Cellist Damodar Das Castillo excites in Strings of Gold series opener

Mariel Ilusorio and Damodar Das Castillo

With a remarkable combination of youthful vigor and artistic maturity, cellist Damodar Das Castillo continues to excite as he and the ever reliable pianist Mariel Ilusorio officially christened the MiraNila Heritage House and Library as Metro Manila's newest classical music performance venue.

The concert also served as the unveiling of the newly restored Steinway 1904 grand piano.  With its dark brown finish and various ornate accents like the rococo-styled feet, the rare piano is a welcome change to the dominant stark black concert grand pianos that have dominated the scene for decades. 

But the audience had to wait a bit to hear the piano as the program began with a solo by Damodar performing the Prelude from Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Right off the bat, Damodar, exuded a level of confidence and security that is beyond his 17 years.

And when joined by the seasoned Ilusorio in Frédéric Chopin's Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65, he held is own and the two played as equals as if longtime collaborators. The meaty Chopin sonata could've served as the concert finale piece but this just wrapped up the first half.

The second half was a mixed selection of pieces starting with Faye Miravite's Transcendence that uniquely incorporates Damodar's meditative chants. This was followed by Nicanor Abelardo's Cavatina, Henry Mancini's Moon River, and Richard Rodgers' Edelweiss, a trio of pleasant tunes. The familiarity of the latter two pieces unfortunately prompted some audience members to hum along with a few doing so severely off key.

To close out the program, Damodar performed the first movement of Antonín Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191. With such aplomb, Ilusorio showcased the newly restored Steinway's brilliance effectively, laying aside whatever misgiving an audience member who longed for an actual orchestra might've had. The longing would've been for the complete concerto being performed instead.

Post performance Q&A

The MiraNila audience couldn't get enough of the duo and they were rewarded with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62 and Ennio Morricone's Gabriel's Oboe from The Mission as encores that kept the mix of standard classical repertoire with the more recent, crowd-pleasing music presented in the concert.

The high ceiling of MiraNila house provided natural amplification and reverb, but making it very unforgiving even with the slightest intonation error. Thankfully, Damodar was very secure with his cello, showing no signs of hesitation. The only hesitation he had was during the post-performance Q&A section wherein he responded with just brief words compared to the more Ilusorio who gave eloquent answers as well as annotations throughout the evening.

The MiraNila Heritage House's inaugural Strings of Gold concert once again proved that Damodar Das Castillo is one of the country's most exciting young artists who has the potential to be a headliner on the international stage. And that Mariel Ilusorio remains one of the most reliable pianists who let her collaborators be at ease and truly shine on stage as well.

Pianist Dingdong Fiel launches Manila Pianos' Bach recital series

Manila Pianos Artist Series returns to live performances with Fantasie, and all Bach recital featuring pianist Dingdong Fiel happening on April 9, 2022, 7:00 PM at the Manila Pianos Showroom located at the 4th floor of Ronac Lifestyle Center in Paseo de Magallanes, Makati.

The first live performance at Manila Pianos since the pandemic began, this recital also serves a launch for the series of recitals dedicated to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach by Manila Pianos.

Fiel graduated in 2007 from the University of Sto. Tomas with a degree in Bachelor of Music major in Piano. He was a recipient of the Rector’s Awards for Academic Excellence as well as the Benavides Award for Outstanding Achievement.

After graduation, he studied for more than 2 years at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar, Germany under Prof. Rolf Dieter Arens (Solo Piano and Chamber Music). He also took lessons in Vocal accompaniment with Prof. Karl Peter Kammerlander.

Dingdong was able to perform in a series of concerts in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, France, Germany, Guam and China among other countries, earning the admiration of Prince Philippe of Belgium, Princes Irene of Greece, Prince Andreas of Sachsen, Coburg and Gotha , former president of the German Bundesrat Diether Altause and former prime minister of Belgium Yves Leterme, to name a few.

Social distancing will still be observed so seats, priced at P1000 each, are limited. For inquiries and reservations email rsyfacunda@gmail.com.

