Shani Diluka (born 7 November 1976 in Monaco) is a pianist of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

n parents. She was among those to benefit from a programme initiated by Princess Grace of Monaco, which allowed children to receive music lessons integrated into their schooling. She received the first prize in the Académie de Musique (Fondation Prince Rainier III). She subsequently studied with Odile Poisson, a pupil of Pierre Sancan. Enrolled in the Conservatoire de Paris in 1997, she studied with

Georges Pludermacher Georges Pludermacher (born 26 July 1944) is a French classical pianist. He leads an international solo career and performs in the most prestigious festivals. Biography Born in Guéret, Pludermacher began playing the piano at the age of three. He ...

and

François-Frédéric Guy François-Frédéric Guy (born 23 January 1969) is a French classical pianist. Life Training Born in Vernon, Eure, Guy entered the Conservatoire de Paris at age 11 and worked with Dominique Merlet and Christian Ivaldi. Graduated in 1980, in ...

and later with

Marie-Françoise Bucquet Marie-Françoise Bucquet (28 October 1937 – 15 August 2018) was a French pianist. Biography Born in Montivilliers, Marie-Françoise Bucquet began her studies at the Vienna Music Academy and continued this tradition by further studies with ...

, Nicholas Angelich and

Bruno Rigutto Bruno Rigutto (born 12 August 1945) is a French pianist, composer and conductor. Career Born in Charenton-le-Pont, Rigutto studied at the Conservatoire de Paris where he was a student of Samson François and Paul Badura-Skoda. In 1965 he was a ...

Biography

Born in Monaco of Sri Lankan parents, she came to notice at the age of six thanks to a programme set up by Princess Grace of Monaco and was then chosen to take part in a specialised programme at the Académie Prince Rainier III in the Principality. She later entered the CNSMD in Paris, where she won a first prize, with the unanimity of the jury, after being advised by B. Rigutto, G. Pludermacher, M.-F. Bucquet and J. Chaminé. In 2005, when she joined the Fondation de Come, presided over by Martha Argerich.

Discography

* ''Tempéraments'' with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris conducted by Ben Glassberg. Pieces of C. P. E. Bach et

W. A. Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

performed on modern piano and on an copie of Walter 1790 thanks to the Fondation Royaumont. (Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2019) * ''La Symphonie des oiseaux'' with the violinist

Geneviève Laurenceau Geneviève Laurenceau (born 2 November 1977) is a French classical violinist. She was a supersoloist with the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse from 2007 to 2017. Life Born in Strasbourg, Laurenceau began playing the violin at the ...

and the bird singers Jean Boucault et Johnny Rasse. Pieces of

, P. Casals, R. Schumann, C. Saint-Saëns, E. Grieg, O. Messiaen, P. I. Tchaikovsky and others... (Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2017) * ''Beethoven - Complete works for cello and piano'' with the cellist

Valentin Erben Valentin Erben (born 1945 in Vienna) is an Austrian cellist. Life He studied with Walter Reichardt in Munich, Tobias Kühne in Vienna and André Navarra in Paris. In 1970, he became a charter member of the Alban Berg Quartett, with which h ...

. Sonatas and Variations of Ludwig van Beethoven. (Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2017) * ''Schubert - Des Fragments aux étoiles'' 12 Ländler D790, Hungarian Melody, Sonata in B flat major D960 of Franz Schubert (Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2016) * ''Babar et le Père Noël'' (livre-CD) Natalie Dessay, accompanied by the pianist Shani Diluka, tells the story of Babar and Father Christmas with pieces of C. Saint-Saëns, E. Satie, C. Debussy, M. Ravel, G. Bizet and, of course, F. Poulenc with the original text of Jean de Brunhoff. (La Dolce Volta 2012) * ''ROAD 66'' with Natalie Dessay. Pieces of J. Adams, S. Barber, A. Beach, L. Bernstein, J. Cage, A. Copland, B. Evans, A. Ginastera, G. Gershwin, P. Glass, P. Grainger, K.hJarrett, H. Joo, C. Porter (Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2014) * ''Beethoven Concertos.'' Concertos 1 op. 15 & 2 op. 19'' of Ludwig van Beethoven with the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine conducted by Kwame Ryan (Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2010) * ''Romances sans paroles'' - Variations sérieuses - Fantaisie écossaise.'' Pieces of

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...

(Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2009) * ''Concerto et pièces lyriques de Edvard Grieg'' with the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine conducted by Eivind Gullberg Jensen (Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2007) * ''Histoire de Babar le Petit Éléphant.'' Natalie Dessay, accompanied by the pianist Shani Diluka, tells the story of Babar with the music of

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-kno ...

and the original text of Jean de Brunhoff. (Didier Jeunesse 2012) * ''Monsieur Chopin ou le voyage de la note bleu'', Artist: Shani Diluka, Reciter: Jacques Bonnaffé, Text:

Carl Norac Carl Norac (born 29 June 1960) is a Walloon Belgian author of children's books and poetry. Biography Carl Norac was born in Mons, Belgium in 1960, as the son of poet Pierre Coran and comedian Irène Coran. In 1968, they moved to the small vi ...

