About Us
Connecting with music.
Hello! Here we are.
A website for music lovers, always independent.
SoundsLikeSydney is a website for music lovers where you can catch up on musical activities in Sydney. Always independent, we take no fee for content or reviews. Visit us for:
- News on what’s happening in Sydney’s music scene – people, concerts, dates and venues; previews, reviews, features and interviews.
- The perfect platform for showcasing Sydney based musicians, and informing audiences.
- Links to interesting features from around Australia and the world.
- More than the mass media provides.
- An avenue for you to express your opinions.
Our reviews are independent, fee-free and thoroughly researched. They are always written by knowledgeable musicians who have often performed the pieces they are reviewing. We do not chase the headline for the sake of publicity — our primary purpose is to inform our readers.
Sharing our content
A few simple courtesies
We work hard to provide content that is informed, entertaining, diverse and well written. We would be honoured if you would like to share content that appears on SoundsLikeSydney — however we ask that you observe some simple courtesies.
Reprints
Please seek our permission before reprinting a full feature or anything more than a quote. We don’t expect to say “No”, but ask that the line “Reprinted courtesy of www.soundslikesydney.com.au” appears at the bottom of the feature. The name SoundsLikeSydney is protected by trademark law.
Hotlinks
We welcome hotlinks to our features. No permission is required, but if you do link to our features, let us know so we can reciprocate!
Quotes
You’re very welcome to quote from our content if something we’ve said will benefit your venture. Please follow the quote with “SoundsLikeSydney” — and we’d be extra grateful if you hotlinked it back to us.
…after all, we all have the same aim — and that is to support music and musicians in Sydney!
Meet the Founder
Independent since 2011
Shamistha de Soysa
Founder & Editor
SoundsLikeSydney was founded in April 2011 by Shamistha de Soysa.
Shamistha sang with the Sydney Philharmonia Symphony Chorus for 12 years, performing regularly with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House and in other venues around Sydney and New South Wales. She was a member of the choral contingent which travelled to London in 2010 to open the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. She has also sung with the London Symphony Chorus and with several smaller choirs in Sydney, including the Sydneian Bach Choir in its Bach project from 2000–2010 and Coro Innominata. She has sung in choral concerts conducted by David Robertson, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Edo de Waart, David Zinman, Zubin Mehta, Richard Hickox and Sir Charles Mackerras.
In March 2021 Shamistha began writing for Limelight as a reviewer and feature writer. She has interviewed numerous musicians, amongst them Zubin Mehta, Jordi Savall, Roger Woodward, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Nicholas Vines, Richard Gill, Yvonne Kenny, Stuart Skelton, Paul Mealor, Nicola Benedetti, Lyndon Terracini, Jane Sheldon, Sally-Anne Russell and Sally Whitwell.
She holds the AMusA Diploma in Voice and the Licentiate in Pianoforte Teaching. She also studied the violin and has played both piano and violin in social and community ensembles. For nearly five years she was a volunteer at radio station Fine Music FM, where she was a presenter, programmer, interviewer, producer, feature writer and Board member.
Shamistha is an avid concert goer both in Sydney and on her travels, and has been a Patron of Opera Australia for over 10 years. Her professional work was in the field of medicine; through clinical practice and research she learnt the art of talking to people about things that matter to them, and translating that into writing.
Tell us what’s happening in Sydney
SoundsLikeSydney wants to hear from you about what is happening in Sydney and your response to it — musically speaking — who, what, where and why! Join our community and tell as many people as you possibly can about us.