TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Renowned Indonesian music composer Iwan Gunawan was reported to have passed away in the Netherlands on Monday, March 16, 2026. In addition to his involvement in international music festivals, Iwan also taught music art education at the Indonesian University of Education (UPI) in Bandung. "He passed away in the Netherlands due to heart failure," said Vidi Sukmayadi, Head of the Communication, Information, and Public Service Office of UPI to Tempo on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
Through the official Instagram account, the campus expressed their condolences. UPI and the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in the Netherlands, according to Vidi, coordinated the repatriation of the body, which is scheduled to arrive on Thursday, March 19, 2026, around 6 p.m. WIB (Western Indonesian Time) at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. "After being laid in rest at the UPI mosque, the plan is to bury him in the Lembang area on Friday morning," he said.
Profile and Works of Iwan Gunawan
Iwan Gunawan, born in Bandung in 1974, was an Indonesian composer who predominantly created chamber music and had performances in several countries in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. He studied music composition under Dieter Mack and piano under Iswargia R. Sudarno at UPI Bandung from 1993 to 1998. Iwan also studied composition under Suka Hardjana, Slamet Abdul Sjukur, and Rahayu Supanggah at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Surakarta from 2005 to 2007.
Composer Iwan Gunawan passed away in the Netherlands on March 16, 2026. (Dok.UPI)
Playing gamelan since the age of six, Iwan founded the ensemble Kyai Fatahillah in Bandung in 2004. At the campus, he taught composition, Balinese gamelan, and piano at UPI Bandung since 2003, as well as computer music since 2013. His music works have been performed both domestically and internationally in countries such as Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, and Vietnam. His music compositions include pieces for orchestra, chamber music, vocal, electroacoustic, and song arrangements.
Vincentius Paskalis Nugroho, a music art education lecturer at UPI, stated that Iwan Gunawan regularly traveled to the Netherlands and several other countries every year to collaborate with ensemble groups. His departure was also with several members of the Kyai Fatahillah ensemble. "Previously, he was still active in performance activities, not at all like someone who was ill," he said to Tempo on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Amidst his busy schedule, Iwan completed his doctoral education in 2025. From the information obtained, the body will be buried in the family cemetery in Lembang.
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