Celebrating Maestro Illayaraja

Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo will be organising an evening of instrumental music ‘Celebrating Maestro Illayaraja’ by renowned musician Soundari David Rodrigo and ensemble on 27 April at 6:30 p.m. at Indian Cultural Centre auditorium located at 16/2 Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7.

Soundarie David Rodrigo, pianist and choral director, will venture into instrumental music paying tribute to one of her favourite Indian composers Maestro Illayaraj by her renditions of some of his famous film music. Soundarie will be joined by well-known musicians of Sri Lanka for an evening with a difference and to experience an evening of soulful music. The evening will comprise of Illayaraja hits on the piano and other instruments. 

Soundarie David Rodrigo, began her musical career under the guidance of the legendary piano teacher Mary Billimoria and Ramya De Livera Perera, subsequently pursued her musical education further at the Royal College of Music in London. As a soloist, Soundarie has performed both locally and internationally with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra and completed a series of solo performances in Washington DC for concerts commemorating Martin Luther King. 

Soundarie is the Founder and Music Director of Sri Lanka’s premiere female ensemble ‘Soul Sounds,’ the first choir in Sri Lanka to perform and win awards internationally. She is also the Sri Lankan representative on the Council for Music Mundi – the international organisation that hosts several celebrated International Choral Festivals and Competitions. She was the Deputy Director at the SAARC Cultural Centre based in Sri Lanka for six years and is currently the Director, Programs for the Colombo Cultural Hub. 

Her awards include the SAARC Woman of Achievement Award, the Zonta Award, and the Bunka Award presented by the Japan/Sri Lanka Association. Soundarie is also a qualified lawyer with a Masters in law, in the field of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law from the University of California, Berkeley.