on the cover Mihaela Vosganian
Exploring the Fusion of Ottoman, Eastern European, and Indonesian Sounds: An Interview with Lucian Zbarcea and Feras Sarmini
by Alexandra I. Mas
Romanian music, steeped in folklore and the echoes of Eastern influences, merges sometimes traditional Romanian sounds with Oriental nuances, creating a distinctive musical language. In a fascinating cross-cultural journey, Romanian composer Lucian Zbarcea and Syrian musician and academic Feras Sarmini combine their talents to craft a vibrant, multicultural soundscape. Their work bridges Romanian, Middle Eastern, and Indonesian musical traditions through contemporary compositions. In this conversation, Zbarcea and Sarmini share insights into their creative universe and how their musical backgrounds shape their work.
EDGE: Lucian, could you tell us about the Jepun Bali ensemble and your musical vision?
Lucian Zbarcea: I’m the director of the Jepun Bali ensemble, part of the National University of Music in Bucharest, where I also teach gamelan. “Gamelan” refers to an Indonesian orchestra of traditional percussive instruments that create a resonant, layered sound. In our ensemble, we use these traditional instruments, but we’re exploring them in a contemporary way, each piece tells its own story. Tonight’s concert, for example, includes compositions by four different composers, each contributing something unique to the performance and blending gamelan with Romanian, Middle Eastern, and multimedia elements.
Jepun Bali ensemble has many talents : Mihaela Vosganian (see cover), a well known multimedia composer that combines video projections, live and recorded dance, and audio layers, created her work using a mathematical pattern called Vuza Canon in combination with traditional Balinese elements, starting with the story (an episode of Ramayana where Sita is being abducted and Hanumann comes to her resque), using real pre-recorded Balinese voices as background sounds, together with electronic elements, and dancers wearing Balinese Traditional Costumes.
Another piece, “Ombak” is signed by our colleague Irina Vesa, inspired by ocean waves; in Balinese, “ombak” means “wave,” and the gamelan instruments are played to create wave-like harmonics. Then there’s DanDe Popescu’s ‘Panguripan,’ which reflects life’s journey, from birth to marriage to death, and draws heavily from Balinese music, adapted into a modern context.
Jepun Bali ensemble on the stage of the National University of Music Bucharest (UNMB)
EDGE: How about your own piece – what inspired it?
Lucian: My composition, ‘Până Când Nu Te Iubeam… gen’ (translated as ‘Until I Loved You, like’ ), is based on an old Romanian folk song famously performed by the iconic Maria Tănase. This song, with its Ottoman influences, was originally composed by Anton Pann. I adapted it for gamelan, adding instruments like saxophone, nai, flute, violin, oud, kemenche, electric guitar, and even drums from West Java (Kendang Sunda). Here, the gamelan serves as a harmonic backdrop that interweaves Romanian and Eastern sounds, creating a timeless yet modern interpretation.
EDGE: How should listeners interpret this concert—would you call it exotic or innovative?
Lucian: Both. The sound of gamelan, especially when combined with instruments not typically associated with it, can feel exotic. At the same time, the way we’re bringing these elements together – using different musical traditions, projections, and multimedia – makes it distinctly contemporary. The ensemble has musicians from various backgrounds, like Feras Sarmini, who specializes in Ottoman music. Together, we create a fusion that bridges cultures and art forms, offering something new yet deeply rooted in each tradition.
Through their collaboration, Zbarcea and Sarmini create a journey across cultures and epochs. By combining Romanian, Ottoman, Middle Eastern, and Indonesian musical traditions, they offer listeners a fresh musical perspective. Their work with Jepun Bali is an invitation to experience music as a universal language, where different traditions find harmony through shared creativity.
EDGE: Feras, can you tell us about your collaboration with Lucian and the cultural perspective you bring?
Feras Sarmini: I’ve been working with Lucian for about five or six years, and it’s been a fantastic journey. I really admire his approach to blending gamelan with Middle Eastern and Romanian elements. This collaboration has allowed me to bring my own musical heritage into a new setting.
EDGE: How have you integrated your cultural background into the ensemble’s work here in Bucharest?
Feras: I’m originally from Syria, but I studied classical violin here in Romania and completed my master’s degree at the conservatory. Over time, I felt drawn to connect my Middle Eastern roots with Romanian music. I was inspired by Dimitrie Cantemir, a Romanian scholar who was deeply knowledgeable about Ottoman music, to pursue doctoral research on Ottoman classical music. This research helped me find many parallels with Lucian’s work, which focuses on music from the Far East, and together, we bridge Middle Eastern and Far Eastern musical traditions.
EDGE: Could you tell us more about the traditional instruments you play and how they contribute to this fusion?
Feras: I play several traditional instruments with long, rich histories. For instance, I use the politiki lyra, or “city lyre,” a Byzantine instrument also known as the kemenche in Turkish. Originating in Constantinople in the 9th century, it spread throughout the Balkans and Turkey and is still popular in Greek and Turkish music today. I also play other traditional instruments like the Persian rebab and Arabic oud, and through this project, I learned to play the Indonesian rebab as well.
EDGE: How does this mix of traditions impact your collaboration?
Feras: It adds depth, especially in Lucian’s compositions. His piece ‘Până Când Nu Te Iubeam… gen,’ uses Romanian modes that align with Ottoman modal scales. This connection between the modes helps bridge Romanian and Middle Eastern music, adding a harmonious layer to the composition. Gamelan, particularly from Bali, has a unique tuning system that provides a contrast to these traditions, but that’s part of the magic, we create harmony from diversity.
Regarding Javanese gamelan, it is well known that historical trade and cultural exchanges introduced Middle Eastern influences to it’s music, but Balinese gamelan has a more distinct tuning and structure. So, while Middle Eastern and Ottoman elements fit well in some parts of our work, Balinese gamelan has its own identity within the fusion.
