Getting to know Dr. Tanya Ekanayaka- A Musical Prodigy!

She's a concert composer-pianist, a musicologist, an improviser and a linguist. In short she is a musical prodigy and her performances have dazzled many reaching a wider scope beyond her native, Sri Lanka.

Her latest recital is to take place in Edinburgh, UK along with the renowned virtuoso cellist Rohan de Saram.

Here are a few facts you didn't know about Tanya.
 

At what age did you realise that you were musically gifted? Are you from a musical family?
I find this question curiously interesting because I cannot ever recall becoming aware of being ‘musically gifted’. I suppose this must relate to the fact that music has defined my life for as long as I can recall and I am therefore not as conscious of its presence within me as you might imagine. My instinctive reaction to your question is similar to how I would feel if you asked me a question such as, for example, ‘at what age did you realise that you have the ability to smile?’ I suppose you could say that what I did realise early on is that music is an integral part of my very being and that it always will be. Yes, I belong to a musical family in that my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins are all very musical.


Who were your favourite musicians growing up?
I was consistently exposed to very diverse forms of music from an early age, music ranging from western classical, rock, commercial pop, jazz, Asian musics and alternative fusion musics to Sri Lankan classical and contemporary musics. I never had a favourite set of musicians but rather found myself loving and spending time with musical works from various genres at different times. There would be times when I would listen to just one work for several weeks and then there would be times when I would listen to hundreds of different works and songs during the course of several weeks. I am still like this.

What was it like to be invited as the first Sri Lankan for the 'Pianists of the World' series?
I performed twice in the ‘Pianists of the World’ series of London’s St. Martin-in-the-Fields in 2010 and 2013. St. Martin-in-the-Fields is a great and historical concert venue located in the heart of London and the series is a very special one. I performed to capacity audiences on both occasions which were among the largest audiences recorded at this venue during each of these years. I was delighted and felt honoured to be invited to give solo recitals for this series on both occasions.   


What does it take to be a great musician?
For the record, I do not consider myself a great musician, but I would say that it takes talent, inspiration, being ‘discovered’ as it were and a combination of qualities in order to progress from being a very good musician to being a truly great one. Among these qualities, passion, integrity, dedication, strength of character, a willingness to take risks and humility are, in my view, the most important.

You're now residing in the UK. Was the transition from Sri Lanka to UK tough?  What were your sentiments?
I found relocating to the UK effortless and one reason for this is because I never really left Sri Lanka. I remain a citizen of Sri Lanka and consider it my home in as much as I consider Edinburgh to be my home. I also went to school in London when my father was in the UK on an academic fellowship which meant that I had a broad idea of what it would be like to live here. I am fortunate that my work and commitments have enabled me to establish strong links in both ‘worlds’ as it were.  Of course, the internet does certainly help to blend these worlds and in so doing enable us to inhabit multiple spaces!


What are your thoughts on the music industry of Sri Lanka? Is there anything you'd like to change? If so how?
The Sri Lankan music industry is a complex dynamic of older and emerging musical communities and this dynamic is connected to the central role that music occupies in Sri Lankan culture. I have also noticed a wonderful surge in musical creativity during recent years. There are many issues, however, that seem to be precluding the industry from truly developing. For example, there isn’t as much integration between these musical communities as there ought to be. This is an old issue in as much as it is a prevalent one. Underlying artistic insecurity among musicians, cultural and linguistic prejudices and the varying socio-economic backgrounds of the musical communities appear to be the main reasons for this situation.

The lack of resources is another major issue. I feel that for there to be change, there needs to be a fundamental shift in attitude at the level of individuals accompanied by major governmental investment in the arts in conjunction with radical reforms to educational policies pertaining to the arts.  

Do you have plans on helping upcoming pianists in Sri Lanka?
Yes I do have plans of helping pianists in Sri Lanka. So far, I have been able to assist young pianists through my music composition project in Sri Lanka.


What really drives you to be what you are?
Passion.


What has inspired you to be the composer you are today?
A combination of factors seems to have led me to evolve my own music. At a structural level, my more recent and best known compositions include a blend of reinventions of ancient classical as well as contemporary Sri Lankan melodies with motifs inspired by western classical music. In this sense you could say that my multi-faceted musical heritage has inspired me to evolve music. But my music is also deeply autobiographical; each of my compositions is for solo piano and relate to deeply personal experiences.

I have been evolving and performing my own music in this way for as long as I can remember but only ever did so when I was alone as part of expressing and ‘documenting’ my experiences. In other words, I never consciously tried to become known as a composer but rather, evolving music was (and continues to be) one of the most enjoyable activities of my life.

I am also ambidextrous and have partial colour synaesthesia and I know that these factors inspire me to evolve music when I am at the piano. My strong background and training in linguistics have certainly influenced my more recent compositions at a structural level. That I would become known as a composer was something I never ever anticipated would happen. I cannot stress enough how deeply thankful I remain to the many wonderful individuals and institutions that have helped and encouraged me to share my music with the world.

Where do you see yourself in a decade and what future prospects do you have for yourself and the music industry?
I imagine and dream about the future, I reflect on the past, but try to live in the ‘present moment’ for the most part…
 

For further information about Dr. Tanya Ekanayaka, please visit tanyaekanayaka.com



Text by Eshani Seneviratne