The Gustav Mahler Orchestra and its Chief Conductor, Srimal Weerasinghe will return to the Nawarangahala for the 2019/20 Season Opening Concert on August 24, almost a year after their groundbreaking inaugural concert back in August 2018 premiering Gustav Mahler’s music for the first time in Sri Lanka, with yet another exciting and diverse program.
The Gustav Mahler Society of Colombo (GMSC) is the largest Performing Arts Organisation for Western Classical Music in Sri Lanka, with over 120 members of the Orchestra and of affiliated choirs coming together as the GMSC Chorus.
The GMSC was established with the aim of revitalising orchestral music in Sri Lanka, and removing the barriers that limit its accessibility by the majority. The Society pays special attention to the music of the Late Romantic Repertoire, particularly, the masterworks of its foremost composer, Gustav Mahler, in whose honour the Society was named.
Having performed several landmark concerts and programs during the inaugural season 2018/19, the Society celebrated its first anniversary on June 15, 2019.
After its successful first season, the Gustav Mahler Orchestra and Chief Conductor, Srimal Weerasinghe will open its second season with a grand concert simply titled, “2019/20 Season Opening Concert”.
The Concert program is of much significance. It will open with Beethoven’s highly dramatic Leonore Overture No. 3.
The highlight will be Gustav Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, one of the famous works by Gustav Mahler for voice and orchestra which will be performed for the first time in not only Sri Lanka but the entire South Asian region. Mezzo-Soprano, Rachel Halliday will once again perform with the Gustav Mahler Orchestra as the soloist for Rückert Lieder.
The Mahler Society has always been an invaluable encouragement for Sri Lankan composers. Having given performances by several Sri Lankan composers during its first season, Weerasinghe has made it one of the priorities of the Orchestra to support and nurture Sri Lankan composers which helps create a Sri Lankan Repertoire of Western Classical Music.
This time the Orchestra will perform works by 3 wonderful Sri Lankan composers. The Concert will feature the World Première of Sachiththa Fernando’s Fanfare for the Gustav Mahler Society of Colombo. Sachiththa is a renowned composer for film and media, and is also the Concertmaster of the Gustav Mahler Orchestra. The Orchestra will bring to life, the revised version of the famous pianist and composer, Harsha Makalande’s Svarasanga Vannama - Concert piece for Piano, Sri Lankan Drums and Orchestra with the composer himself as the piano soloist, Ravibandu Vidyapathy and Jithendra Vidyapathy on Sri Lankan Drums.
Sri Lankan composer Lalanath de Silva, composed a special piece, “Elegy for Strings in memory of all compatriots who gave their lives on Easter Sunday 2019”. The piece has been performed several times by many orchestras in the United States. The Gustav Mahler Orchestra of Colombo will present the Sri Lankan première of this highly acclaimed piece.
Tickets for the concert are priced at Rs. 2,500, 2,000,1,500,1,000 and 800 and can be reserved by calling or via WhatsApp on 0701171633 or by emailing [email protected]. Further information could be obtained by visiting the Facebook page of the Gustav Mahler Society of Colombo.