About this Release
“My music is my diary, through which I share and re-live specific moments of my life. The works featured in this, my debut album, evolved spontaneously in Edinburgh between 2010 and 2014 while I was at the piano. While deeply autobiographical, each work also presents a blend of two musical domains. These domains have fascinated me for many years although their combined presence in my works is something I only became aware of recently. Specifically, I perceive connectivity between other works of a concert programme deriving from their respective tonal centres, while the indigenous musics of my homeland Sri Lanka are integral to my being. As such, each work in this album may also be seen as re-presenting my indigenous culture while seeking to highlight connectivity between the different works of a concert programme in which the work might be incorporated.” — Tanya Ekanayaka
EKANAYAKA, TANYA (b. 1977)
Reinventions
Rhapsodies for Piano
- Tanya Ekanayaka, piano
Tanya Ekanayaka is one of Sri Lanka’s foremost pianists and an internationally acclaimed composer. Her ‘deeply autobiographical’ piano compositions, or reinventions, introduce a novel and hybrid musical genre that takes a wide variety of Sri Lankan melodies – ancient, folk and popular – and blends them with motifs inspired by the tonal centres of established classical compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Ravel and others.
This recording was made on a modern instrument: Steinway, Model D
Tracklist
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1
Adahas: Of Wings Of Roots (2010) (00:04:18)
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2
Dew Encounters: Of Scottish Walks, Vannam (Udara) and Sri Lanka's Bugs Bunny (2013) (00:04:29)
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3
Dhaivaya: Alter(ing) Hue (2011) (00:10:25)
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4
Vannam (Gajaga, Mayura and Hanuma) and You (2013) (00:09:52)
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5
In Lotus: Olu Pipila With Moment (2013) (00:06:01)
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6
Labyrinth; Vannam Lent (2012) (00:05:52)
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7
2013/14 June Echoes (2014) (00:15:23)
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The Artist(s)
Dr Tanya Ekanayaka is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning Sri Lankan-British concert composer-pianist. Although trained as a pianist, her compositional skills are the result of a purely intuitive and natural development. Influenced by her multifaceted background, multilingualism, ambidexterity and partial colour synaesthesia her works which she describes as ‘deeply autobiographical’ and which evolve when she is at the piano (and at times in her dreams), have not been scored in any form but remain precisely frozen in her memory once evolved. Consistent with her interdisciplinary background, she holds a doctorate for interdisciplinary research involving Linguistics and Musicology from The University of Edinburgh, where she has also been engaged part time in academic teaching since 2007, as well as advanced academic and professional qualifications in Music Performance, Linguistics and Literature. The Composer(s)
Dr Tanya Ekanayaka is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning Sri Lankan-British concert composer-pianist. Although trained as a pianist, her compositional skills are the result of a purely intuitive and natural development. Influenced by her multifaceted background, multilingualism, ambidexterity and partial colour synaesthesia her works which she describes as ‘deeply autobiographical’ and which evolve when she is at the piano (and at times in her dreams), have not been scored in any form but remain precisely frozen in her memory once evolved. Consistent with her interdisciplinary background, she holds a doctorate for interdisciplinary research involving Linguistics and Musicology from The University of Edinburgh, where she has also been engaged part time in academic teaching since 2007, as well as advanced academic and professional qualifications in Music Performance, Linguistics and Literature. Reviews
“Melodic fragments of great beauty float through this music…” – International Piano
“Ekanayaka is a formidable pianist worth hearing just for her big sound and scrupulous voicing.” – American Record Guide
“Ekanayaka’s semi-extemporisations vividly recall the golden age of musical ‘reminiscences’.” – BBC Music Magazine
Also Available
Grand Piano has gained a reputation for producing high quality recordings of rare keyboard gems. Dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered piano repertoire, the label specialises in complete cycles of piano works by many lesser-known composers, whose output might otherwise have remained unknown and unrecorded.
- info@grandpianorecords.com
