Our Soloist at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival.

A frequent soloist with the CMSC, Sri Lankan full lyric operatic soprano, Kishani Jayasinghe, is referred to as a Jewel in the South Asian music crown. A pioneer of Opera in South Asia, she has the distinction of being the first South Asian soprano to sing at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and is the only Alumni from the Region on their Jette Parker Young Artist Programme. Kishani has performed for HM Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace for HRH Prince Charles' 60th birthday celebrations, the Commonwealth Heads of Government in Malta, for Royalty and Heads of State, won top prizes at 6 International Vocal Competitions in Italy, France, Holland, Spain, Turkey and Finland and sung extensively in Europe and Asia. She has double master degrees in Law and Music, and is currently the Deputy Director of the SAARC Cultural Centre, fostering cultural understanding in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Blessed with "a gorgeous voice charged with the crushed velvet, vintage port and Jersey creaminess of the young Kiri te Kanawa" (Rupert Christiansen, Daily Telegraph UK) Kishani has a growing reputation as Asia's Golden Voiced Soprano. She sings in ten languages and whilst opera is her great love, she is equally at home on the concert and recital stage. Kishani attributes her vocal prowess to her long term mentor and vocal guru the late great Pamela Cook MBE, and Mary Anne David. A national women's rowing champion, Kishani represented Asia as Group/Music Director at the International Olympic Association for 10 years. Kishani teaches Voice and Performance at the Kishani Jayasinghe School of Voice and is the Artistic Director of the Colombo Opera Company.

For outstanding success in the Performing Arts, Kishani was recognised as a Commonwealth Representative for the Arts by HM Queen Elizabeth II, was adjudged Asian and Zonta Woman of Achievement, Outstanding Young Person, Bunka Award Winner, one of top 50 professional women in Sri Lanka and as an outstanding Alumni by all her academic institutions, Visakha Vidyalaya, University of Nottingham and the Royal Academy of Music.