A gamelan is an instrumental ensemble found in various forms across the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. The ensemble housed at the Hebrew University is a Central Javanese Gamelan, originating from a region known for its distinctive artistic traditions. The gamelan includes a wide variety of instruments—gongs and metallophones of different types, drums, xylophones, string instruments, flutes, and more.

For several decades, the Department of Musicology has offered a gamelan workshop, which in recent years has been conducted in collaboration with the Department of Asian Studies. While some gamelan instruments require years of practice to master, others demand only minimal technical skill, allowing students to begin playing them relatively quickly.

The true value of the workshop lies in the experiential aspect it offers—enabling students to engage with the music in a way that listening or theoretical study alone cannot provide. It offers a unique opportunity to learn, perform, and internalize music through direct participation.