Manila Pianos Artist Series presents Ella Gabrielle Gaw in recital

Manila Pianos Artist Series presents pianist Ella Gabrielle Gaw in an online recital premiering on January 15, 2022, 7:30 PM.

Currently a student of Prof. Anthony Yu Say, Ella had her start with the piano at age 4 1/2. Since then, she has made strides by winning the Gold Prize in the Seattle Piano Competition, 2021, Silver Prize in the 2nd Bangkok International Piano Competition, 2021, 2nd prize in the Clara Schumann International Piano Competition 2021, and 3rd prize PTGP Piano Competition 2019.

Her recital will consist of Johann Sebastian Bach's 15 Two-Part Inventions, BWV 772-786, Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, Op. 49 No. 2, and excerpts from Augusto Espino's Guhit-Tugtugin.

French classical guitarist Gabriel Bianco to hold concert and masterclass

The Guitar Friends in partnership with the Philippine Women's University School of Music and the Alliance Française de Manille presents French guitarist Gabriel Bianco in concert on April 23, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Alliance Française de Manille.

The recital will also feature the PWU Guitar Quartet composed of Aaron Aguila, Benchito Cariño, Monching Carpio and Ivar Fojas.

Guitarist Gabriel Bianco

Bianco is the winner of the 2008 Guitar Foundation of America Competition, the most coveted prize in classical guitar.

On April 24, 2019, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, he will conduct a masterclass at the PWU School of Music. 

RAd's Playlist | Gabriel Bianco

In preparation for Gabriel Bianco's upcoming visit to the country, it is time to put his album, a live recording of his recital, for a spin.

This recording, released by Naxos, features guitar music by Franz Schubert, Johann Kaspar Mertz, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Nikita Koshkin performed in a recital by Bianco.

Lenten concert of rarely performed sacred music at the Ayala Museum

The Cultural Arts Events Organizers presents a Lenten concert De Profundis, an evening of rarely performed sacred music happening on April 13, 2019, 7:00 PM at the Ayala Museum. 

The concert marks the Philippine premiere of Johann Sebastian Bach's Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131, one of his earliest cantatas and with text from Psalm 130, De Profundis, hence the concert's title (which translates to English as "out of the depths").

Also included in the program are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore, KV 339 and Gabriel Fauré's Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 which will be performed unabridged.

Leading the performers are soprano Stefanie Quintin andtheritone Cipriano "Zip" de Guzman, Jr. Both of them made waves last year with Quintin winning the Second Prize in the Professional Category at the 2nd ASEAN Vocal Competition in Singapore and De Guzman bagging the First Prize in the Open Category at the 17th Roma International Music Competition Grand Prize Virtuoso in Rome, Italy.

Joining them is the newly formed vocal ensemble PASIPO. Dedicated towards the art of virtuosic chamber music, the group will have its debut performance on this night. The ensemble is made up of Elle Tuason, Angelo Benipayo, Jasmin Salvo, Jane Wee, Leo Angelo Lanuza, Jan Briane Astom, John Philip Bautista, Airo Saret, and Carlo Miguel Bunyi. The multi-awarded Gabriel Paguirigan will be the evening's collaborating pianist.

Tickets are available at TicketWorld outlets, or through calling CAEO at 782-7164, (0918) 347-3027 or (0920) 954-0053.

Breakdancing to Bach

Like what I’ve said before, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach has been my weakness and I’ve never really warmed up to his music compared to say, works from the early 20^th century to give an example. But recently, I’ve been challenging myself to dig into things that I've avoided before including Bach's works. So far, I’ve surprised myself for the unusual ways that I’ve employed to further appreciate Bach and his music. The last time, it was through Glenn Gould and a graphic novel about him. This time, it’s through a breakdancing group dancing to the music of Bach.

