Pradeep Ratnayake - The Academic

Pradeep Ratnayake received his Bachelors degree and the masters degree from the University of Visvabharati, Santiniketan, India. His specialization is on the sitar. He received the highest marks ever received for a Bachelor’s degree in Sitar at Santiniketan. He was involved in research work in the Music Department and the Computer Music Department at Columbia University, New York, from 2008 to 2010 on a United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright scholarship.

Since returning to Sri Lanka, Pradeep’s work had been in academia as well as in the field of performing arts, where he has tried to popularize Indian classical music as well as an alternative avant guarde music, that fuses the Western, Indian and Sri Lankan traditions. He does this through performances of hi own compositions in a series of concerts called ‘Pradeepanjalee’, which has drawn capacity crowds of music lovers in Sri Lanka and abroad.

Pradeep has introduced new subjects to his department, The Langauges and Cultural Studies Department, like ‘Creative Music’ and ‘Creative Music Technology’ to open out new worlds to his students so that they can create their own employment and become more employable in the job market. The students are also encouraged to explore all possible avenues in the process of creating new music.

Pradeep Ratnayake has received the State Award for Music in Sri Lanka, the Bunka Award from the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Signis Award 2012 for the most creative music director in cinema. He works as the Head of the Languages and Cultural Studies Department in the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He is also a film music director in his country and has four CDs of his compositions to his credit.