Inaugural Utley Foundation Alumni Recital: Tharanga Goonetilleke ’05, soprano

Tharanga Goonetilleke ’05 came to Converse in 2001, after she was “discovered ” by Professor Emeritus of Piano Doug Weeks while he was concertizing in Sri Lanka. More than 1,000 people in the Spartanburg community saw her 2005 performance as Mimi in Converse Opera Theatre’s production of La Bohème, and upon graduation she moved to New York to study at the Juilliard School.

In the intervening years she has built an international career on the concert stage, and she currently lives outside of New York and teaches at Juilliard in their extension division. In this recital she is joined by colleague on the Juilliard faculty, pianist Matthew Odell.

Join us on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 7:30 PM in Daniel Recital Hall as Tharanga Goonetilleke, soprano and Matthew Odell, piano offer the inaugural Utley Foundation Alumni Recital. This event is free to attend and is open to the public.

View the livestream on YouTube at the start of the event.