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| Sunday, 28 September 2003 |
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Creating history in the classical music world of Sri Lanka is the young remarkable baritone singer Dhilan Gnanadurai who won a scholarship award for a four-year Bachelor of Music degree course at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama after an audition in London last year.
"I was offered places by the Royal College of Music, London, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London, the Birmingham Conservatoire, England and the Trinity College of Music, London and I accepted the place offered to me by Guildhall. It is a part sponsorship from the School and I'm thankful to the Chairman of the CIC group of Companies Mr. B. R. L. Fernando who for the love of music and the arts and on the recommendations given by the Heads of Vocal Studies of the Guildhall School and of the Royal College of Music, decided to contribute towards my tuition fee - through the CIC Charitable and Educational Trust Fund and other subsidiary companies. Also the Managing Director of Asia Broadcasting Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd. Raynor Silva has pledged to help me," says Dhilan, quite calm and composed, never revealing any anxiety or excitement knowing he had to fly off the next day leaving his parents behind to a world so different to what he was used to. Remarkable! - you are bound to express if you have the opportunity to read through his bio data. From the year 1991 teenager Dhilan has won awards for music, music and more music. At the young age of seventeen years he acquired the ATCL for Piano... when he turned eighteen years he had the ATCL for Violin and when he moved into his nineteenth year he experienced the joy of acquiring his ATCL in Singing. He is by far the only teenager we know who has such credits behind his name. What's more he has Grade 5 (Merit) in clarinet from Trinity College of Music and plays trumpet too. The Head of Vocal Studies, Guildhall School Robin Bowman in admiration comments that Dhilan's "performances showed an admirable maturity and a power and precision of emotional communication way beyond what we would expect for his age and stage of development." Carmel Patrick, Dip London Opera Centre is of the opinion that Dhilan has "one of the finest Baritone voices I have ever heard, especially after taking into account his tender age. Being an intelligent, artistic, ambitions and studious young man, he both grasps new concepts and commits his work to memory quickly. He is an accomplished musician with an excellent sense of pitch and phrasing." Classical music lovers in Sri Lanka would no doubt remember his fine Bass singing in many performances on our stages. A product of St. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia Dhilan's early years in singing and piano were moulded by his mother Joy Gnanadurai. An active member of the choir of St. Thomas' College directed by Russell Bartholomuesz as well as that of the Holy Trinity Church, Wellawatte directed by his mother, Dhilan academically was pursuing a career in law before he decided to continue his music studies. "I must thank pianist Soundarie David for her constant encouragement, advice and enthusiasm in the progress of my career, especially for being my accompanist at the Royal College of Music, London auditions in 2001 and to Caroline Jayaratnam a professional accompanist attached to the Guildhall School who last year enhanced the momentum in my achieving the scholarship, and will be my accompanist and advisor in London," concludes young Dhilan, who in the course of our conversation reveals that he enjoys singing oratorios. So we wish him in the words of one of his superior's "a successful operatic career at the top of the tree." |
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Dhilan left for London this month to commence his studies in the autumn
term which started on September 15. Just twenty years of age, it was a
great pleasure to talk to Dhilan, so unassuming, 'cool' and simple about
the many praises of his baritone voice showered around him.
