Azmeh, Wijeratne, Mayookh Trio

A truly versatile artist, Sri Lankan-born Dinuk Wijeratne divides his time between composing, conducting, and piano performance. Dinuk made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2004 as a conductor, composer and pianist, performing with Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. A second Carnegie appearance followed in 2009, alongside tabla legend Zakir Hussain. Dinuk has composed specially for almost all of the artists and ensembles with whom he has performed; to name a few: Tim Garland, John Dankworth, Nikki Iles, Julian Argüelles, Victor Mendoza, Ed Thigpen, Pandit Ramesh Misra, Adrian Spillett, David Jalbert, Kevork Mourad, Mayookh Bhaumik, Christina Courtin, MIR, the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, 4-Mality Percussion Quartet, the NY Kathak Ensemble, the New Juilliard Ensemble, Onelight Theatre, and Symphony Nova Scotia. Dinuk grew up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before taking up composition studies at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, UK. In 2001, he was invited by composer John Corigliano to join his studio at New York's Juilliard School. Dinuk's Chamber Concerto 'About Sankhara' (2003) was commissioned by the New Juilliard Ensemble and was the first work by a Sri Lankan composer to be performed at Lincoln Center. Dinuk was also composition fellow at the 2002 Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, and was appointed Artist-in-Residence by the Performing Arts Foundation at International House for the 2003/4 season. Conducting studies followed at New York's Mannes College of Music. A firm believer in the universality of music, Dinuk founded the cutting-edge NYC-based multimedia group NEOLEXICA in 2003 together with Turkish DJ Umut Gokcen, Silk Road Ensemble artist Kevork Mourad from Armenia, and Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh. The quartet synesthetically combine live illustration with a uniquely multinational blend of acoustic & electronic music. With appearances this season across North America and the Middle East, Dinuk and Kinan are currently releasing their debut album entitled 'Complex Stories, Simple Sounds', a collaboration of original works with clarinetist Kinan Azmeh. Dinuk is returning for his fourth season as Music Director of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra. He has conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra and appeared many times with Symphony Nova Scotia during his 3-year appointment as Conductor-in-Residence. The Canada Council for the Arts recently awarded Dinuk the 2008 Jean-Marie Beaudet award for orchestral conducting. He is also the recipient of Juilliard and Mannes scholarships; two Countess of Munster composition grants; the Sema Jazz Improvisation Prize; the Soroptimist International Award for Composer-Conductors; and the Sir John Manduell Prize - the RNCM's highest student honor. His music and collaborative work embrace the great diversity of his international background and influences.

PERSONNEL: Dinuk Wijeratne - piano Kinan Azmeh - clarinet Mayookh Bhaumik - tabla

CONNECTIONS: Tim Garland, John Dankworth, Nikki Iles, Julian Argüelles, Victor Mendoza, Ed Thigpen, Pandit Ramesh Misra, Adrian Spillett, David Jalbert, Kevork Mourad, Mayookh Bhaumik, Christina Courtin, MIR, the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, 4-Mality Percussion Quartet, the NY Kathak Ensemble, the New Juilliard Ensemble, Onelight Theatre, and Symphony Nova Scotia.

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada