East meets west in Winnipeg concert featuring renowned composer, leading tabla artist

A unique sound is coming to Winnipeg this week that’s bridging the gap between different instruments and cultures.

The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra has invited composer and pianist Dinuk Wijeratne and musician Shawn Mativetsky to the city.

The guest artists will be performing Wednesday at the Crescent Arts Centre.

“What excites me is the blend of east and west in this program,” said Wijeratne, who will be playing the piano and conducting. “That’s a sound that I’ve always enjoyed exploring.

“I’m hoping that people will enjoy the connections between all the pieces.”

The concert will feature the tabla, which are hand drums common in North Indian music. It’s an instrument that’s played with the fingers and can be tuned to a pitch.

Mativetsky is one of Canada’s leading tabla artists.

“It’s just such a great blending of cultures,” he said. “You have the orchestra, you have the tabla, so you have these aspects of western classical, Indian classical music. (Wijeratne) is playing piano, he’s got jazz flavours going on in there. It’s just very original music.”

Mativetsky says the Winnipeg concert is about sharing the North Indian instrument with audiences in a way that’s never been heard before.

“It’s always nice to hear something new,” he said. “But this music especially, because it’s bridging cultures and bringing different musical cultures together, there’s something quite unique there and that’s a reflection of the world we live in.”

Wijeratne, who was born in Sri Lanka, says his pieces have elements of autobiography; they explore not only Sri Lankan culture, but also his musical influences.

“I think the marriage of tabla, which is probably my favourite instrument – even maybe more than the piano, I might say that – but I think the marriage of piano and tabla and string orchestra is, for me, a dream sound,” Wijeratne told CityNews.

“One just starts with things one likes, right?” said Wijeratne. “Like the sound of strings with piano is already lovely. And then you love the tabla. So I guess it’s just a question of how do you create some kind of space where they can all co-exist.”

It will be Wijeratne’s second performance with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra after doing so in 2019 – a concert still met with praise to this day.

“I can honestly say that in my eight years with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, it stands as one of my favourite concerts,” said Conrad Sweatman, the MCO director of marketing and communications.

“Karmic Blue” will be the spotlight tabla piece at MCO’s two performances Wednesday – a matinee at 1:30 p.m. and the full evening showcase at 7:30 p.m.