The orchestra returns to its traditional setting at Ladies' College Hall, as the 55th season continues.

The Romantic age gave the world some of its most beautiful music. The SOSL’s Romantic Masterworks concert features the music of Mendelssohn, Dvořák and Franz von Suppe. Dushyanthi Perera makes her debut as a conductor at this concert, directing the SOSL in Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony, Franz von Suppé’s “Poet and Peasant” overture, and Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings. Mendelssohn’s symphony expresses Scotland’s soul: its melancholy and cloudy days, its feisty and flirty folk music, its stalwart countrymen. His style of melodic naturalness, lightness, and fluency reflects the Italian background that he absorbed in his youth. Written in just 11 days during one of the happiest times of his life, Dvořák’s elegant String Serenade is memorable for its pure lyricism, beautiful melody and wonderfully cloudless atmosphere. It captures the imagination and ear of the audience with its spirit - sometimes serene, sometimes nostalgic and at others impossibly effervescent.

Date: Saturday 19th May
Venue: Ladies' College Hall at 7pm.
Tickets and Box plan at Lionel Wendt Theatre from 30 April 2012.
 

On February 18th, the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka performed the first concert of its 55th season to a packed house at the newly opened Musaues College auditorium. The concert, which commenced with Mozart’s well known Overture to the Magic Flute, featured French Horn specialist, Áron Könczei, from Hungary, who performed Richard Strauss’ French Horn Concerto No. 1 with consummate ease and virtuosity. The concert culminated with Beethoven’s majestic Fifth providing the audience with an evening of German Masterworks, performed with “heroic musicianship” as described by a member of the audience.

This concert was not merely an opportunity for the audience to enjoy masterworks from the orchestral repertoire but it was also a great effort by the SOSL to reach out to students from out of Colombo. The audience was informed by the Chairman of the SOSL, that as part of the orchestra’s commitment to share their music, students are regularly invited to attend the orchestra’s concerts in Colombo. On this night over 300 students, from universities and schools in and outside Colombo were in the audience on the invitation of the orchestra. Particularly heartwarming was the invitation extended to the group of students, teachers and officials from Mullaitivu, who were in Colombo for the first time in their lives. Their three day visit to Colombo included many first time experiences that included a train ride and a film at a cinema. In addition to this group, the audience was informed that a further 100 students were brought in from Galle, specifically to attend this concert. Many of these children too had never seen a symphony orchestra in live concert before despite being students of western classical music theory. Along with another 100 students from Musaeus College, the north and south students were given an opportunity to learn about the instruments of the orchestra and to interact with each other prior to the concert, in a session conducted by a member of the SOSL and Sri Lanka Unites.

This contribution, by the SOSL, to reconciliation and understanding was praised by many in the audience, who appreciated the orchestra’s program to reach out to students in and outside Colombo. The SOSL was commended for its “excellent social and educational responsibility” and for providing an opportunity for students to listen to music to which they have no other exposure.

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The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, with the sponsorship of the Norwegian Embassy, embarked on a very special project last year. Known as the SOSL Outreach Programme, this educational project was launched with the aim of introducing Western Classical music in areas of the country that have little or no access to it. The SOSL has just concluded two very successful lecture concerts: one in Kurunegala and one in Kilinochchi, where children were introduced to the instruments of the orchestra. 21 Musicians of the SOSL participated in this programme.

The full text of this release is available from the download link to the right. Photos from the trip are in the new Outreach Gallery.

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OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG CLASSICAL MUSICIANS

The next annual Young Soloists’ concert of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, will be held in July 2012.  Many of the top level Sri Lankan musicians operating both nationally and internationally, have had their first solo performance with an orchestra at these Young Soloists’ concerts. The concerts in addition to setting standards for young musicians to aspire to, provide a platform for emerging outstanding talent to be showcased before a discerning musical audience.

Talented musicians under the age of thirty are invited to apply to take part in the competitive auditions which will be held in March 2012, to select soloists .  Applications giving details of the concerto to be performed should be addressed to:

The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka,

83, Dickman’s Road,

Colombo 5.

Singers may also apply to perform a programme of around 15 minutes consisting of selections from the standard repertoire for voice and orchestra. The closing date for applications is Saturday, 10^th December 2011.

The Orchestra's historic Verdi Requiem performance in memory of Dr. Earle de Fonseka, from 7 March 2009, is now available as a DVD. Please contact the Administrative Officer for more information.
                             

 

In December 2010, BBC South Asia Correspondent Charles Haviland prepared a special report on our Christmas concert.

BBC News visits SOSL
 

The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOSL), with the sponsorship of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, has just embarked on a special project - one that aims to take western classical music to areas outside Colombo. Although western music is taught in schools all over the island, very few schoolchildren outside of Colombo have ever seen or heard a symphony orchestra perform live. They have no practical knowledge of the instruments, works and composers they learn about. The initial step of the SOSL Outreach Program will take the form of a series of lecture concerts, where children will be introduced to the instruments that make up the string, woodwind, brass and percussion sections of an orchestra.



Students, Teachers and Parents are invited, free of charge, to attend these concerts. The first of these concerts took place in Galle on 24th April 2010. The Karapitiya Medical Faculty hall was packed with over 750 students from grades 7-11, all studying western music in the Galle and Matara districts. Musicians performing an arrangement of song Three ensembles - one woodwind, one string and one brass - took the stage in turn, performing works typical for each combination.




The players then gave the audience an introduction to each instrument, demonstrating range, tone, and method of sound production. The children also learned the role each instrument plays in an orchestral setting. Many of the children had never seen or heard a Tuba, or bassoon, or double bass. The audience was extremely appreciative of not only the music but also the educational experience that was made available to them. The information was conveyed both in English and Sinhala. Though the instruments themselves are the focus of these concerts, the audience was given details of the various types and styles of music from different historical periods.

With this in mind, the SOSL regularly offers free tickets to school children from Colombo and the outstation areas to attend their Colombo concerts. The next outreach program will be in Kurunegala in June, and the SOSL plans to take the program to other districts in the following months.

Courtesy: Daily News, 15 May 2010