Every artiste, be it singer, painter or ballerina or others of their ilk dreams of honing their talents at a prestigious place of learning. And for Sri Lankan soprano, Nimsha Wickramaratne, her dream has really come true.
She has won a scholarship to the famed Bel Canto Academy in Valsugana, Trento, Italy. The training program will be nine months in duration and will be in five stages. Nimsha will be winging her way to Trento very soon.
The scholarship will cover the tuition while the other expenses will be Nimsha’s responsibility.
Music has always been a part of Nimsha’s life from the time she was a toddler. A real little singing miss, she would easily warble whatever she picked up.
College choir
During her school days at Hillwood College, Kandy Nimsha sang in the College choir and bagged first place at a Christmas festival.
She has also been exposed much to church music and has sung in several church choirs. Her father being a priest in the Anglican Church was also responsible for this.
After schooling, Nimsha entered The University of Visual and Performing Arts to read for her Bachelor’s Degree in Music. She passed out with flying colours with a First Class and was immediately recruited to the staff of the Sri Lanka Technological Research Campus, Padukka - School of Music. This was on the recommendation of one of her lecturers, Manoj Sanjeewa.
Around 2018, Nimsha came under the tutelage of renowned singing teacher, Barbara Segal. This also gave her the opportunity of singing in the chorus of the Barbara Segal production of Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. In addition to this Nimsha has performed at many other concerts. Nimsha is very grateful to Barbara Segal, Manoj Sanjeewa, Rachel Halliday, Srimal Weerasinghe and all those who have supported her on her musical journey.