A lecturer from the Javanese Literature Study Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), Dr. Dhoni Zustiyantoro, was selected as one of the participants in the Workshop on Conservation and Innovation of Indonesian Traditional Music, or Lokovasia. The program was organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia as an effort to preserve and develop traditional music in the country.
Dr. Dhoni was selected in the music researcher category alongside Dr. Citra Aryandari, a lecturer from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta. In addition to the researcher category, there were also categories for composers, musicians, and music groups. “Since mid-September until the end of October 2025, the team has been carrying out several activities. The main event will be held in Semarang at the end of October,” said Dr. Dhoni on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
In addition to teaching at his university, Dr. Dhoni is an active lecturer who regularly publishes his research in various academic journals. Among his works, Dr. Dhoni has studied the sound system of Javanese gamelan, which was published as a chapter in a book. Dr. Dhoni has also researched how gamelan communities can serve as a medium to strengthen the transmission of Javanese language learning among younger generations. This research article was published in the International Journal of Multilingualism.
Dr. Dhoni has also examined the psychological aspects of wayang kulit (shadow puppet) performances, particularly in the Dewaruci play performed by Ki Manteb Soedarsono. The article was published in the journal Harmonia. “One of my research interests focuses on Javanese art from sociological to postcolonial perspectives,” Dr. Dhoni said.
Furthermore, in May 2025, Dr, Dhoni taught Javanese gamelan at several institutions in California, United States, including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of California, Riverside (UCR), and Canyon Crest Academy. Dr. Dhoni also served as a guest artist in gamelan performances held at the San Diego Museum of Art and Canyon Crest Academy, United States.
Throughout Dr. Dhoni’s academic career, Dr. Dhoni has also been actively involved in gamelan education. In 2012, Dr. Dhoni was part of the Indonesian cultural promotion team that performed gamelan at the Brest International Maritime Festival in Brest, France.
In several gamelan competitions participated in by students, Dr. Dhoni also coached Karawitan Puspa Candra, a student activity unit at UNNES. The team has consistently taken part in inter-university gamelan competitions and has always won awards.
Pak Setyawan Jayanto, the coordinator of Lokovasia 2025, stated that this program has been held for the third time. Previously, Lokovasia took place in 2023 and 2024. “Lokovasia has become an icon of traditional arts development in Indonesia and therefore deserves continued attention,” Pak Setyawan said.
Translated by Dafele Arozal/Student Staff FBS UNNES
