Soundarie David Rodrigo, is a Pianist, Music Educator, Choral director, Composer, and Intellectual Property Lawyer. She is a well known figure in the Sri Lankan music industry, recognized for her musical excellence in teaching young children to be passionate about their music, as well as her skills on the piano.
She pursed her musical education at the Royal College of Music, London, specializing in piano performance and piano accompaniment. She also pursued her legal studies at the University of California, Berkeley where she specialized in Entertainment Law, having being a recipient of the Rotary World Peace Scholarship. Soundarie is the Founder and Music Director of Sri Lanka’s premiere female choral ensemble ‘Soul Sounds’ the first choir in Sri Lanka to perform and win awards internationally. Over the last sixteen years Soul Sounds has given highly acclaimed performances in India, Australia, China, Kuwait, Austria, France, USA, Malaysia South Africa, and New Zealand, thus placing Sri Lanka on the map of International choral Music. The Choir’s recent success at the World Choir Games in Auckland, New Zealand, where they secured two Gold Medals, is testimony to her continuous dedication to music and arts in the country. As the Founder of the Soul Sounds Academy, her visionary leadership ensures that each student, be it for voice or instrument is coached in a way that would bring out the best in them.
Soundarie has directed many Music Productions and has collaborated with many artists for concert recitals. Soundarie is also the First Sri Lankan to be appointed as Representative on the World Choir Council Council for INTERKULTUR —the International Organisation that hosts several celebrated International Choral Festivals and Competitions. She also regularly serves as a jury member at other international choral competitions. She was one of the judges for the franchised talent show ‘Sri Lanka’s got Talent’ – Season One. Soundarie plays an important role in the promotion of culture and arts in Sri Lanka and the region. She was the Deputy Director at the SAARC Cultural Centre based in Sri Lanka from 2010 having set up all its programs from inception and later on was Director, Programs for the Colombo Cultural Hub till 2018. Her awards include the SAARC Woman of Achievement Award, the Zonta Award, the Bunka Award presented by the Japan/Sri Lanka Association and most recently the Women In Management Award 2019/20 for the Arts and Creative Industry. She was recently honored with an award for her contribution to Music and the Arts for Women’s Day 2024, by the Sri Lankan Tamils Women’s Union. She enjoys collaborating as a pianist with various musicians and also believes in using music as a soft diplomacy tool to reach out to all regardless of differences.
