Phil Acimovic is a composer and gamelan musician in Easthampton, MA. He writes quiet, austere music for solo and chamber ensembles. Acimovic's music taps into abstract emotional states, the quiet corners of the mind that are obstructed in our hyperactive world. He recently completed a set of solo instrumental works, inspired by abstract visual artists, and influenced by the disquietude of the Covid pandemic. Acimovic studied composition with Kurt Rohde, Sam Nichols, John McDonald, Ken Steen, and David Macbride.

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In 2018 he served as Artist-In-Residence at the Cold Hollow Sculpture Park in northern Vermont. His works have been performed by the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, the Empyrean Ensemble, Chris Froh, and John McDonald, among others. Acimovic’s music has been featured in new music festivals such as June in Buffalo, New Music on the Point, SICPP, the Revision/s Festival, and others. He currently teaches music theory at Clark University and previously taught music theory and improvisation at Smith College.

 

Acimovic studied Javanese Gamelan for two years in Central Java. His main teachers are Bp. Wakidi Dwidjomartono and Bp. Darsono Hadiraharjo. In 2018 he organized and managed a tour of a gamelan gadhon troupe from Java, giving concerts at 11 institutions across the U.S. He is a member of Gamelan Laras Tentrem and regularly performs with many gamelan groups in the northeast U.S. He has directed gamelan ensembles at UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, Mynah Music School, Tufts University, and will direct the Smith College Gamelan in 2021-22.