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Harsha Abeyaratne, piano
Pianist, Harsha Abeyaratne, an Associate Professor of Piano at Muskingum University, New Concord, Ohio performs both in the United States and internationally. With such reviews as “poetic” and “passionate”, he has given solo recitals at esteemed venues St. Martin’s in the Fields in London, England and Carnegie Hall (Weil Recital Hall) in New York. He has also given performances in Lanzhou, China; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and at the Interharmony International Festival in Arcidosso, Italy. In addition, He has given concerts at venues in several cities in the US that include Chicago, IL; Charleston, WV; Columbus, OH; and Portland, OR. An equally dedicated collaborative pianist, Abeyaratne has performed with internationally recognized artists George Wolfe and Randy Sabein, among others. In this collaborative medium, he has played works by contemporary composers such as Hindemith, Creston, Fink, Tower, Gweneth Walker, Ewazen, Desenclos, and Glazunov.
Abeyaratne’s recital at Muskingum in April, 2019 included three selections of Granados’s “Goyescas” and Beethoven’s “Appassionata” Sonata. In December of 2018, he released his CD entitled, “Grateful”, featuring popular piano solo works by Mozart, Liszt, Brahms, and Dello Joio. In addition, Abeyaratne has performed Rachmaninoff’s “First Piano Concerto” with the National Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka; Rachmaninoff’s “Second Piano Concerto” with the Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra, and Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with the Muskingum Valley Symphonic Winds. As a chamber musician, he performed on several occasions as a member of the Alato Trio. In the Fall of 2020, he will perform a solo recital at Muskingum in memory of his dear mother who passed away recently, and in the Spring of 2021, a concert to celebrate Beethoven's 250th birth anniversary. Originally from Sri Lanka, Abeyaratne has given recitals at several universities in the US, namely Ohio State University, Ohio University, Jacksonville University, Marshall University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Temple University. In demand as an adjudicator in Ohio, he has judged the OhioMTA/Graves Piano Competition and OhioMTA/Buckeye Auditions, both highly respected competitions. In addition, he is a recipient of the Ball State University School of Music Alumni Achievement Citation Award and several faculty grant awards from Muskingum, which have enabled him to perform in New York, China, and Italy.
At Muskingum, Abeyaratne teaches piano, music theory, and aural skills, presents an annual solo recital, and collaborates with his colleagues as well as students at their senior recitals. He has degrees from Lewis and Clark College (BA, BSc) and Ball State University (MM, DAMus) where he studied, respectively, with the late Ann Miller and Robert Palmer. He has also worked with Peter Takacs at the Oberlin Conservatory. Some of his interests outside of classical music include jazz, tennis, and the Cavs.