Tanya to debut in 'Pianists of the World series' at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London

Tanya Ilangakkone-Ekanayaka, one of Sri Lanka's leading concert pianists will be giving a solo piano recital at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, one of the premier international classical music venues in the world as part of its Pianists of the World series on July 30. She is the first Sri Lankan to give a solo piano recital at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Her programme includes Bach's Prelude and Fugue No. 7 in E flat major, BWV 852, Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 (Pastoral), Jeux d'eau by Ravel and concludes with the world premier of her own composition 'Adahas: of Wings of Roots'.

Founded by Dame Myra Hess, Pianists of the World is one of the longest running recital series of St Martin-in-the-Fields. The series aims to showcase outstanding pianistic talent from across the globe. The musical history of St Martin-in-the-Fields stretches back to performances by Handel and Mozart through to the founding of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields by Sir Neville Marriner in the 1950s. St Martin's has and continues regularly to host some of the great names in classical music including James Bowman, Sir James Galway, Sir Neville Marriner, Dame Emma Kirkby, Ton Koopman, Stephen Layton Robert Tear and Raphael Wallfisch and ensembles including the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Holst Singers and Vasari Singers.

Tanya began studying the piano at the age of five, making her first public recital appearance at the age of twelve and has since performed widely as soloist and accompanist. In Sri Lanka, she studied the piano under the tutelage of her mother and later with Bridget Halpe. She is a Fellow of the Trinity College of London (FTCL), a Licentiate of the Associated Board of The Royal Schools of Music (LRSM), and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (LGSMD), which awarded her the Professional Performer's Diploma (PPD) upon graduating with distinction.

At sixteen Tanya was the youngest competitor and joint winner of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka's Concerto Competition (Pianoforte) and later performed Mozart's Piano Concerto K.488 with the same orchestra. Tanya gave her debut solo piano recital in 2002. Her final recital in Sri Lanka shortly before moving to the UK in 2006 upon being awarded the University of Edinburgh Principal's Scholarship for postgraduate studies in Linguistics was as soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka where she performed Schuman's Piano Concerto in A Minor Op.54.

Tanya is also a university lecturer in Linguistics in the Department of English at the University of Peradeniya. In 2006 she was awarded the University of Edinburgh 'Principal's Scholarship' to purse an MSc degree in Linguistics. She was awarded the degree (with distinction for her thesis) in 2007 and has since been pursuing a PhD in Linguistics also at The University of Edinburgh, UK. Her doctoral research is multidisciplinary combining both Linguistics and Music.

In between her doctoral research Tanya engages in part time teaching for the University of Edinburgh's departments of Linguistics and Music and has also performed for the Edinburgh Society of Musicians and at other venues in the city. Forthcoming recitals include a solo piano recital organized by the University of Edinburgh at its Reid Concert Hall later this year. Improvising through integrating tonal with a-tonal and a-rhythmic styles of music is among Tanya's strong pianistic interests.

Programme

Bach - Prelude and Fugue No. 7 in E flat major, BWV 852, Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 (Pastoral) Ravel - Jeux d'eau

Ekanayaka - Adahas: Of Wings of Roots