted of multiple international venues. He has taught at The Indonesia Arts Institute (ISI) in Yogyakarta, Central Java, KOKAR (Konservatori Karawitan) in Surakarta, the National Conservatory of Dance in Yogyakarta, Java. Multiple gamelan music and dance programs throughout Asia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Europe.
In the USA, Wenten has instructed at: The Center for World Music in Berkeley, U.C Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, SDSU, San Francisco State University, San Jose State University, LMU-Loyola Marymount University, University of Wisconsin, Lewis and Clark University, Portland, Oregon, Goldsmith College, East London, Mills College, Oakland, Washington University, Seattle, UBC, Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada, Pomona College, Florida State of University, just to name them a few. Numerous workshop throughout America and globally.
Since 1988 he recorded and produced numerous gamelan CDs with C.M.P. Recording Company of Germany, and has recorded more than thirty-five gamelan ensembles from West Java, Central and East Java, the island of Bali and Lombok. Currently, he is member of the Herb Alpert School of Music faculty and California Institute of the Arts. Wenten is also the recipient of the prestigious Nicholas England Chair, and the Nellie Award from California Institute of the Arts Alumni Association 2008 for outstanding service and commitment to the Arts and CalArts community.
Last year 2017, he has received a Legendary Musician Award an award given by Pacific Trade and Culture Alliance in recognition of outstanding achievements in international music and dance and service to the community.
He also received a special awards given by two members of United State Congress, House of Representatives the Honorable Loretta Sanchez and Ed Royce in honor of his continuous endeavors to serving diverse communities in the US.
2018, Bupati (Mayor) of Badung region, Bali, Mr. Nyoman Giri Prasta gave Wenten an Award namely “Kerti Budaya,” for the contribution to promote and bringing Balinese culture to international stage.
Most recently, the year 2018, Wenten was the subject of the documentary film called ” Bali: Beats of Paradise,” which premiered on November 7 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hill. Highlighting Wenten’s more than 45 years pursuit to bring gamelan music and dance globally, especially to the American audiences. The film was directed and produced by Livi Zheng, The same year he had collaborated with Grammy Award-winning singer Judith Hill to produced a music video called “Queen of the Hill, “directed by Livi Zheng, in which within a month was viewed by more than a million viewers.
Bali: Beats of Paradise is Indonesia’s entry into the Oscar documentary feature race.
In 2022, Pemerintah Provinsi Bali (” Bali Provincial Government”, ) Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (”The House Representative of Bali,” ) Mr. Nyoman Adi Wiryatama) given an Award to Nyoman Wenten, in honor to his more than 45 years commitment as Indonesian cultural ambassador specially the Balinese culture in the USA and globally.
