Master Ranjan Fernando: A Family Legacy of Music and Piano Craftsmanship

For Master Ranjan Fernando, music is more than a profession. It is a family inheritance shaped by four generations of musicians, each contributing to a legacy that continues to resonate through Sri Lanka’s musical community. As the founder of Ranjan Fernando Piano Centre, Fernando has spent decades combining this heritage with the specialist craftsmanship required to maintain, repair and restore acoustic pianos.

The family’s musical lineage traces back to Professor William Rodrigo, remembered for his association with the Ceylon Light Infantry as a bandmaster. The tradition continued through Professor Norbert Rodrigo, known for his connection to Sinhala baila music, and Professor Gerard Rodrigo, whose influence helped shape Ranjan’s own musical journey.

After approximately ten years of specialist training under Professor Gerard Rodrigo, Fernando established Ranjan Fernando Piano Centre in Welisara, Ragama, in 1986. The Centre’s 40th anniversary in 2026 marks four decades of work dedicated to piano craftsmanship and musical education.

The Craft Behind Every Piano

A piano’s sound depends on more than its design or the skill of the person playing it. Its mechanical components must work in harmony, responding consistently to every touch.

Fernando’s expertise encompasses tuning, repairs, regulation, voicing and restoration. While tuning ensures that the instrument produces the correct pitches, regulation involves adjusting its internal mechanism to achieve a consistent response. Voicing, meanwhile, helps shape the character and balance of its tone.

Over the years, his work has extended to hotels, educational institutions, private homes and musical establishments. The Centre’s recorded work history includes piano maintenance at venues such as Galle Face Hotel, Taj Samudra and Hilton Colombo, alongside schools including Ladies’ College, Visakha Vidyalaya and Musaeus College.

Beyond servicing instruments, the Centre provides piano sales, rentals, valuations, consultations and lessons. Fernando also oversees a team trained through practical experience, helping pass specialist knowledge to the next generation of technicians.

A Piano Made in Sri Lanka

Among the most distinctive chapters of Fernando’s career is the family’s involvement in building a piano in Sri Lanka.

Known as Althea, the instrument was developed by Fernando, his brothers and their team. Newspaper coverage identified by the family as Divaina, dated April 20, 2004, documents the project and offers a glimpse into an ambitious undertaking in local piano craftsmanship.

Although the instrument was never sold, it remains with the family. Economic circumstances prevented regular production, highlighting the challenges of transforming specialist craftsmanship into a sustainable manufacturing venture.

The project nevertheless stands as a significant achievement, demonstrating the family’s willingness to move beyond maintaining existing instruments and explore the possibilities of building one locally.

A Living Musical Legacy

As Ranjan Fernando Piano Centre enters its fifth decade, its story remains closely connected to the family heritage that inspired its founder.

Through musicianship, teaching, restoration and the training of other technicians, Master Ranjan Fernando continues to carry forward a tradition that began generations before him. His work illustrates how musical heritage can survive not only through performances, but also through the hands that preserve the instruments themselves.