Dinuk Wijeratne | Halifax Portrait Photography

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I first met Dinuk Wijeratne while shooting stills on a film set for my good friends Rafael and Rachel Franco in 2009.
About a month later, we met again while I was photographing one of Maria Osende’s amazing Flamenco productions at
Fred Salon. One of the things I love most about being a photographer, is connecting with and collaborating with some of
the most amazing creative talent we have here in Halifax. Getting a peek behind the scenes and a chance to photograph the performances on stage, is a unique experience I enjoy much more than simply sitting in the audience!

Dinuk is one of most friendly and sincere people I have ever met and I always enjoy doing photography sessions with him. When he asked to do a portrait session with me a couple of years ago, I was thrilled. He holds back his enormous smile in my images, but in person this smile is contagious and instantly puts me at ease. I love photo shoots that feel more like friends catching up as I snap a few photos here and there.

Last week we met up again for yet another photo shoot. I love the colour in these last images, in all of these images actually…
It matches Dinuk’s bright and creative personality. I’m looking forward to the next chance we have to work together!

I’ll include Dinuk’s bio here in his own words as he describes best his amazing accomplishments:

Recently hailed by John Terauds of the Toronto Star as ‘an artist who reflects a positive vision of our cultural future’,
Sri Lankan-born Dinuk Wijeratne is internationally active as a composer, pianist and conductor. A graduate of the
Royal Northern College (UK), Mannes College (NYC), and from the Juilliard School where he studied with Oscar-winner John Corigliano, Dinuk made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2004 as a conductor, composer and pianist, performing with
Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. A second Carnegie appearance followed in 2009, this time alongside tabla legend Zakir Hussain.Dinuk has also performed in Sri Lanka, Japan, across England and the Middle East, and at such venues as
the Kennedy Center, Opera Bastille (Paris), and the Berlin Philharmonie. Highlights of his past season have included an artist residency with the St. Cecelia Series; appearances at the Prismatic Festival; and new commissions for orchestra, piano, film, theatre, voice and dance ensemble (a large-scale multidisciplinary work especially for Scotia Festival 2011 and the Elizabeth Bishop Centenary Celebrations).

A passionate educator, lectures at Dalhousie University and looks forward to his sixth season as Music Director of the
Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra. He has conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa) and appeared many times
with Symphony Nova Scotia as former Conductor-in-Residence. He is the recipient of the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award for Orchestral Conducting, double Merritt Award nominations (2009), as well as numerous other prizes. His music and collaborative work embrace the great diversity of his international background and influences.

 

 

Nocturne: Art at Night – Meet the 2011 Volunteer Board Members!

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It’s that time of year! The fresh fall air is here and everyone is getting excited about Nocturne: Art at Night!
We thought we would introduce the 2011 volunteer board who has been working hard all year to bring art to the streets of Halifax on October 15, 2011.

Special thanks to Lara Killian for writing these fantastic bios and to Shari Tucker for taking my own headshot (because it’s a bit tough shooting your own!)

Look for us on the night of Nocturne and share your favourite art experiences!

Rose Zack – Chair
Rose Zack is originally from Calgary, Alberta, and has been in Halifax for 4 years – coincidentally the same length of time Nocturne has been running! She works with the Atlantic Film Festival as ViewFinders Coordinator, and the rest of her time is spent on Nocturne or dreaming of her own massive quilted installation. Rose firmly believes that Nocturne is a reflection of Halifax as a city of wonderful people who support and celebrate culture in all its forms, and she recommends mixing up your perspective this year and trying to explore the event on foot, bike, boat or bus! Two performance acts are on Rose’s not-to-miss list: Lisa Lipton’s Strangers in the Night at the Hotel Atlantica, and Happy Wash.

Jenny Johnson – Vice Chair, Director of Programming
Jenny Johnson has been in Halifax for nearly 15 years, coming originally from Baddeck, Cape Breton. She’s a painter and art instructor at Dalhousie University, and also upholds the time-honoured tradition of artists who moonlight as bartenders. A fantasy and sci-fi enthusiast, Jenny is also the Director of Programming for this year’s event, so she’s one of the best people you could ask for guidance on what to see, and she recommends not missing Caley MacLennan’s immersive 3D experience Convergence, which will play with time and dimension in space.

Andrew Sowerby – Legal Secretary
Andrew Sowerby hails from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and spends his days lawyering at Cox & Palmer. Reading, biking, and spending time with his wife and their feline companion takes up much of his spare time. Andrew got involved with Nocturne because attending on the night just wasn’t enough! Not to be missed at Nocturne 2011: Noah Logan’s Six White Cubes.

Jim Fitzpatrick C.A. – Treasurer
Jim Fitzpatrick joins the Nocturne team originally from Sudbury, Ontario, and has a background as a Chartered Accountant. Now that Jim has retired he has more time for projects around the house and his book collecting hobby. When Jim heard about Nocturne he wanted to use his skills and background to help with this great project, and he’s really looking forward to the event night this year! Given Jim’s interests one might recommend that he check out the Dawson Printshop for some letterpress demos, or Migrant Sounds, Gerard Choy’s phrasebook installation.

Lee Brooks – Director of Operations
Lee Brooks arrived in Halifax almost three year ago, with roots in Sheffield, UK. Daytime, you can find her managing projects at Prime Creative, and when she’s not at work she’s exploring beautiful Nova Scotia or experimenting with making her own clothes! Lee got involved with Nocturne to immerse herself in the amazing local arts culture here, and she loves the concept of everyone getting to see their hometown in a brand new way, on a night that celebrates an incredible amount of amazing local talent.

Michelle Doucette – Art Director
Michelle Doucette lends her design and photography skills to Nocturne here in her native city of Halifax, and when she’s not snapping headshots of the Nocturne board members or laying out program copy you can find her running her business, Michelle Doucette Design and Photography. When she has a chance to take a break from behind the camera you can look for Michelle zooming around town on her bright green vintage scooter, Sophia. Michelle has been involved with Nocturne from the get-go, and loves bringing art to new audiences. She can’t wait to see the space on Citadel Hill transformed this year for a new way to experience the highest point in Halifax.

Jane Hopgood – Fundraising Director
Jane Hopgood spends her time working at a scientific playground, the Discovery Centre in her native Halifax and also doing some budding film production. You can otherwise find her enjoying beautiful Nova Scotia, ideally while swimming or doing yoga, and she got involved with Nocturne because it’s a perfect launch pad for all the talented artists we’re so lucky to have in our community and an important city building initiative. At Nocturne this year Jane recommends checking out Catherine Brown & Jeffrey Fish’s roaming project called Remote Corners, which will build sensory bridges between Halifax and five other cities around the world.

Jeff MacArthur – Communications Director
Jeff MacArthur comes originally from Charlottetown, PEI, and spends his working hours running his social media, tech, and video production company, MGImedia. You can find him playing a variety of instruments, tasting a variety of beers, and chatting with a true variety of interesting Halifax folk when he’s not lending his communications and organizational talents to events like Nocturne. Jeff got involved with Nocturne because it’s both inspiring and surprising, and he can’t wait to check out the Citadel site this year.