Ki Purbo Asmoro before a performance of Sumilaking Pedhut Astina at Gedhung AKA, South Jakarta, March 2007
photo courtesy of Prapto Panuju

Purbo Asmoro is simultaneously one of the most popular superstar performing personalities, and one of the most intellectually revered innovators in pedhalangan today. He is considered to be at the forefront of the modern, classical interperative treatment in wayang,  commonly referred to as garapan. 

Purbo Asmoro was born in Dersana, Pacitan, East Java in 1961. He is able to officially trace his lineage back to at least six generations of practicing dhalang, and many more beyond that, according to family legend. Purbo Asmoro is the first dhalang in his family however to be formally educated, holding a Master’s Degree in Performance Art from UGM, one of the most prestigious universities in Indonesia.

Currently a professor of pedhalangan at ISI Surakarta  (The Institute of Indonesian Arts in Solo), Purbo Asmoro divides his time between teaching and an active performing career. He has both a dedicated, academic following and a broad-based,enthusiastic community of fans across Java.

Purbo Asmoro  is particularly well-known for his ability to be innovative and yet highly respectful of and well-versed in classical tradition at the same time. He is in constant demand internationally, and has conducted highly successful  tours of the USA, the UK, Japan, Bolivia, Singapore, Austria, Thailand, and Greece. In March 2009, he performed a series of wayang in Paris and Normandy, at the Maisons des Cultures du Monde.

In 2007, the Museum of International folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, purchased a complete set of Purbo Asmoro's wayang. The set was made into an elaborate educational exhibit, on display from March 2009-March 2010. In August 2009, Purbo Asmoro traveled to Santa Fe to perform at the museum, and also made a stop in Houston, Texas at Rice University's Sheppard's School of Music. Just last August 2010, Ki Purbo returned from a tour to India (New Delhi and Jaipur).

Current trends in wayang kulit often range from the extreme avant-garde to a tableaux of exclusively light entertainment. Purbo Asmoro however  is steadfast in his adherence to wayang as philosophy, oral literature, and food for thought, presented in a dramatic  and entertaining style, respecting both tradition and innovation.

Purbo Asmoro is married to Sudi Rahayu, an SMKI dance graduate and sindhen from Purwadadi, and they have two sons: Indhung Prabancana, 24, and Kukuh Indrasmara, 19. Both are pursuing careers in the performing arts.
Purbo Asmoro with his father, Ki Dhamiri Soemarno, Pacitan.