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Internationally acclaimed classical pianist Raul Sunico will perform at two charity concerts in Colombo on October 1 and October 3, to help raise funds for the Breast Health Centre of Sri Lanka's National Hospital.

The visit of Sunico - who will perform free of charge - is being sponsored by the Merril J. Fernando Foundation, a major donor towards the establishment of the Breast Health Centre, in a bid to create awareness of the Centre and to support the free services it provides to underprivileged women.

MJF Foundation spokesman Dilhan Fernando said proceeds from the concerts would help meet the cost of consumables for the Breast Health Centre's free clinics, and to educate rural women about breast caner and the need for diagnostic and preventive screening.

"An estimated three million women in Sri Lanka are at risk from breast cancer, but more than 99 per cent will not gain access to this basic precautionary measure," he said. "Our objectives is to help reduce this alarming statistic".

A General Electric Mammogram Scanner and an Ultrasound facility have been installed at the National Hospital's Breast Health Centre headed by Professor A. H. Sherriffdeen. This Centre offers the most advanced facilities in the country for breast cancer screening, and these facilities are provided free to underprivileged persons.

The first of Raul Sunico's two concerts will be held at the Colombo Hilton on October 1 to raise the bulk of the funds needed, Mr. Fernando said. The recital will comprise works by Chopin, Haydn, Debussy and Ravel and several other composers for piano.

The second recital to be held at the Lionel Wendt Theatre on October 3, is targeted mainly at music students and less affluent enthusiasts.

These concerts are supported by Gold FM, HSBC, Azam Latiff Associates and the Colombo Hilton.

A Julliard School of Music scholar, Raul Sunico has performed in the United Kingdom, France, the USA, Canada, Germany, Poland, Austria, Sweden, Spain, Mexico, Philippines, India, China and Japan. Eight volumes of his music have been produced by WEA records, and Sunico has recorded 25 compact discs, including more than a dozen volumes of Philippine folk and love songs that he arranged for classical piano.

The Merrill J. Fernando Foundation is a charitable Trust set up and funded by Merril J. Fernando, founder of Dilmah Tea to help underprivileged people, especially children and the elderly. It is a charitable Trust registered under the Department of Social Services and is involved extensively in community welfare in Sri Lanka's plantation sector, where the MJF Group has major interests, and also supports charitable causes in the group's export markets. 

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