Studies in Indonesian Music in Poland and Worldwide

Marzanna Popławska

Abstract

The music of Indonesia, especially Javanese music, has been a long-standing subject of ethnomusicology, pursued in the fields of research and education. As a subject of research, Indonesian music has interested scholars since the times of Jaap Kunst. His studies, published in the 1930s and 1940s, laid the foundation for the dynamically developing field of ethnomusicology of Indonesian music and – more generally – Indonesian performing arts.

This article summarizes the current state of research in Indonesian music in Poland in the context of the studies conducted worldwide, especially in Europe and the United States. In Poland, the research in Indonesian music is still in the early stages. Its development, however, is dynamic, fast- growing and future-oriented.

While presenting a systematic overview of research in Indonesian music, the author points to the domains of the greatest and the smallest intensity of research. She analyzes the reasons for the varying academic interests, and outlines perspectives for Polish studies of Indonesian music. Additionally, the author emphasizes the close links between research in Indonesian music and institutions of higher education.