, Music:

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

, Illustration: Delphine Jacquot (Didier Jeunesse 2010) * ''Best Of La Roque d'Anthéron Festival'' : Shani Diluka Mirare / Harmonia Mundi after others as: Nicholas Angelich, Boris Berezovsky, Brigitte Engerer,

Andrei Korobeinikov Andrei, Andrey or Andrej (in Cyrillic script: Андрэй , Андрей or Андреј) is a form of Andreas/Ἀνδρέας in Slavic languages and Romanian. People with the name include: * Andrei of Polotsk (–1399), Lithuanian nobleman *An ...

, Jean-Frédéric Neuburger,

Jean-Claude Pennetier Jean-Claude Pennetier (born 16 May 1942) is a French classical pianist. Biography Born in Châtellerault, Pennetier began studying the piano at the age of three and later entered the Conservatoire de Paris in piano and chamber music classes. Af ...

(Mirare / Harmonia Mundi 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) * ''Les Salons de Musique ARTE'', with the participation of:

Olivier Charlier Olivier Charlier (born 17 February 1961) is a French classical violinist. He plays on a violin by Carlo Bergonzi dated 1747. Biography Charlier was born in Albert, Somme and admitted at the age of 10 to the Conservatoire de Paris where he at ...

, Bijan Chemirani, Serena Fisseau, Victor Hugo Villena, Rosemary Standley, Rémy Cardinale, Quatuor Ardeo, Henri Demarquette, Shani Diluka, Camille Thomas, Vincent Peirani,

and others. (Outhere Music, 2014) * ''La Folle Journée fête ses 20 ans'', La Folle Journée de Nantes, with the participation of: Anne Queffélec, Zhu Xiao-Mei, Michel Corboz, Augustin Dumay, Romain Guyot, Boris Berezovsky, La Rêveuse,

Tatjana Vassiljeva Tatjana Vassiljeva (born 1977) is a Russian cello, cellist with many prizes. Biography Vassiljeva was born in Novosibirsk, Russia and played cello since she was six years old. From 1989 to 1995 she attended Central Music School under a direction ...

, Brigitte Engerer, Jean-Frédéric Neuburger, Claire-Marie Le Guay,

Claire Désert Claire Désert (born 1967) is a French classical pianist. Biography Born in Angoulême, Désert began learning the piano at the age of five. At fourteen, she joined the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP). A student of French composer Jean Hubeau ...

Emmanuel Strosser Emmanuel Strosser (born 4 May 1965 in Strasbourg), the son of theatre director Pierre Strosser, is a French classical pianist. Biography Strosser first studied with Hélène Boschi then at the Conservatoire de Paris with Jean-Claude Pennetier a ...

Emmanuel Rossfelder Emmanuel Rossfelder (born 1973) is a French classical guitarist. Life Rossfelder started playing the guitar at the age of 5. He started as a student of Raymond Gellier. At the age of 8, he entered the Conservatoire de musique of Aix en Provenc ...

, Lucero Tena, Luis Fernando Pérez, Ricercar Consort, Philippe Pierlot, Carlos Mena, Shani Diluka, Pierre Hantaï, Renegades Steel Band Orchestra,

Sinfonia Varsovia The Sinfonia Varsovia is an orchestra and a musical institution based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in 1984 by Yehudi Menuhin, Waldemar Dąbrowski and Franciszek Wybrańczyk, as a successor to the Polish Chamber Orchestra. Since 2003 the or ...

and others.

Rewards

''Tempéraments'' disc (Mirare Harmonia Mundi - 2019)

* France Musique Choice * 4 F from Télérama * CD des Tages Radio Klassik

''Beethoven - Complete works for cello and piano'' disc (Mirare Harmonia Mundi - 2017)

* 5 DIAPASON Magazine

''Schubert - Des Fragments aux étoiles'' disc (Mirare Harmonia Mundi - 2016)

* 5 DIAPASON Magazine * France Musique Choice * Musikzen best reward * "Clef du mois" de ResMusica * Best choice of the FNAC record shop

''Road 66'' disc (Mirare Harmonia Mundi - 2014)

* Bayerischer Rundfunk CD Tipp * Berlin Kultur Radio KKKK * Norman Lebrecht Choice * FIP Choice * 4 stars CLASSICA

''Beethoven concertos'' disc (Mirare Harmonia Mundi - 2010)

GRAMOPHONE A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

recommendation * 5 DIAPASON Magazine * CHOC du monde de la Musique * Japan Music Arena award for the best performance of the year * USA Fanfare magazine recommendation * Musikzen best reward

''Mendelssohn - Romances sans paroles'' disc (Mirare Harmonia Mundi- 2009)

* 5 DIAPASON Magazine * ARTE choice of the month and of the year * MEZZO Choice * CHOC du Monde de la Musique

Disque ''Concertos et Pièces Lyriques'' de Grieg (Mirare Harmonia Mundi - 2007)

* 5 DIAPASON Magazine * France Musique Choice * CHOC du monde de la Musique * RTL d'Or * 4 stars German Bayern * 10/10 Classic Today USA

Other rewards

* Choice of Charles Cros for ''Mr Chopin'' (Edition Didier Jeunesse) and ''Babar'' (Edition Didier Jeunesse) * Knight of the Order of Cultural Merit of Monaco on 18 November 2018

References

External links

Shani Diluka's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diluka, Shani Women classical pianists 1976 births Living people Monegasque people of Sri Lankan descent 21st-century classical pianists Knights of the Order of Cultural Merit (Monaco) Monegasque musicians 21st-century women pianists