Dr. Dhoni Zustiyantoro, a lecturer in the Javanese Literature Study Program at the Faculty of Languages and Arts at Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), was selected as a participant in the Workshop on Conservation and Innovation of Indonesian Traditional Music, or Lokovasia. This program is organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia as an effort to preserve and develop traditional music in the country.
Dhoni was selected in the music researcher category along with Dr. Citra Aryandari, a lecturer at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta. In addition to the researcher category, there are also composers, musicians, and music groups. “From mid-September to the end of October 2025, the team has been working on several projects. The culminating event will be held in Semarang at the end of October,” Dhoni said on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
In addition to teaching at his university, Dhoni is a lecturer who actively publishes research results in several journals. Among his research projects is a book chapter on Javanese gamelan sound systems. He also examines how gamelan communities can serve as a reinforcement for transmitting Javanese language learning to the younger generation. The research article was published in the International Journal of Multilingualism.
Dhoni also researched the psychological aspects of the shadow puppet performance of the play Dewaruci, performed by Ki Manteb Soedarsono. The article was published in the journal Harmonia. “One of my research interests is examining Javanese art from a sociological perspective to post-colonialism,” he said.
Furthermore, in May 2025, Dhoni taught Javanese gamelan at several locations in California, United States, including the University of California Los Angeles, the University of California Riverside, and Canyon Crest Academy. He was also a guest artist in gamelan performances held at the San Diego Museum of Arts and Canyon Crest Academy in the United States.
Throughout his academic career, he has been actively involved in gamelan studies. In 2012, he was also part of the Indonesian cultural promotion team that performed gamelan at the Brest International Maritime Festival in Brest, France.
He also coaches Karawitan Puspa Candra, a student activity unit at UNNES, in several gamelan competitions. This team consistently participates in inter-university gamelan competitions and consistently wins.
Setyawan Jayanto, the person in charge of Lokovasia 2025, stated that this was the third time this program had been held. Previously, Lokovasia was held in 2023 and 2024. “Lokovasia has become an icon for the development of traditional arts in Indonesia, so it deserves continued attention,” he said.
