Carnegie Hall Encore
Dharshini Tambiah
Master’s Student
Major: Chamber Music
For any musician, to perform at Carnegie Hall is a dream come true.
For USF pianist Dharshini Tambiah, it’s a dream come true not once, but twice.
When Tambiah takes the stage at Carnegie Hall this Saturday, April 25, it will be her second solo recital in the legendary hall in two years. On that day, she will be approximately one week shy of earning her second master’s degree from USF’s School of Music in the College of The Arts. Her first was in piano performance and her second is in chamber music.
And while she says that her Carnegie Hall debut in March 2007 was, indeed, “like a dream,” she feels her encore is even more significant. The reason why is that during her second recital, she will present the world premiere of a piece titled Ballade by one of America’s greatest living composers, Augusta Read Thomas.
“Thomas composes on commissions from the world’s leading orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony, the Berlin Symphony, and the Boston Symphony. It is an extreme privilege to be premiering a piece by her.”
Tambiah says she was honored to meet Thomas when the celebrated composer was a special guest at the 2008 USF Robert Helps Festival. Thomas heard her perform, “and was quite complimentary of my playing.” After a second meeting, Tambiah asked her if she would accept a commission by an individual and was overwhelmed when Thomas agreed.
Tambiah, herself, has garnered international recognition. She has performed across the United States and Europe with solo and chamber recitals in Paris, London and New York. The recipient of numerous international honors and awards, she earned her first Carnegie Hall opportunity as the result of winning a Special Presentation Award from Artists International Recital Management. She is returning as the recipient of Artist’s International Outstanding Alumni-Winners Award.
Originally from England, Tambiah came to USF in 2005 on a full tuition scholarship with a stipend for living expenses. “The stipend changed my playing because I have had the time to practice and to think about the music.
“The support I have found at USF has been incredible,” she says adding that not only did her professor and mentor, Svetozar Ivanov, and his wife accompany her to Carnegie Hall for her first recital, but Dean of the College of The Arts Ron Jones and Director of the School of Music Wade Weast were in the audience, as well.
One of the most significant opportunities Tambiah says she has had at USF has been the introduction to the music of the late pianist-composer Robert Helps who taught at USF until his death in 2001. Even after commencement, her ties to USF will remain strong as she continues to work on an oral history project on Helps as part of doctoral work already under way at York University in the United Kingdom. She plans to interview composers, performers and artists who knew Helps and his work and is relying on USF archives for research.
But for the present, it’s her upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall that occupies almost every waking – and often non-waking – moment.
“My goal is to be true to the music,” she says thoughtfully, adding that her commitment to that goal often awakens her in the middle of the night and compels her to practice even more.
“I want to give a performance that’s worthy of the music.”
-- Mary Beth Erskine, University Communications & Marketing