Thursday Music Club presents pianist Harsha Abeyaratne
Location: Auditorium
Tickets and more information: Click here

Date: 2014-03-02
Time: 15:00

Since joining the department of music at Muskingum University in 2003, pianist Harsha Abeyaratne has performed a solo recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weil Recital Hall in New York, shared the stage with world-recognized artists Rebecca Rischin and Randy Sabein, and performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto in F# minor with the National Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka. Abeyaratne, a native of Sri Lanka, has also given performances at several universities, most recently at Temple University, Penn State University, Ohio University, and Ohio State University.

He eagerly anticipates a visit during Mid-March of 2014 to Lanzhou, China, where he will perform this solo recital and do teaching workshops for quality high-school pianists.

Critics have referred to his playing as “poetic” and “passionate.” He has also stayed active as an adjudicator by judging such competitions such as the OMTA/Graves Piano Competition, OMTA/Buckeye Auditions, and the Tuscarawas Ribbon Festival. His grants and awards include faculty development grants from Muskingum University and the 2010 Ball State School of Music University Alumni Achievement Citation Award.

As an Associate Professor of Music at Muskingum University, he teaches piano and music theory. During his tenure at the university, he has also been a soloist with the South East Ohio Symphony Orchestra and Muskingum Valley Symphonic Winds and collaborated as a chamber musician as well. As a collaborative pianist, he has played works by many contemporary composers such as Hindemith, Creston, Arutunian, Fink, Berio, Tower, Ewazen, Desenclos, and Milhaud.

Abeyaratne has previously served the keyboard departments of Manchester College and Marshall University. He received his doctoral degree in music from Ball State University under the tutelage of Robert Palmer. He has also studied with Mary Billimoria, Ann Schaffert Miller, and Peter Takacs.