Plus

Plus

Kishani soars from the law to the high Cs
By Neville de Silva
From the law to opera is surely a quantum leap. But the versatile Kishani Jayasinghe has straddled a study of modern law with singing classical arias with an ease many would find remarkable, if not astounding.

Not only has she gone on to complete a law degree and collect an LL.M in international commercial law, but also made a name for herself in classical music circles in the UK.

When I first met Kishani it was at a charity dinner-dance organized by Ameena Musthapha, wife of Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to the UK, Faisz Musthapha. At the fund-raiser called 'Autumn Leaves' held some three months ago, Kishani quite appropriately sang the Nat King Cole standard by the same name. The reception she received made me wonder whether singing was merely her pastime since she was introduced as a Sri Lankan lawyer resident in the UK.

Talking to Kishani subsequently made me change my mind. If one might adapt the words of Brutus, it is not that she loves the law less but that she loves singing more. That is hardly a love and interest she developed after coming to the UK in September 1998 to study for the LL.B at Nottingham University. Even as a student of Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, where she had a distinguished school career (becoming among other things the school head prefect in 1996) she had shown a penchant for music, particularly classical singing.

While still in Sri Lanka she won the Young Musician of the Year 1995 award organized by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Sri Lanka. The next year she won the Concerto Competition organized by the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka.

And in between studying, winning prizes for best debater and best orator in nation-wide competitions, she managed to impress sufficiently the judges of the London Academy for Music and Dramatic Arts that they awarded her the Gold Medal for acting.

Having collected a couple of law degrees from the University of Nottingham where Kishani also distinguished herself by being elected president of the International Students’ Union, student representative to the University Senate, and representing her university at the national and regional student union conference, what made her make this sharp career change?

"I attended a music summer school at the end of my final year at university. There I met an eminent singing professor who told me that I should consider pursuing a career as a soprano after I complete my degree. He also introduced me to one, who he called one of the best teachers in England, Pamela Cook."

"I auditioned and she took me on as a student and prepared me for the auditions at the Royal Academy of Music. I succeeded in obtaining a place on the postgraduate preparatory opera course."

She admits that taking to singing was an idea she had toyed with for some time but didn't really have the nerve to take on professionally. While many factors contributed to her finally taking the plunge, Kishani says the most important was the encouragement given by her parents, Asoka and Melanie Jayasinghe of Madiwela, Kotte.

"My parents and family stood by me when I said I was thinking of a somewhat drastic career change. They said life is too short and since I have been blessed with a talent to use it."

That dream brought her to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden when she was included in a group of singers supporting the celebrated Sir Elton John at a charity concert. But that is not the kind of singing that appeals to Kishani. Having made her classical music debut in Sri Lanka with the Philharmonic Orchestra when she was 16 years, her natural bent is towards classical music.

Her first solo recital in London was also at the same age she won a scholarship to the Royal Over Seas League (ROSL) that included a period of study at a summer school and a recital at the ROSL.

She has also done several solo recitals and oratorio performances with several orchestral and choral societies in the past year. The repertoire consisted of a combination of Italian opera, German lieder, French melodies and English songs.

Though she says she loves both Italian and German opera, I got the distinct feeling that she is more inclined towards the Italian. "I have performed in Italian and German operatic excerpts as part of my training at the Academy. They are both beautiful in completely different ways. The Italian opera tends to be extremely romantic and passionate, filled with lots of emotion. The German, in my opinion, tends to be more sustained and very deep. That is not to say the Italian is not, it's just that the drama tends to be more obvious in the Italian. But in the end all is relative."

At present she is being trained by two of the best known teachers in the UK, Janet Price who is responsible for many aspects of the training such as technical vocal matters, and Audrey Hyland who currently coaches at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy.

She is currently studying for a Master’s in Performance (Singing) at the Royal Academy of Music, having earlier become a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music-Singing.

Kishani Jayasinghe's debut solo concert on January 8 at the Lionel Wendt should prove a delectable repertoire of classical singing. She will be accompanied at the Lionel Wendt recital by Soundarie David.

Back to Plus