Giving to the world of music what Sri Lanka has to offer

It has been a distinguished journey and inviting local audiences to join in the celebration, sitarist Pradeep Ratnayake will present the tenth Anniversary Concert of his Pradeepanjalee series on February 11 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre at 7 p.m.

The Pradeepanjalee concert series that started off in this same hall ten years ago, has now gained international recognition, with performances at a host of celebrated venues including the Asia Society in New York, the Kennedy Center at Washington DC, the Walt Disney Theatre and The Universal Studios in Los Angeles, the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva and the Vienna Musikverein in Austria. Here, audiences were given an idea of what Sri Lanka has to offer to the world of music, for Pradeep Ratnayake’s attempt has been to take Sri Lankan music to the world. In his hands, the sitar has been given a new identity – a Sri Lankan one – something that can be done only by a master musician.

Of his most recent concert in Austria in November 2006, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Austria, Aruni Wijewardane has said, “I have received very many expressions of appreciation from the VVIP guests, who were present at the performances. As Vienna and the Musikverein in particular, regularly host world class musicians, it is particularly significant that the audience rated a Sri Lankan composer and his performance so highly. This appreciation was also evident in the several “encores” that you were encouraged to give at the end!”

Pradeepanjalee X will see Pradeep getting together with other well-known musicians who have been with him from the inception of this series such as Ravibandhu Vidyapati on Sri Lankan percussion, Wijeratne Ranatunge on Tabla, Alston Joachim on bass guitar and Shiraz Noor Amith on Western drums. Others who have not been heard with him for some time, like Dushyanti Perera will also be featured, to create a combination loved by this composer, that of the cello and the sitar. They will build upon the original score of Kuveni, expanding this beautifully poignant composition into a second movement.
The concert will also present musicians new to the Pradeepanjalee troupe, like Kuma de Silva on piano, Jayantha Dissanayake on saxophone and Mahi on guitar as Pradeep introduces his newest compositions to his audience.

Pradeep will pay tribute to a group of friends who have supported him and his work right throughout his career. The fact that this concert is sponsored by the Lionel Wendt Memorial Fund is particularly significant given that it is in this hall that this series grew; it is to this hall that Sri Lankan audiences most often flocked to hear him.

Pradeepanjalee X will be a concert of thanksgiving and above all, an evening which celebrates the pure joy of music. Tickets for the show will be available from February 2 at the Lionel Wendt.