I stumbled upon the documentary Footwork & Fugues/Footwork und Fugen (2011), directed by Jochen Schmoll and Sebastian Tischler, through theEuroArts channel in YouTube. The documentary focuses on the breakdancing group the Flying Steps and opera director Christoph Hagel working on a very unusual collaboration: the Flying Bach project. In this project, the Flying Steps dancers Benny Kimoto, Brahim Zaibat, Gengis Ademoski aka Lil Ceng, Khaled Chaabi aka KC-1, Michael Rosemann aka Mikel, Niranh Chanthabouasy aka Lil Rock, and Vartan Bassil along with Yui Kawaguchi create a new dance routine set to the music of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier Part I. Hagel believes that Bach’s music can be brought to the streets while Flying Steps choreographer Bassil believes that breakdancing deserve to be regarded as a legit art form and can be brought to a bigger stage.

A huge gamble trying to combine these two very unlikely styles together pay off big as the project takes off immediately after its premiere. The Flying Bach literally sends the dancers flying all over the world bringing breakdancing and Bach’s music to a new light. It is amazing to see the dancers’ performance received warmly at the Bach festival in Leipzig which is the composer’s hometown.

The only thing that was missing after watching the documentary was seeing the Flying Bach in its entirety. The show is still being toured so there is still hope that it might reach the Philippines soon. The nearest they’ve gotten so far was in Singapore back in early 2014.

All of this breakdancing talk is taking my focus away from Bach and might draw me away from the keyboard and lure me instead into the dance floor!

Getting back to Bach through Glenn Gould graphic novel

The Canadian pianist Glenn Gould has intrigued me a lot. As far as I can remember, I’ve always seen his name associated with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations BWV 988. This is not surprising since his 1955 recording of this set of variations has attained legendary status and is considered as one of the most important albums not just in classical music but in all of music history.

Those who know me quite well are aware that playing Bach is probably my biggest weakness. I do appreciate listening to his works and I usually find myself marveling at how he was able to compose such counterpoints. The architecture in his music is simply astounding. As I try to work my way into getting back into Bach, I happen to come across Glenn Gould once again which is inevitable.

A very attractive way for me to pump me up for Bach came to me through Glenn Gould A Life Off Tempo a graphic novel by Sandrine Revel. In this beautifully painted work (entirely done in digital watercolors), Revel jumps back and forth through several moments in Gould’s life. Some of them key moments like his first recital while some may seem mundane like his disastrous first attempt at fishing. And scattered in between these vignettes are sequences of fantasy attempting to grasp the thoughts and feelings of this visionary. These pages made me pause and savor the art more. And it somehow made sense to go larghetto at some point since not everything should be allegretto.

At first, I thought that having some characters recount their respective Glenn Gould experiences take away from the focus of the book. But these first hand accounts, that remained etched in these people's minds, were just the stuff that contributed to Gould becoming a legendary figure. I remember having to pause for a bit after reading about his first performance in Soviet Russia told years later by a witness. I had to stop so that I can let it sink in.

And don’t get me started with how the book captured the essence of the Goldberg Variations without the aid of sound or motion. That page was just sublime.

Clearly, reading the graphic novel was more than enough to make me give Bach another shot. Additionally, the book lists at the end recommendations on what to listen, read and watch. There are loads of resources available online too such as Glenn Gould's official YouTube channel. As for me, it’s on to listening to Glenn Gould’s legendary recording and working my way through Bach’s two part inventions.

Violinist Iskandar Widjaja's passionate display in Philippine debut

While the protest rallies were happening in various parts of the country, I took solace to music as a way to distract my weary self from all the political drama by catching Passion Flight that featured violinist Iskandar Widjaja and pianist Itamar Golan who were both making their Philippine debuts.

Thoughts of the tense political climate took a back seat right away once the opening act, a dozen Suzuki kids, took to the stage for their rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle Variations. And while the intonation was a bit all over the place, there was still cuteness overload with the kids beaming on stage as if they were the main act.

