AIN’T IT A PRETTY NIGHT

Kiara read for a BA in Geography at Cambridge University, where she was also an Instrumental Award Holder for violin and led her college orchestra, the Jesus College Orchestra, in several concerts. She also composed the music score for a play titled, ‘And the Horse You Rode in on’, which was staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

Audiences in Colombo will have the opportunity of hearing Kiara Wickremasinghe - soprano collaborated on the piano by Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu in “Ain’t it a Pretty Night” on Tuesday 16 th July 7.30 pm at the Russian Centre, 10 Independance Avenue, Colombo 7. Wasantha Kumara Geekiyanage – Tenor and Ravindu Perera -Baritone of the Menaka Singers Opera Ensemble will be the guest artistes at this concert. 

Kiara Wickremasinghe’s life and career trajectories have always incorporated a balance of academia and music. Growing up in Sri Lanka, she trained as a pianist and singer under Menaka De Fonseka Sahabandu and violinist under Ananda Dabare, winning several all-island competitions and prizes and performing with the Junior Symphony Orchestra and Sri Lanka Symphony Orchestra. 

Since moving to the UK, Kiara read for a BA in Geography at Cambridge University, where she was also an Instrumental Award Holder for violin and led her college orchestra, the Jesus College Orchestra, in several concerts. She also composed the music score for a play titled, ‘And the Horse You Rode in on’, which was staged at Corpus Playroom in Cambridge and later at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Since achieving an MA in Music in Development 
at SOAS University of London, Kiara remains at SOAS undertaking a PhD in Anthropology on the topic of NHS mental health services. Towards this, she trained and worked as a mental health practitioner in the NHS during which she integrated her musicality by organising music workshops for patients and composing soundscapes to present research findings.

Vocally, Kiara has trained under Joanne Watson and Stuart MacIntyre, earning an LTCL in Singing Performance with the Trinity College of Music. Following her commitment to church choral singing, Kiara sang with the choir of All Souls Langham Place for ten years, where she was appointed soprano fixer and regularly performed in All Souls’ flagship event ‘Prom Praise’ at the Royal Albert Hall. Most recently, she was invited as the soloist for the 2024 Christian Embassy Women’s Day Luncheon for diplomats. 

Menaka De Fonseka Sahabandu,  a pianist, soprano, violinist, music educator, Choral Director and adjudicator is one of the leading voice and piano teachers in Sri Lanka with 40 years of experience. Menaka is the Founder /Director of Menaka Sahabandu School of Music, Menaka Singers and The Menaka Singers Opera Ensemble. Menaka is a Fellow of the Trinity College London in Piano and Singing(FTCL),a Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music for both Piano and Singing (LRSM) and an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Guild of Music FAGM (Honorary). She is an Examiner and an Instrumental and Vocal tutor with the Australian Guild of Music Education for the degree Bachelor of Music and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Visual and Performing Arts Sri Lanka. Both as a pianist and as a singer, Menaka has been a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka many times and performed in many recitals both in Sri Lanka and abroad. One of the highlights of her career was when she was invited to perform the role of Frasquita in the opera Carmen organised by the Neemrana Foundation. Menaka who has been teaching for 40 years, has trained and tutored many students, both pianists and singers, to achieve their ambitions of being performers and teachers. Her students have been regular prize winners and High Scorers with the ABRSM and Trinity College London exams. Many have performed as soloists with orchestras both in Sri Lanka and abroad. 

In 2017 she had the honour to be invited to the Jury of the 4th Asia Pacific Choir Games organised by Interkultur. In recognition of her contribution to western music in Sri Lanka she was awarded the prestigious Award of Excellence in Western Music by the SAARC Women's Association . 

Kiara looks forward to her debut recital in Sri Lanka, alongside her teacher Menaka De Fonseka Sahabandu on the piano. The recital will feature a selection of opera arias, art song and musical theatre pieces, showcasing works by Mozart, Bellini, Puccini, Schumann, Bernstein and others. The title aria ‘Ain’t it a Pretty Night’, is from American composer Carlisle Floyd’s opera ‘Susannah’ (1955), a tragedy inspired by the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the elders. Set in a small Appalachian town, the protagonist Susannah, a young woman, is unjustly judged and condemned as a sinner by church elders, eventually excommunicated from the place and people she loves.