Dedek Wahyudi Sutrisno strode to center stage as the gending (musical passages) began to play. As conductor, the Javanese gamelan (traditional musical ensemble) composer extended his arms, giving a cue to the musicians who then performed the piece titled Monggang with gusto. The repetitive, minimalist notes of the passage, usually reserved for ritual events in the Javanese court, danced and soared in between bursts of firecrackers signaling the