What happens when a symphony orchestra hands over the reins to two lifelong friends? The answer is simply a magical evening of music and collaboration as the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra presents The Traveller. The performance will be a musical journey shaped by the 25-year friendship, collaboration, and curiosity of pianist/conductor/composer Dinuk Wijeratne and clarinetist/composer Kinan Azmeh.

We weren’t just playing music – we were playing with music.

Their story began at Julliard but they didn’t meet in the classroom. Wijeratne and Azmeh met at New York’s International House. The student residence had practice rooms and it was there, surrounded by a global community, the pair began to improvise and question musical traditions.

“We weren’t just playing music – we were playing with music,” says Azmeh. “Even then we were curious about everything – culture, sound, meaning. We were experimenting with classical repertoire.”

If war happens, if migration happens because of war, how do you define home?

Their friendship continued to resonate on many levels. As immigrants, Sri Lankan-born Wijeratne and Syrian-born Azmeh continue to be inspired by personal journeys and global events. One of the pieces on the program is Wijeratne’s Clarinet Concerto which the composer wrote for Azmeh during the conflict in Syria.

“If war happens, if migration happens because of war, how do you define home?,” says Wijeratne. “This piece is meant to evoke ideas of home. Is it geographic? Is it connected to the people you love or the community you want to contribute to? Is it a state of mind or a feeling at a particular moment? It’s a question deep in our DNA as artists.”

We lean on each other musically and personally, that makes everything feel natural on stage.

Throughout the evening Azmeh and Wijeratne will perform each other’s music blurring the line between composer and interpreter. Wijeratne will also conduct the orchestra and his friend – marking the first time the two have presented a full program together.

“At the heart of it, this is about trust,” says Azmeh. “When you write music for a friend, you trust them to make it their own and take care of it when they perform. We lean on each other musically and personally, that makes everything feel natural on stage.”

A true fusion dish.

“When we get to perform together, it’s like no time has passed. Every rehearsal begins with us sharing a good meal and catching up on life,” says Wijeratne. “Knowing Kinan has made me a better composer and musician. This performance is basically two of us served to you on a plate, a true fusion dish.”