Music

Mika star of Holiday Season Gala

Mika Nishimura

The Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC) will present its annual Holiday Season Gala on Saturday, December 5, 2015 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, at 7.30 p.m.

Sponsored by Fairway Holdings, the featured guest soloist at the Gala will be Japanese born violinist Mika Nishimura, winner of the 22nd 'Citta di Barletta', student of Maestro Zakah Bron and protégé of Zubin Mehta.

Currently based in Mumbai, Mika, who also holds master classes at the Zubin and Mehli Metha Foundation, performs on a pristine Giovanni Francesco Pressenda violin, one of the finest Italian violin makers of the 19th century.

Mika, who started to learn the instrument at the age of four, won a scholarship to the 'Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia' in Madrid, Spain where she studied under Maestro Bron. Winning her second and third full scholarships from the 'Albeniz Foundation' and the Tel-Aviv University, she relocated to Tel-Aviv, Israel to further study at the 'Buchmann Mehta School of Music' under the supervision of Prof. Irina Svetlova along with master-classes with virtuoso Nikolaj Znaider.

Highlights of her young solo performing career include participating at the 'Gifu Listz Ferenc' International Music Festival and performing with the 'New Budapest Quartet' in Tokyo.

In Colombo, she will perform one of the world's most famous quartets of concerti by Antonio Vivaldi, better known as The 'Four Seasons'. She will also collaborate with artistic director and concert master Lakshman Joseph de Saram and Sulara Nanayakkara in the rarely performed J.S. Bach Concerto for 'Three Violins', BWV 1064R.

Excerpts from the traditional Christmas arc of G.F. Handel's great oratorio, 'The Messiah' will be the featured choral work. The solo vocalists will include Anagi Perera (soprano) and Laknath Seneviratne (bass). The orchestra of the CMSC will be joined by The Colombo Philharmonic Choir, which will be conducted by Manilal Weerakoon, the choir's director. Handel's 'Praise the Lord with One Consent' from the ninth Chandos anthem and a selection of popular Christmas Carols for orchestra, chorus with audience participation will conclude this festive concert.

Tickets will be available at the venue, during box office hours.