A model of intellectual and emotional balance
Tanya Ekanayaka’s latest album, “16 Sri Lankan Piano Isles” (released by Naxos Records in May 2025), is a shimmering musical tribute to the natural beauty and ecological significance of her homeland. Comprising 16 compositions inspired by 16 biodiverse islets scattered around Sri Lanka, the album is a deeply personal and profoundly evocative work by the Sri Lankan-British composer-pianist whose unique voice continues to make waves in the contemporary classical scene.
Tanya Ekanayaka
A classically trained virtuoso pianist with a background in world music, linguistics, and musicology, Tanya Ekanayaka has forged a singular path in the realm of contemporary composition. Her previous recordings with Naxos have showcased her technical brilliance and compositional ingenuity, but this album – her latest and arguably her most intimate- takes her artistry to a new level.
Eight of the 16 compositions were traditionally composed between 2022 and 2024. The remaining eight, however, are “Extempore Compositions” –pieces that were composed and recorded simultaneously during a single recording session in April 2024. Each extempore work was born in the moment, improvised yet fully formed, and infused with a distinct musical motif reflecting the spirit of its corresponding isle. This innovative blending of premeditated structure and spontaneous creation is unprecedented in her body of work, and it gives the album a rare dynamism.
Though the titles of the pieces do not always correspond exactly to the isles they represent, there is a deliberate artistic logic at play. Tracks such as “Kera-Extempore”, “Little Barnacle”, and “Elubu-Extempore” conjure abstract yet tangible impressions—whispers of the sea, bird calls, salt-laden breezes, and coral hues. Each piece stands as a self-contained world, but together they form a mesmerizing auditory map of Sri Lanka’s coastal and offshore terrain.
What makes this album exceptional is not just its concept but the execution. The music is unmistakably minimalist in its structural clarity, with some pieces featuring repetitive melodic lines that evolve through subtle shifts in texture, tone, and dynamics. This is minimalism infused with emotional warmth and cultural context. Listeners may detect hints of Einaudi in the simplicity, Debussy in the shimmering textures, Chopin in the lyrical phrasing, and Rachmaninoff in the dramatic climaxes. Yet, the music remains entirely Tanya’s own—distinctive, sensitive, imaginative, and deeply introspective.
The first piece on the album sets the tone with an impressionistic flourish – light, atmospheric, and rich in harmonic colour. Other pieces explore different emotional landscapes: “Manthivu-Extempore” and “Sallithivu-Scaevola” pulsate with rhythmic urgency, while “Elubu-Extempore” and “Luminary Crows” capture the delicate flutter of bird song and breeze. There are moments of tempestuous drama – stormy seas, crashing waves, and gusty winds – balanced by passages of pure serenity that evoke sunsets, butterflies, and quiet contemplation.
Across all 16 pieces, one senses an overarching emotional tapestry. While each track is inspired by a different isle, they are unified by Tanya’s deep love for nature and her homeland. This is not a collection of scenic postcards but a heartfelt meditation on place, memory, and belonging. The isles are more than geographic markers; they are vessels of ecological wonder and cultural resonance. Tanya’s music invites us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with nature through sound.
Technically, her playing is sublime. With a strong left hand and a sensitive touch, she weaves complex rhythms and luminous textures with effortless grace. Her articulation is crisp, her dynamics fluid, and her ability to convey visual imagery through music – astonishing. Whether she is evoking birds in flight, the hush of twilight, or the slow rise of a distant swell, she does so with elegance and emotional clarity.
What is perhaps most remarkable is the intellectual and emotional balance Tanya strikes as both composer and performer. Her background as a linguist and musicologist is evident in the structural integrity of her work, but it is her raw talent, deep feeling, and spontaneous creativity that breathe life into every note. To compose fully formed pieces on the spot, without a written score, and still maintain coherence, lyricism and sophistication, is a testament to her extraordinary skill and intuition.
“16 Sri Lankan Piano Isles” is more than an album—it is a poetic journey, a sonic homage, and a gentle call to environmental consciousness. It rewards repeated listening, revealing new nuances and emotions each time. In a world increasingly disconnected from nature, Tanya Ekanayaka reminds us – through music – that there is still wonder to be found in the quiet places, the forgotten islands, and the spaces between words.
This is a beautiful, haunting, and masterfully executed album. A true masterpiece by one of Sri Lanka’s most gifted musical voices.
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