irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $81K23 Free and sliding scale performances of Indonesian gamelan music dance and culture with an in person 2025 audience size of 23,000 people.
- #2 $23KAfterschool free youth community gamelan music program for Buffalo area youth grades 2nd-8th.
named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
Afterschool Youth Gamelan Program
Free after-school program teaching gamelan music to Buffalo-area youth in grades 2–8
Angklung Program
Community music program using the recently acquired gamelan angklung, a bamboo-based ensemble instrument from Indonesia
Intro to Balinese Dance
Beginner course introducing the fundamentals of expressive Balinese dance movements
Intro to Balinese Gamelan
Free six-week beginner course teaching basic to intermediate Balinese gamelan skills in an inclusive environment
Intro to Javanese Gamelan
Free six-week beginner course focusing on Javanese gamelan techniques, music theory, and ensemble playing
Karawitan Ensemble
Large Javanese gamelan ensemble performing traditional and newly commissioned works using pelog- and slendro-tuned instruments
Semar Pegulingan Ensemble
Large Balinese gamelan ensemble performing traditional and experimental compositions on a 7-tone semar pegulingan-style set
Wayang Kulit - Shadow Puppetry
Performance ensemble presenting Javanese shadow puppetry with gamelan accompaniment, based on the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Music Education and Training Programs 2 activities
- Operating after-school gamelan programs for youthRuns an afterschool gamelan program in partnership with Buffalo String Works, offering free music education to over 30 youth in grades 2nd through 8th in the Buffalo area, focusing on gamelan performance and cultural learning.
- Providing community gamelan education programsOffers free, six-week introductory classes in Balinese and Javanese gamelan music for beginners, as well as ongoing community groups for long-term students to develop performance-level skills. Programs emphasize community, inclusion, and traditional Indonesian teaching methods, serving youth and adults in Buffalo.
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Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 2 activities
- Presenting Indonesian gamelan performancesProduces and presents high-level performances of Indonesian gamelan music, dance, and puppetry at public venues and festivals across Buffalo and New York State, including Kleinhans Music Hall, Artpark, Music is Art festival, and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s Asian Elephant Extravaganza. In 2025, served over 23,000 in-person audience members through 23 documented performances.
- Preserving and promoting Indonesian performing artsPreserves traditional Javanese and Balinese compositions through recordings and performance, including new gendhing forms composed during the pandemic. Also hosts guest lectures and supports Indonesian musicians through fundraising initiatives.
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Organizational DEI Capacity Building 1 activity
- Expanding diversity in organizational leadershipAllocates time and resources to increase diverse representation in governance and operational leadership roles as part of ongoing capacity-building efforts.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Teaching Balinese dance and performanceOffers beginner and ongoing Balinese dance classes that teach foundational movement, expression, and performance techniques, including a six-week introductory course and training for public performances. The program was launched in 2023.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$231K
Contributions & grants$192K83%
Program service revenue$33K14%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$6K
expenses
Total expenses$244K
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$99K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$142K
Cash$48K
Investments$0
Liabilities$33K
Net assets$109K
Liquid reserves2.4 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +22.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATTHEW DUNNING | Executive Dir. | 40 | $61K |
| PETER THERYO | President | 1 | $450 |
board members · 6
- AYU VITOUS — BOARD MEMBER
- BRIAN MOSELEY — BOARD MEMBER
- CHRISTINE MARIE — BOARD MEMBER
- EILEEN RUBERTO — Treasurer
- JORDAN GEIGER — BOARD MEMBER
- USMAN HAQ — Secretary
relationships · 7
Who they work with
- Buffalo Gamelan Club Partner — Informal group from which Nusantara Arts emerged, active since 2016.
- Buffalo String Works Partner — Collaborates with Nusantara Arts to produce an after-school gamelan program for youth.
- Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Government — Provided funding for the Javanese Gamelan Composition Project.
- Music is Art Partner — Collaborates with Music is Art festival to present performances and public engagement activities.
- Pengosekan village Partner — Donated an antique gender wayang gamelan set to Nusantara Arts in 2023.
- Rosamond Gifford Zoo Partner — Collaborates on performance at the Asian Elephant Extravaganza event.
- Rosamond Gifford Zoo Partner — Collaborates with the Rosamond Gifford Zoo for cultural performances at the Asian Elephant Extravaganza.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Youth Development Through Non-Western Musical Frameworks 69 orgsmethodology: arts-based_youth_developmentBy teaching youth gamelan as an alternative to Western music education, we produce enhanced listening, empathy, memory, and cultural awareness because the structure of Indonesian ensemble music emphasizes interdependence, oral transmission, and rhythmic precision over individual performance.shared approach: Art for Social Cohesion →
- Equity-Integrated Organizational Practice 20 orgsmethodology: systemic_equity_audit_and_reformBy embedding diversity, inclusion, and equity into mission, policy, and communication—and conducting systemic audits—we produce more trustworthy and inclusive arts programming because structural transparency and accountability enable sustained community trust and participation.shared approach: Equity Through Structural Integration →
- Community-Integrated Pedagogy for Cultural Transmissionmethodology: culturally-grounded_pedagogyBy teaching gamelan through community-oriented, aural, and multi-instrument methods rooted in Balinese and Javanese traditions, we produce deeper cultural engagement and skill acquisition because learning occurs through inclusive participation and lived experience rather than formal Western pedagogy.
- Conductorless Communal Music-Making as Community Engagementmethodology: communal_music_makingBy organizing gamelan ensembles that operate without a conductor and prioritize collective adaptability, aural learning, and memorization, we produce inclusive musical participation and ensemble cohesion because the structure itself models egalitarian collaboration and shared responsibility.