SOSL presents Music Beyond Borders

Truly epitomising that music is the universal language, the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka brings together Indian and Sri Lankan musicians and conductors in a unique celebration of music on 7 February at the Ladies College Hall at 7:30 p.m. The program for the evening features three masterpieces of western classical music repertoire; Dvorak’s New World Symphony, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 27 and Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn. The highly acclaimed pianist performing with the SOSL is Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and Artistic Director and International Programme Curator in Crossover Projects, Marialena Fernandes. 

The uniqueness of the concert is reiterated further with the presence of two eminent conductors taking on the baton; internationally acclaimed American conductor and former Artistic Advisor to Skylight Music Theatre Milwaukee and former Artistic Director/Founder of Opera Vista, Houston’s innovative contemporary opera company Viswa Subbaraman and the Resident Conductor of the SOSL Dushyanthi Perera, who has established a reputation for directing inspired performances by the SOSL.

An MIA Award winner from the Austrian Ministry for Education and Culture, Marialena who holds a PhD from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, is highly acclaimed for her projects with women composers and gender themes. A soloist and performer of chamber music and orchestra in Europe, USA, Australia, Africa and Asia, she is a much looked forward to artiste in annual television and radio broadcasts. Enjoying infusing multiculturalism into her music and performances, she initiated The Quest for Passion incorporating several musicians and talented youth from Europe and India and also Uno, Due Tre in Musikverein Vienna which is now in its 10th year.

Selected as one of the 100 Creatives 2012 and winning a Mastermind Award from Houston Press for Artistic Creativity and Music Outreach, Viswa Subbaraman was also named as one of Milwaukee’s Under 40 for 2015 by the Milwaukee Business Journal, was a featured speaker at INKTalks in India as a 2014 INK Fellow and named by Dave Begel as one of Milwaukee’s 14 most influential people. His conducting prowess includes the world premiere of James Norman’s Wake, Line Tjørnhøj’s Anorexia Sacra, Somtow Sucharitkul’s The Silent Prince, Overture du Roi Lear by Paul Dukas and Somtow Sucharitkul’s Snow Dragon which traveled to Thailand. A guest conductor of the Orchestre National de France, his credits include the Stravinsky Octet with soloists in Paris’ famed Théatre des Champs-Elysées and the French premiere of the Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra by Ernst Bloch. 

Together with the featured artistes, this concert will include eight Indian string musicians joining Sri Lankan musicians on a unifying platform of common passions, integrating musicians through the common language of music. 

Tickets and the box plan for this concert which promises to be unique and entertaining is available from 22 January at the Lionel Wendt theatre. The Principal Sponsor of the concert is the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, while Co-sponsors are Morisons, Brandix Inspired Solutions and East India Holdings.