Shashthrapathi Anil Mihiripenna (10 August 1933 – 10 June 2017) was a Sri Lankan classical musician, who played the Bansuri, Esraj and Indian bamboo flute.
He played in the North Indian tradition and was the first Sri Lankan to obtain degrees in both flute and esraj. Running his Sharadha Kala Niketanaya, he endeavoured to teach, develop and popularise Indian classical music in Sri Lanka for the last forty years.
Career.
He graduated from the Visva-Bharati University India, better known as Santiniketan. He was one of the most talented oriental musicians who played the Flute and the Esraj. He studied under the great Esraj Maestros Ashish Chandra Benerji, Flute from Pandit Gowr Goswamy and Vocals from Pandit Jamini Kantha Chakrawarthi. He was conferred with Master of Arts (Musicology) by the Open International University (U.S.A.) in May 2004.
He has widely traveled on concert tours in the United States of America, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and several times in India. He was highly regarded as the leading Flutist cum Esraj player in Sri Lanka who could charm anyone with a musical ear.
He has composed music for several ballets, documentary films and feature films. He was a super grade artist at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting and Rupavahini Corporations. They have acknowledged him as an International artist.
He was a visiting lecturer at the University of Kelaniya. He is the founder of Sharada Kala Nikethanaya, an institution that propagates and popularizes Oriental classical music in Sri Lanka. The board of directors and the publication board of the American Biography Institute appointed him as an honorary member of their research board of advisors in 1999.
He was conferred with honorary citizenship by governor of Nebraska State of U.S.A.
The haunting notes that emanated from his flute bore the ample testimony to his talents and experience in his chosen field. His compositions are played throughout the Island by his pupils.
Personal life.
Anil was married to Mrs. Soma Mihiripenna
Foreign Tours.
University of Nebraska
University of Wesleyan
University of Creighton
University of Omaha Recorded several programmes to introduce Flute, Esraj, Sitar and Violin for Educational Television Council for Higher Education on oriental music
References.
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