"Beethoven to Schubert, but tonight also Schumann to Debussy. Bechstein has this wide range of expression which allows us to paint and color the music.."
Shani Diluka
Shani Diluka, pianist of Sri Lankan descent raised in Monaco, after excellent conclusion of the Academy Prince Rainier III, at the National Conservatory of Nice and at the Conservatory Superior of Music in Paris was chosen in 2004 by the selection committee, chaired by Martha Argerich, to study at the famous International Piano Foundation of Como. The young pianist plays concerts on international stages from Rome to New Delhi, from Paris to Tokyo. Morever, she is guest musician at important festivals such as La Roque D’Anthéron and „Folle Journee“ in Bilbao, Nantes, Tokio, etc. At the age of 16, she already appeared with the philharmonic orchestras of Monaco and Sri Lanka and then with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France, French National Orchestra of Nice and National Orchestra of Bordeaux. Among the composers with whom Shani Diluka already has worked are well-known composers such as Kurtág, Lachenmann and Rihm. Her interpretation of Mozart sonatas was recorded by Radio France and transmitted by 150 national radio stations around the globe. In 2010 she recorded on Bechstein for Mirare Beethoven's first two piano concertos with Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine under Kwamé Ryan.
This is what Diluka wrote into our concert book after her last performance in Berlin:„It is a great pleasure to be part of Bechstein family..It has been my sound inspiration for years listening to Backhaus, Fischer or Schnabel; and it is now very moving to have already recorded 3 CD’s with this wonderful and deep sound... Beethoven to Schubert, but tonight also Schumann to Debussy. Bechstein has this wide range of expression which allows us to paint and color the music.. With a wonderful team, and a wonderful audience, this is all what a pianist dreams.With gratitude,Shani Diluka18.10.2013“
Photos © B. Borozs and Roberto Giostra
Des fragments aux étoiles – “From Fragments to Heavenly Bodies”
![Des fragments aux étoiles – “From Fragments to Heavenly Bodies”]()
Shani Diluka once said in an interview that she had a particular passion for Franz Schubert. This explains why the young pianist has dedicated her 2015 album, published by Mirare, entirely to piano works by the Viennese composer. Her sensitive playing style and wonderful dynamics are enchanting, as she alternates between elegance and lightness in the German Dances, and between passion and tenderness in various waltzes and the Hungarian Melody. For this journey to the stars, Shani Diluka chose a C. Bechstein grand piano — a musical partner that enables her to render the simple yet subtly touching works by Schubert.
Shani Diluka plays works by Beethoven
New album ![Shani Diluka plays works by Beethoven]()
Shani Diluka plays Beethoven Back to overview "What leads me ... to the choice of a piano: a Bechstein - a tribute to the profound and at the same time bright sound of the legendary recordings of Fischer or also of Kempff, whose cadence I play, which are heard all too rarely." This is the reason Shani Diluka gave for her choice of instruments in the booklet for her recording of the first two Beethoven Concertos with the Orchestra National Bordeaux Aquitaine conducted by Kwamé Ryan. This Mirare CD of the extraordinary pianist was recorded in 2010 and got rave reviews worldwide.
Shani Diluka on “Road 66”
New album ![Shani Diluka on “Road 66”]()
More about this album Norman Lebrecht, the noted British musical critic, selected Road 66 as the “recording of the week” while the “Folle journée de Nantes” piano festival made the disk its official CD. Indeed, this new recording stands out for the intelligent selection of the works, their wonderful interpretation… and the enchanting, beautifully coloured voice of the Bechstein piano.With this new CD, Shani Diluka follows the legendary Route 66 that crosses the US from east to west, playing works by John Adams, Samuel Barber, Amy Beach, Leonard Bernstein, John Cage, Aaron Copland, Alberto Ginastera, Keith Jarrett and others. In the booklet, quotes from On the Road, the famous novel by Jack Kerouac, are printed near the titles to render Diluka’s personal musical road movie.
Oswald Beaujean brachte es in seiner Rezension auf „BR-Klassik“ auf den Punkt:
„Durchgehend befahrbar ist die Route 66 nicht mehr, verbliebene Teilstücke erinnern an eine große Vergangenheit, heute sind sie Anziehungspunkte für Touristen und Automobil-Nostalgiker. Dies passt ganz gut zum leicht melancholischen Grundton der neuen CD der exzellenten Pianistin Shani Diluka mit dem Titel ,Road 66‘. Auf ihr verschmelzen 18 Klavierstücke von 14 amerikanischen Musikern zu einem meditativen 70-minütigen Klangstrom. Das kann man für ein bisschen geschmäcklerisch halten und Shani Diluka vorwerfen, dass sie die Trennlinien zwischen Phil Glass, George Gershwin und Bill Evans fast bis zur Unkenntlichkeit verschwimmen lässt. Doch damit täte man ihr Unrecht. Denn Auswahl und Abfolge der 18 Titel wirken ebenso gut motiviert wie atmosphärisch, und das Resultat ist keine klangliche Beliebigkeit, sondern das faszinierende Ineinanderfließen sehr unterschiedlicher Musikstile.“
Die CD wurde aufgenommen im September 2013 in der „Maison de la musique Nanterre“. Shani Diluka spielte auf dem C. Bechstein Konzertflügel D 282 von Philippe Destouesse, der den Flügel bei der Aufnahme auch bestens betreute.
