‘Piano & Cello’ in Concert

By Susitha R. Fernando

Internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan pianist Shani Diluka Abeygoonaratne and her French husband Eric Couturier, one of the finest players of Cello will perform in Sri Lanka on October 14, 15, 16.

The first concert will be at the new state of the art auditorium of the British School in Colombo 8 on October 11 at 7.00pm.

She will also perform in Kandy on October 15 at the Engineering Faculty Auditorium (Peradeniya) at 7.00 p.m. and in Matara at the Nupe Cultural Centre on 16 October at 7.00 p.m.

Shani Diluka is beyond any doubt a Top world Class Pianist and is the only one from the Indian Sub Continent to have entered the Conservatoire National Superior of Music in Paris. It is one of the most competitive and rigorous exams which is held in three stages and only the best students in the world who has a recognized final diploma can sit for this exam.

She has won many international awards including Lauriate of the Natexis prize, the Prince Poloniac prize finalist of the prestigious Gina Bachhaur in Salt Lake City.

Villers Sur Mer as the public has voted her as the best Performer at the Interntional Piano Festival held this year at the City Ville Sur Mer.

Right now she is in Norway recording the original Piano of Greig in the Museum in Bergen, where a number of French journalists and television crews are accompanying her and it is a big event.

Last month she performed in 3 big concerts at Roque d' Antheron which is called the Mecca of Pianos, the Court of Honour Palais Luxumbourg Paris and at the Golf of Gorbion in France.

Shani Diluka will release a Mirare/Harmonia-mundi recording of the Grieg concerto and Lyrical pieces recorded on Grieg's piano in Norway, which will be presented on a world concert tour in 2007 with prestigious orchestra.

Eric-Maria Couturier studied cello and chamber music at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris and graduated with the jury's unanimous highest honors. He has distinguished himself as prizewinner at several international competitions (Rostropovitch, Trapani, Trieste, and Florence) and has been awarded scholarships by the Natexis and Pendleton Foundations. He was a member of the Orchestre de Paris and solo cellist at the Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine, before joining the Ensemble intercontemporain in 2002.