The Ensemble

The conviction that the increasing mutual influence of Eastern and Western cultures should be applied in a meaningful and creative manner is the basic motivation which led to the foundation of the Ensemble Gending.
The ensemble specializes in the performance of contemporary compositions for Javanese Gamelan.

Ensemble Gending has for many years been the foremost ensemble for commissioning composers to write for the instruments of the classic Javanese Gamelan. Innovation and acculturation are here the keywords. The group – under the leadership of artistic director Jurrien Sligter – distinguishes itself through the singular engagement and curiousity of the players. In its present form the ensemble has made two successful tours through Java which made a deep effect on both the members of the ensemble and the Javanese public. Gending has not only grown through the tours in Indonesia and its many concerts in the Netherlands but also through the evolution of the individual musicians which contributes to the vivacity and motivation of the ensemble.


The group plays no Javanese music – others can do this much better. Each composition made for the Ensemble Gending can be judged by the way the composer manages to create a field of tension between the Javanese instruments with their particular tuning on the one hand and such typical western phenomena as electronics and occidental percussion instruments on the other.

Founder, artistic director and conductor Jurrien Sligter studied piano, composition and conducting at the Amsterdam Conservatory. He conducted the ASKO choir and orchestra and the DELTA ensemble with whom he toured through a.o. Germany, France and Sweden. He also founded the BASHO ensemble, has written a book on Ton de Leeuw, regularly published articles in the ‘Tijdschrift voor Muziektheorie’ (Journal for Music Theory) on music semiotics and lectured both at home and outside the country.

Ensemble Gending is made up of: Armeno Alberts, Jolanda de Heus, Robbert van Hulzen, Klaus Kuiper, Michel Ponsioen, Rob van de Poel, Renske Spek, Frank Wienk, Hans Witteman and Hans van Zijp.