May 01 (NY-USA): The Sri Lanka Association of New York will sponsor a grand presentation by Rohan De Silva (Piano) and Rohan de Lanerolle (Baritone) at the Weill Recital Hall, at Carnegie Hall, New York City on Wednesday May 7, 2008 at 8.00 pm.

This performance will include works of Mozart, Schubert, Verdi, Mendelssohn, Sheppard, de Koven, De Curtis, Kern, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Friml, Loewe, Lloyd Webber, di Capua, and Di Chiara.

Rohan De Silva, a native of Sri Lanka, began his piano studies with his mother, the late Primrose De Silva, and with the late Mary Billimoria. He spent six years at the Royal Academy of Music In London as a student of Hamish Milne, Sydney Griller, and Wilfred Parry. While in London, he received many awards including the Grover Bennett Scholarship, the Christian Carpenter Prize, the Martin Music Scholarship, the Harold Craxton Award for advanced study in England, and, upon his graduation, the Chappell Gold Medal for best overall performance at the Royal Academy.

De Silva's partnerships with violin virtuosos Itzhak Perlman, Cho-Liang Lin, Midori, Joshua Bell, Benny Kim, Kyoko Takezawa, Vadim Repin, Gil Shaham, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, and Julian Rachlin have led to highly acclaimed performances at recital venues all over the world. Recently, Mr. De Silva toured Japan with Mr. Perlman, and in August 2002, they toured the Far East, including performances in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In spring 2006, he toured with Mr. Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman, including stops in Chicago, Boston, New York and Washington DC. De Silva and Mr. Pearlman recently performed at the State Dinner for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Price Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, hosted by President George W. Bush, Mrs. Bush and their invited guests at the White House.

Mr. Rohan de Lanerolle, also a native of Sri Lanka, started singing at the age of six with the late Kalasuri Lylie Godridge, then under Russel Bartholomeusz at St. Thomas' College, Colombo and Kenneth Woollam, Professor of the Royal College of Music in London. In 1994, de Lanerolle made his professional solo debut with the Sri Lanka Philharmonic Pops Orchestra. Since then he has made many performances around the globe performing songs from musicals including The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and Showboat, and is well known for his rendition of ‘Ol Man River’.

In 2001 de Lanerolle gave his first UK recitals at Knowle Church and at Windsor Parish Church with Soundarie David. In the same year he made his US debut at Merit School of Music Theatre Hall, Chicago, accompanied by Dhilanthi Fernando. Further international solo performances have included Jonathan Clarke, Lament (first performance, Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford, with Dr. James Ross and Christ Church Festival Orchestra) recitals with the internationally acclaimed Rohan de Silva (Fine Arts Center Recital Hall of North Eastern University, Illinois, USA), and Bible College Hall, Singapore. His recent performances have been with Soundarie David (Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo) with Rohan De Silva (Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, New York), and with Soundarie David (Altadena Open Air Theatre, Los Angeles), both in September 2007. His 2008 performances include tours to Australia with the internationally acclaimed Flautist Mark Chang in June and to London in July with Dr. Jonathan Clarke.

For more information please go to Sri Lanka Association website at www.slanyusa.com