About Putu Septa

I Putu Adi Septa Suweca Putra, known as Putu Septa, was born in 1992, in Padangtegal, Ubud, Bali—a village where sound, ritual, and daily life are inseparable. Emerging from a lineage of gamelan musicians, he inherited not only technique but a deep sensitivity to the spiritual and communal essence of Balinese music.

From an early age, Septa’s musical voice revealed itself with striking clarity. At age 11, Septa performed at the Bali Arts Festival (2005) with Gamelan Cenik Wayah Ubud. From an early age, Septa’s musical voice revealed itself with striking clarity.

In 2006 he was invited to San Francisco to perform and in 2009–2010, he toured the United States with Gamelan Salukat, performing at venues including Cal Performances (Berkeley), Cutler Majestic Theatre (Boston), and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York).

Septa began his formal studies at ISI Denpasar in 2011 and later earned a master’s degree in musical composition from ISI Surakarta in 2018. He remains active as a composer, performer, and music director.

Septa’s path bridges tradition and experimentation. Touring extensively with Gamelan Salukat and other ensembles, he has performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia, appearing at major venues and festivals including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Copenhagen’s Festival of Endless Gratitude, and the Other Minds Festival in San Francisco. His work moves fluidly between acoustic and electroacoustic realms, culminating in a 2025 release recognized by Bandcamp as one of the best contemporary classical albums.

Formally trained at ISI Denpasar and later completing a master’s degree in composition at ISI Surakarta, Septa continues to evolve as a composer, performer, and music director. His collaborations span continents and disciplines, engaging artists from Africa, Europe, and the United States in dialogues that expand the language of gamelan.

Driven by a spirit of invention, Septa has created new instruments such as the Gamelan Sada Sancaya and Kendang Briuk—extensions of his sonic imagination. He is also the founder of Nata Swara and Las Ensemble, and leads a creative studio that serves as a living laboratory for new music.

Rooted in tradition yet oriented toward the future, Putu Septa’s work resonates as a continuous exploration—where heritage is not preserved as static memory, but reimagined as a living, evolving sound.

Putu Septa has earned multiple awards in Balinese gamelan competitions and performed various creations at the Balispirit Festival for more than ten years.

You can see Septa perform on this year’s opening night celebration along with Ayu Anantha & Janurangga. 

Putu will be performing Tridatu with Janurangga & Ayu Anantha at our opening celebration on Wednesday 15th of April at approximately 6:30 pm. See you there!

What is Tridatu?
Selected Gamelan Instruments, Electronics, and Dance Bali

Tridatu is a philosophical concept symbolized by the interweaving of three colored threads: red, representing the creator; black, the preserver; and white, the dissolver. It reflects the three fundamental phases in the human cycle of existence: birth, life, and death.

This wisdom is embodied through music and movement, expressing how human beings are inevitably bound within this continuous cycle. Such awareness becomes essential in understanding the deeper meaning of living in this world.

The music emerges from raw, untamed sounds, carefully shaped into a reflection of consciousness, inviting us to contemplate birth, life, and death. The movement, on the other hand, mirrors the dynamics of the human journey, a process of seeking meaning through the ever-shifting flow of existence.

Tridatu will be performed by Putu Septa & Janurangga feat. Ayu Anantha Putri

See their schedule, here.

Connect

Instagram: @putu_septa

Bandcamp: @piwal