The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOSL)

SOSL Top Bar

The next Concert will be the third Subscription concert, at the Ladies College Hall on Saturday October 9th, 2010. Keiko Kobayashi conducts concertos by Weber and Dvořák. The Sri Lanka première of Copland's El Salón México and Barber's Adagio for Strings completes the programme. Dushy Perera, cello and Ado Kihara, clarinet will be the soloists featured.

The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOSL) is one of the oldest orchestras in South Asia. Its first concert was on 13th September 1958 under the baton of Hussein Mohamed, and the repertoire was Geminiani's Second Concerto Grosso, Haydn's Symphony no. 92 "Oxford" and Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto with Malini Jayasinghe-Pieris as soloist. Kalakeerthi Prof. Earle de Fonseka was the next principal conductor, a position he held with dedication and distinction for the rest of his life, from 1960 to 2000. Lalanath de Silva, who was for many years deputy conductor, took over the position of principal conductor from 2000 to 2002.

The present principal conductors are Ajit Abeysekera, Ananda Dabare, Manilal Weerakoon and Eshantha J. Peiris.

Soloists who have performed with the orchestra include Gervase de Peyer (clarinet), Barry Tuckwell (horn), Richard Adeney (flute), Thomas Brandis and Leon Spierer (violin, then concertmasters of the Berlin Philharmonic), Paul Olefsky and Rohan de Saram (cello), Rodney Slatford (double bass), Druvi de Saram, Peter Cooper, Ian Lake, Robin Zebaida, Anthony Peebles and Rohan de Silva (piano). The SOSL performs four subscription concerts annually. In addition, there are other performances on special occasions. It is resident at the Ladies' College Hall (MAP), Colombo 07. Sri Lankan and Foreign soloists and conductors perform regularly with the orchestra on invitation.

The SOSL takes special interest in fostering young Sri Lankan talent, and dedicates one of its annual subscription concerts to feature Young Soloists. This is part of its commitment to develop young musicians, and provides an opportunity for them to appear with a full Symphony Orchestra at a public concert.

The SOSL is a not for profit organisation which depends on public support as well as corporate sector and occasionally diplomatic sponsorship for its activities.