Philemon Mukarno - Composer

About me

Philemon Mukarno biography:

Philemon Mukarno, composer, was born in 1968 Jakarta, Indonesia. He studied Audio Engineering, Composition and Composition Electronic Music in Royal Conservatory of The Hague and Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands. He finished Cum Laude and received the Prize for Composition.

Mukarno is a unique figure in Contemporary Music. The use of electronics is one of his trademarks. The compositions demonstrate in their own way his original ideas and his strife for intense expressiveness, in a musical language that does not refer to tradition. Each piece has a strong economy of Means and a strict control of Form. Means and Form are use by Mukarno in an elementary and powerful way.

His works are performed on International Music Festivals as: Gamelan Festival in Yogjakarta, Indonesia, El Segundo Festival International de Música Clásica Contemporánea in Lima, Peru, Rotterdam Music Biennial, the Netherlands, Internationale Studienwoche für Zeitgenössische Musik 2000 in Lunenburg, Germany and Internationaal Gamelan Festival Amsterdam (IGFA).

He cooperates frequently with artists from other disciplines such as choreographers, dancers, and performers. As well as music for theatre and motion pictures.
Spectacularly was his Music Installation with the title Dejeuner sur l’ herbe, a cooperation with the artist Wim Salki witch was exposed in Gotheart Kunstforum in Cologne, Germany.

On request of the Dutch Gamelan Ensemble ‘Gending’, wrote Philemon Mukarno a gamelan composition with a complete new view of the instrument. The premiere was live broadcasted in 15 countries.

Famous artists and ensembles are perform his works is various countries as United States, Japan, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Several foundations all over the world commissioned his works among this as Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Rotterdamse Kunststichting, Stichting Theater Lantaren/Venster, Nederlandse Progamma Stichting, Gotheart Kunstforum, Deutschefunk and the European Broadcasting Union.

The variety thus attained is striking. In spite of the frequent use of rough, unpolished sounds, there is a world of difference between for example the almost primal force of DOG and the more lyrical atmosphere of Online. The complete absence of irony [e.g. in the form of quotation, reference or comment] is remarkable. It is especially this lack of distance put his music in the total believe in what the pieces are, which puts Mukarno in his unique place among his contemporaries.

My work

Compositions of Philemon Mukarno:

• Solo wokrs:

Atlas non Finito (1996) '14
For recorders, voice en electronics.

Online (1999) '12
For violin solo and live electronics.
Commissioned Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst.

Oraye (2003) '25
For church organ and live electronics.
Commissioned by De Rotterdamse Kunststichting.

Spryck (2007) '10
For piano solo.
Commissioned by Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst.

Kathara (2007) '13
For carillon solo.


• Woks for small ensembles:

Gynoids XX (1999) '17
For two pianos, live electronics and CD.

Demam (2001) '30
For gamelan and electronics.
Commissioned by Stichting Pasar Malam Besar.

Elia Domostra (2002) '20
For church organ, carillon and live electronics.
Commissioned by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst.

Ameleth (2004) '20
For clarinets (Bb clarinet and contrabass clarinet), sax (alto sax and baritone sax) and piano.

Iyona (2004) '20
For bass clarinet, percussion, piano and cello.
Commissioned by Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst.


Eva & Harlot (2005) '20
For violin, soprano, percussion, recorder/ocarina and electronics.
Commissioned by Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst



Modora (2007) '7
For saxofoon, cello, percussion, klavecimbel and electronics.
Commissioned by Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst.

Xianga (2007) '15
For fagot, clarinet and hobo.
Commissioned by Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst.

Farah (2008) '5
For accordeon, bass clarinet en trombone
Marko Kassl - accordeon
Fie schouten – bass clarinet
Koen Kaptijn – Trombone

New Work (2008) '15
Voor pic/fluit, althobo, bass clarinet /Bb klarinet
Composed for Treble Wind Trio





Works for large ensembles:

DOG (1998) '15
For large ensemble en recitor.
2 trp, 2hrn, trb, b trb, 3 prc, pno, rct, 2 vl, 2vlc, 2 cb.

Artrax (2000) '21
For ensemble.
pic/ fl, cl, b cl, trp, trb, b trb, 2 prc, pno, 2 vlc, 2 cb.
Commissioned by Stichting Theater Lantaren/Venster.

Taric (2000) '20
For Slendro gamelan ensemble and live electronics.
Saron peking, saron barung, saron demung, gender panerus, gender barung, slentem
bonang panerus, bonang barung, kenong, kempul, gong sluwukan, gong ageng, ketuk and live electronics.
Commissioned by the Nederlandse Programma Stichting.

Eya (2001) '25
For ensemble and live electronica.
ob, cla ,bassoon, hrn, prc, harp, gui, vl, vla, vlc, cb.

'Syrah' (2002) '20
For gamelan ensemble sax quartet.
soprano sax, alt sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, 2 extended saron, bonang barung, gender panerus, gender barung, kempul and gong.
Commissioned by Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst.

Trinkx (2003) '25
For ensemble.
pic/fl, 3 sax, hrn, 3 trp, 2 trb, btrb, pno, electicbass and live electronics.
Commissioned by Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkuns.


Magiz (2003) '20
For marimba solo, big-band, string quartet and live electronics.
b.cl, a.sx, t.sx, 2 Bb trp, tbn, b.tbn, mrb, e.gtr, pno, cb, ds, 2vln, vla, vlc and live electronics.


Malaikat (2006) '20
For Slendro gamelan: saron peking, saron barung, saron demung, gender panerus, gender barung, slentem, bonang panerus, bonang barung, kenong, kempul, gong sluwukan, gong ageng, rebab, cengceng, ketuk, kendang gending, kendang, ketipung, kendang, ciblon, bedug.
Commissioned by Deutschlandradio.

Jagat (2006) '30
For groot ensemble and electronics.
2 fl/pic, Bb cla, bcla, hrn, trp, trb, prc, pno, 2 vln, vla, vlc and electronics.
Commissioned by Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst.
Wereld première op 15 oktober 2006 in Theater de Kikker, Utrecht.


Electronic Music and Multimedia:

Kamaloka (1999) '5'56
Electronic music.

Dejeuner sur l'herbe (2000) continuous performance.
A Sound System applied to a hybrid designed metal tubes installation.
Commissioned by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst

Saturn 3S90 (2000) '30
Multimedia (dance, sound installation)

Iman (2001) '13
Multimedia (electronic music, dance, light)

Connecting the Waves (2002) 5'00 [hour]
Multimedia (performance, sound installation)

Eva & Harlot - Soundscape (2005) '75
For electronics.

New work (2008) '50
Radiophonic.
Composed for Centrum Electronische Muziek, Rotterdam and VPRO.