Arts
Classic ‘Kishani style’
It’s not too often that you get to watch Kishani Jayasinghe perform on a Lankan stage. But when she does, you can be sure that it’ll make for an evening to remember.
Maybe it’s the twinkle in her eyes when she introduces her music, or the easy camaraderie she shares with her fellow performers and audience.
Or perhaps it’s simply that the soprano, the first Sri Lankan to perform as a soloist at London’s Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, is one of the most accomplished performers Sri Lanka has produced.
At ‘Kishani Sings With Friends’ she will perform with a select group of her Lankan counterparts-colleagues and friends, whom she calls “some of the most incredible musicians in Sri Lanka.”
The soprano marks her return to local stage in over a year; it’s been a busy time, with performances including a debut with the Singapore Lyric Opera, recitals in London, New York and Holland, and a debut performance in China followed by an invitation to sing at Beijing’s NCPA among others.
She also became the first Sri Lankan to be cast in Bizet’s Pearl Fishers as the Lankan heroine Leila on the international stage earlier this year.
Of her fellow musicians she says: “I have my stalwarts and extra special Wonder-Women Soundarie David Rodrigo on the piano and Sureka Amerasinghe on the flute.
Another old friend, the extremely clever Neranjan de Silva will be providing us with his own type of orchestration and then I have the pleasure of working with a very special guest artist, maestro Ananda Dabare on the violin.”
Of Dabare, principal conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, “I was just barely a teenager when I first witnessed his mastery with The Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Rohan Joseph De Saram,” she enthuses over an email interview.
“I had just won the Young Musician of the Year Award and was preparing to perform with them and I sat in on one rehearsal…it was my first glimpse of Ananda’s genius and suffice to say I have been smitten ever since!
It is truly an honour and privilege to be working with such an extraordinary team and it is sure to be a real treat for us players and audience alike.”
What can you expect at the show? An opera segment, of course, alongside a segment of sacred music–“the pieces are really special,” says Kishani.
“There is so much interweaving and banter between the musicians, that in addition to being great music, it should also be really fun”—a selection of old favourites and of course, a seasonal segment to get her audience in the mood for the upcoming festivities. All, she promises, to be sung classically in “Kishani style”.
The show is almost sold out, and the singer wants to ensure a special experience for her audience. “As a performing artist, I always say that I have only been truly successful when every member of the audience feels that there was something special on the night for them…something that ‘spoke’ to them and they related to…It’s sometimes a little challenging to do that with a classical music concert but I always try to make sure that there is something in it for everyone, and I think that has been one of the reasons every performance in Colombo has been so well received.”
‘Kishani Sings with Friends’ is on at the Lionel Wendt on December 3 from 7.30 p.m. Box plan and tickets available
at the venue.