Composer and conductor Dr. Lalanath de Silva, in collaboration with the Gustav Mahler Society of Colombo, recently launched a brand new initiative, a web talk show series titled “NoteWorthy”, and the programme’s very first session premiered online on 20 February 2021 at 8.30 p.m. IST (10 a.m. EST) via Facebook Live.
The premiere episode featured the talented pianist, arranger, composer, and teacher with over 50 years’ experience, Harsha Makalande.
The series will be a monthly programme hosted by Dr. De Silva, who stated that the show hopes to make use of this opportunity to talk with great musicians, composers, conductors, and singers, mostly from the South Asian region and hopefully from the rest of the world. Spanning 90 minutes with a dedicated 30 minutes to answer any questions posed by the audience during runtime, the show kicked things off in an impressive fashion with a considerably large audience tuning in on its first night.
The series collaborator, the Gustav Mahler Society of Colombo (GMSC), the foremost performing arts society of Sri Lanka dedicated to performance, education, and promotion of western music, was established in 2018. Speaking with the Chief Conductor Srimal Weerasinghe, he shared with us that the organisation was founded in the hopes of revitalising orchestral music in Sri Lanka, and removing the barriers that limit its accessibility by the majority.
He said that while the GMSC Chorus is presently the largest performing ensemble in Sri Lanka, they are not just an orchestra and that they are dedicated to furthering and encouraging Sri Lankan talent, focusing on outreach and education in order to facilitate growth and promote Sri Lankan compositions. Considering that Dr. De Silva’s initiative aligns with their ethos, Weerasinghe shared that they are providing their organisation’s support in carrying out this programme.
We also reached out to Dr. De Silva himself, who shared with us his thinking behind launching the “NoteWorthy” series. He stated that the pandemic has been particularly difficult for performing artists. However, it is not only the artist who has suffered, as audiences who enjoy this kind of art have been impacted as well. He said that while there have been attempts for online solutions, it is simply not the same.
He said that with regards to the thinking behind NoteWorthy, considering that Covid-19 will not be forever, he hopes to bring some much-needed attention to the great bodies of work courtesy of the multitude of talented artists in Sri Lanka and the South Asian region, many of whose work we are familiar with, so as to engage with it a little more.
Dr. De Silva said that he has felt that when it comes to discussing music in the media, particularly in programmes targeting larger audiences, it leaves much to be desired. While it is likely that when targeted at a mass audience, the subject matter cannot get too niche, he said that it has left him with a need to explore the nuances of music with more philosophical depth; to discuss the technical aspects of the forms of harmonies, the origins of its melodies and scales used, etc.
Considering that the show will go live once every month, he went on to give a sneak peek into the upcoming episode to be held on 20 March, which will feature world renowned pianist Rohan De Silva, a The Juilliard School of music alum, and regular collaborator of famous violinist Itzhak Perlman. Rohan De Silva will be joined also by opera singer Tharanga Goonetilleke. He said that the underlying theme would feature a discussion of legendary composer Beethoven’s music, having celebrated his 250th birthday last year.
