British pianist Anthony Adkins, Ananda Dabare and his Krasna Ensemble at Grieg concert
The Colombo Cultural Hub’s very first effort at fostering cultural integration, both local and international, is the showcasing of the exquisite, soulful and tantalizing music of Norwegian maestro Edward Grieg on Wednesday, June 21 at 7.30 p.m. at the Lionel Wendt.
Mano Chanmugam, its Chairman, has invited the brilliant British pianist Anthony Adkins, and integrated his excellence on the piano with the direction and conducting precision of our very own Violin virtuoso Ananda Dabare and his Krasna Ensemble of 50 dedicated musicians in collaboration.
The concert will commence with Dabare’s ensemble performing Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suites No 1 and No 2.
Anthony Adkins’ brilliance at the piano at an early age of 17, won him not one but two prestigious scholarships, the ‘Nora Naismith’ to the Royal Academy of Music and ‘The Foundation’ to the Royal College of Music. Accepting the latter he was awarded the ARCM in just two years and later against intense competition, won the coveted Polish Government’s ‘Chopin Fellowship’ to the Academy of Music in Krakow. Besides extensive tours within the UK and recent appear- ances in Austria, Holland, Spain, Switzerland, The USA and Hong Kong, he gave Chopin recitals in France, Germany and Poland.
He has had many glowing reviews: The Sudkurier, Germany called him ‘A brilliant pianist’, ‘ His romantic warmth and fervour were engagingly irrepressible’ wrote The Daily Telegraph/UK, ‘His playing was amazing’ enthused the Sud Quest/ France, while The Times, Richmond UK said ‘The audience was spellbound’. In the US he has been described as ‘a pianist of outstanding musicianship.’
Adkins’ mastery over the keyboard during the exquisite evening of Grieg on Wednesday, June 21, with Dabare’s Krasna Ensemble’s collaboration will be the Colombo Cultural Hub Trust’s attempt to realize the Prime Minister’s inspiration of making it the instrument of cultural infusion amongst the people of Sri Lanka especially in educating our youth in imbibing international culture. Besides televising the performance islandwide, Adkins will give master classes to young musicians.