Manila Pianos presents pianist Brian Berino in online solo recital

Manila Pianos Artist Series presents pianist Brian Berino in a solo recital on March 19, 7:30 PM.

Aptly titled Sonatas, this online recital sees Berino perform a handful of keyboard/piano sonatas throughout the centuries including Domenico Scarlatti's Keyboard Sonata in F minor, K. 466, Antonio Soler's Keyboard Sonata in D flat Major, R. 88, Franz Joseph Haydn's Piano Sonata in E flat Major, Hob. XVI/52, L. 62., Alexander Scriabin's Piano Sonata No. 4 in F sharp major, Op. 30, and Johannes Brahms' Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5.

Berino is studying with Prof. Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz and is enrolled at UP Diliman's College of Music under Prof. Geraldine Marie Gonzales. He competed and won at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) and at the Barum Music International Competition last year.

Pianist Lorenzo Medel takes on adventurous program in recital

May 23, 2015, 7:30 PM

Brother Rafael Donato Center for the Performing Arts

La Salle Greenhills

Featuring:

Lorenzo Medel, piano

Jeline Oliva, violin

Programme:

Domenico Scarlatti

     Sonata in E, K.380, L.23 Cortège

Ludwig van Beethoven

     Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 Moonlight

Frédéric Chopin

     Étude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12 Revolutionary

     Étude in G flat major, Op. 10 No. 5 Black Keys

     Étude in A minor, Op. 25 No. 11 Winter Wind

Claude Debussy

     Préludes Book 2 No. 12 Feux d'artifice (Fireworks), L 123

Nikolai Myaskovsky

     Piano Sonata in F sharp minor, Op. 13 No. 2

Tomaso Vitali

     Chaconne in G minor

Antonio Vivaldi

     Allegro non molto from Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, L’estate (Summer)

     Allegro non molto from Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, L’inverno (Winter)

Jules Massenet

     Meditation from Thaïs

Manuel de Falla arr. by Fritz Kreisler

     Danse espagnole

After finishing his sophomore year at the Eastman School of Music in New York, pianist Lorenzo Medel returns to the country for a one night recital billed as billed as A Classical Piano Adventure with Lorenzo Medel happening on May 23, 2015, 7:30 PM at the Brother Rafael Donato Center for the Performing Arts in La Salle Greenhills.

For this evening, Lorenzo’s pieces include the Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 more popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, a trio of Études (Étude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12 Revolutionary, Étude in G flat major, Op. 10 No. 5 Black Keys, and Étude in A minor, Op. 25 No. 11 Winter Wind) by Frédéric Chopin, Préludes Book 2 No. 12 Feux d'artifice (Fireworks), L 123 by Claude Debussy and the rarely performed Piano Sonata in F sharp minor, Op. 13 No. 2 by Nikolai Myaskovsky.

The concert will also include the special participation of young violinist Jeline Oliva who will join Enzo in performing Tomaso Vitali’s Chaconne in G minor, a couple of movements (the Allegro non molto from No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, L’estate/Summer and Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, L’inverno/Winter) from Antonio Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni/The Four Seasons, Jules Massenet’s Meditation from Thaïs, and Manuel de Falla’s Danse espagnole as arranged by Fritz Kreisler.

Lorenzo was born in Manila in 1995 and began his piano studies in 2006 at age 10 under Prof. Mauricia Borromeo of the University of the Philippines, College of Music. He is currently into his Bachelor of Music, Major in Piano Performance at the Eastman School of Music where he will be an incoming junior this September 2015.

In the seven years Lorenzo was with Prof. Borromeo (2006-2013), he had clearly established his piano skills nationally, winning the top prizes of our country’s more prestigious piano competitions, like the NAMCYA (National Music Competitions for Young Artists), PTGP (Piano Teacher’s Guild of the Philippines), UP College of Music and the National Steinway Piano Competition. He had twelve public solo recitals by age sixteen, three of which were full concertos with assistance from the Manila Symphony Orchestra. The recitals received excellent reviews both from Manila’s press and local piano aficionados.

For tickets and inquiries:

(0917) 891-7979, 716-1854, enzopiano@yahoo.com

Musical Moments, A Benefit Concert

Pianist Dingdong Fiel

Featuring:

Heliodoro “Dingdong” Fiel II, piano

Programme:

Franz Schubert

     Moments Musicaux No. 1 in C major, D 780 (Op. 94)

     Moments Musicaux No. 2 in A flat major, D 780 (Op. 94)

     Moments Musicaux No. 3 in F minor, D 780 (Op. 94)

Frédéric Chopin

     Prelude No. 10 in C sharp minor, Op. 28 The Moth

     Prelude No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28 Raindrop

     Prelude No. 18 in F minor, Op. 28 Suicide

Domenico Scarlatti

     Sonata in C major, K. 159

     Sonata in G major, K. 13

Sergei Rachmaninoff

     Moment Musicaux No. 3 in B minor, Op. 16

     Moment Musicaux No. 4 in E minor, Op. 16

Claude Debussy

     Préludes Book 2 No. 6 General Lavine, L 123

     Préludes Book 2 No. 12 Feux d'artifice, L 123

Pianist Heliodoro “Dingdong” Fiel II recently held a concert at the Grand Hall of the UST Museum for the benefit of the victims of the recent flood brought by the nonstop monsoon rains that plagued parts of the country in early August. This concert titled Musical Moments marked Dingdong’s return to his classical roots after a stint at Upstart Productions’ repeat performance of Forbidden Broadway.

