Shani Diluka brings great honour to Sri Lanka :

Chosen to replace Nelson Freire

World famous piano icon Nelson Freire being indisposed, the choice for his replacement by the Director and Chief Conductor Ruben Gazarian of the famed Wurttenberg Orchestra's was the celebrated Sri Lanka Pianist Shani Diluka (who is residing in Monaco, France) bringing great honour to the motherland in the field of classical music.

Shani Diluka was brought down to Colombo a few weeks ago, in late August by the Alliance Francaise de Colombo and gave a superlative performance which the classical music loving public enjoyed every minute of that memorable evening.

The original program where Nelson Freire was to play remains unchanged, 'The Mozart Concerto No. 9 in E flat Major called the Jeunehomme. Her performance as a soloist with Ruben Gazarian conducting was held on October 26 at the '' Theodor-HeussSaal Congress Center'' in Baden Wurttemberg Germany, with the Wurttemberg Orchestra. Another one was held on October 29 at the ''Riojaforum Congress Center'' in Logrono capital of Rioja, Spain with the Wurttemberg Orchestra.

In 2009 her performance with the Wurttenberg Orchestra at the Roqued'Antheron International piano festival brought her to the limelight as her performance was judged the most outstanding by the very exigent critical revue the'' Concerto Net''.

She was also named as a true Mozartian interpret. and her live performance was aired on Radio France.

Shani Diluka whose remarkable international career has brought her innumerable awards and recognition by some of the world's most renowned critical reviews such as the Fanfare Magazine New York and Harmonia Mundi New York (2011) Gramaphone England (2011), ''Monde de la Musique'', The Piano Magazine, ''Figaro'' ''Liberation'' as well as eminent critics from Germany Swiss, Italy Israel.