Well, I wouldn’t call it completely a return since Dingdong chose a programme featuring pieces that were a departure from his usual, expected repertoire. Playing a handful of Moments Musicaux by Franz Schubert and Rachmaninoff, Dingdong showed a more introvert, introspective and somber side to his playing. There were few attempts to showcase pyrotechnics and virtuosic brilliance but they were contained and always drawn back to the relatively sedate mood that he had set out for this concert.

I’ve been to numerous solo piano performances, recitals and concerts and it was surprising that all of the pieces for this evening, except for the Preludes by Chopin were unfamiliar to me. I may have had the opportunity to listen to them some time ago but I never took notice.  If the pieces by Schubert, a composer whose music I always find hard to relate to, were played on the radio, I would've switched to a different station already. The same also applies to the Scarlatti Sonatas that were performed that evening. But a concert performance forces the audience to sit through the performance and listen to the pieces being played and this is an opportunity that I always welcome. And because of this, my knowledge and experience with various pieces in the piano repertoire has widened.

Dingdong Fiel being interviewed after the concert

The two Preludes by Debussy were a surprise for me especially the very humorously irreverent General Lavine, since they showed another side of the French composer more known for his impressionistic style. Also interesting was the way the pieces were sequenced at the concert. Normally, the pieces are played chronologically with the oldest one composed played first. But this time, Dingdong had the oldest pieces, the two Scarlatti sonatas, open the second half of the concert setting the mood for the subsequent Rachmaninoff pieces.

I missed Dingdong when he was the music act during last year’s International Silent Film Festival. But for his encore, he performed an excerpt from the music he composed for Greek Miracle, the film from Greece (obviously) that he scored during the festival. The evening was an eye and ear opener for me not just in terms of how Dingdong played but also by how he programmed the concert. It reminded me a lot of French pianist Pascal Rogé’s concert here in the country back in 2010.

Pianist Dingdong Fiel performs in benefit concert

August 31, 2012, 6:30 PM

Grand Hall, UST Museum

University of Sto. Tomas

Featuring:

Heliodoro “Dingdong” Fiel II, piano

Programme:

Franz Schubert

     Moments Musicaux No. 1 in C major, D 780 (Op. 94)

     Moments Musicaux No. 2 in A flat major, D 780 (Op. 94)

     Moments Musicaux No. 3 in F minor, D 780 (Op. 94)

Frédéric Chopin

     Prelude No. 10 in C sharp minor, Op. 28 The Moth

     Prelude No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28 Raindrop

     Prelude No. 18 in F minor, Op. 28 Suicide

Domenico Scarlatti

     Sonata in C major, K. 159

     Sonata in G major, K. 13

Sergei Rachmaninoff

     Moment Musicaux No. 3 in B minor, Op. 16

     Moment Musicaux No. 4 in E minor, Op. 16

Claude Debussy

     Préludes Book 2 No. 6 General Lavine, L 123

     Préludes Book 2 No. 12 Feux d'artifice, L 123

The last time I saw pianist and friend Heliodoro “Dingdong” Fiel II perform a classical piece was during a violinist friend’s graduation recital some months ago. He was the pianist who accompanied the recitalist during the first part of the recital. Since then, I saw him once again as the pianist at Upstart Productions’ staging of Forbidden Broadway with him playing theater music instead. Now, the time has come for me to see him go back to his classical roots with Musical Moments, a benefit concert happening this August 31, 2012 at 6:30 PM at the Grand Hall of the UST Museum for the victims of Habagat.

For some years now, I’ve been a regular visitor at the UST Conservatory of Music to attend masterclasses, watch concerts and recitals, and basically hanging out with friends who study there. And Dingdong is one of the many pianists whom I’ve gotten to know during that time. He is known around the Conservatory of Music as one of the prized students of former dean Prof. Erlinda Fule and also a student of Prof. Dieter Arens who was in the country earlier this year. In a less serious note, he is also known as well for his signature hairstyle.

Like what I’ve said, it’s been some time since I saw him in a solo performance with a purely classical repertoire. So not only will I have the chance to see him play pieces by noted composers like  Franz Schubert, Frederic Chopin, Domenico Scarlatti, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Claude Debussy, the concert in itself is a fund raiser to help victims of the heavy rains that plagued the country a couple of weeks ago.

Ticket price:

P800

For inquiries:

UST Conservatory of Music (Otep or Nomo) 731-4022