The main acts, Berlin based Iskandar, sporting a recent tan and dressed more like movie star rather than a classical musician and Itamar, looking dapper in a sleek suit quickly eased the audience with an appetizer of a piece, Fritz Kreisler’s Tempo di Minuetto in the style of Pugnani. Then following right after was Cesar Franck’s Sonata in A Major, a large scale work that showed the breadth and depth of Iskandar’s capabilities. Instinctively, I got drawn to the pianist Itamar, who exuded confidence giving me the feeling that he and Iskandar were communicating telepathically and that they will be in sync all throughout the concert.

I finally got to focus on Iskandar as the spotlight was solely on him when he tackled Johann Sebastian Bach’s Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004. Very commendable was his clarity and consistency making each line and layer sing distinctly and smoothly. In less capable violinists, the result is usually a muddled jumble of notes without any direction. My only gripe with Iskandar’s take was that it had too much attack and it sounded too aggressive.

Refreshed after the interval, the duo gave a more relaxed George Frideric Handel’s Violin Sonata in D Major HWV 371, brilliantly fleshing out the melodies with a bit more restraint compared to that of the pieces of the first half. My most eagerly anticipated moment in this concert was hearing Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel live for the first time. With lights dimmed for a bit of theatrics during this portion, it was hypnotic and haunting to hear such music, sparse on paper and yet so difficult to play effectively. I initially wondered how the audience would react to music that is devoid of any fireworks but the applause that followed soon after just allayed my fears.

And because of this, I admit that I wasn’t able to focus much on the piece that followed, the Fantasie for Violin and Piano in C Major, Op. 131 by Robert Schumann. And through most of this time, my mind was already preparing to hear the final piece that featured the music from George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess.

I was really expecting Jascha Heifetz’ transcription of Porgy and Bess to be performed but hearing the short piano introduction told me that this was not the case. Instead, what I heard was a single movement fantasy work that showcased loads of virtuosic moments from Iskandar that was accompanied by Itamar playing jazzy chords that sounded so deliciously rich. It was only later on that I learned from Iskandar that this piece, the Concert Fantasy on Themes from Porgy and Bess, Op. 19, was actually by Igor Alexandrovich Frolov. I also learned that one violinist who was among the audience was planning to give the Philippine premiere of this piece sometime next year. Too bad for him that Iskandar and Itamar already beat him to it. But I would definitely want to hear this Frolov piece again.

For encores, Iskandar and Itamar performed William Kroll’s Banjo and Fiddle, a highly entertaining piece that had Iskandar plucking the violin as if it was a banjo. This was followed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovksy’s Valse Sentimentale, Op. 51 No. 6 which was a sweet, relaxing way to cap the concert. The concert made me more energized to face the world outside where one cannot escape the tense political climate.

Overall, the first half felt to me that Iskandar pushed too much, too overt, and almost going over the top in both the Franck sonata and the Chaconne. This made the restraint he exhibited at the second half a much welcome change of pace. Ultimately, this effectively built the momentum towards a dazzling finale.

Passion Flight featuring violinist Iskandar Widjaja and pianist Itamar Golan was presented by the Philippine Suzuki Association in cooperation with St. Paul University, Manila.

Italian pianist Christian Leotta performs in Manila

November 11, 2014, 7:30 PM

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Christian Leotta, piano

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach

     Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo BWV 992

Franz Schubert Piano Sonata in A minor, D 784, Op.143

Gioachino Rossini

     Memento homo

     Une caresse à ma femme

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 Appassionata

The Embassy of Italy in Manila, the Philippine-Italian Association and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in cooperation with Furnitalia and with the support of Trevi Foundations Phils. Inc., Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate, SSI Group Inc., Diamond Hotel, Shopwise, Global Executive Solutions Group and Lombardi's Authentic Italian Restaurant present Italian pianist Christian Leotta in a one night concert billed as An Evening with Christian Leotta: From Bach to the Romantic Piano of Schubert, Rossini and Beethoven this November 11, 2014, 7:30 PM at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

Born in Catania, Italy, Christian Leotta is an award-winning Italian virtuoso pianist. He has a vast repertoire and is now recognized for being the youngest pianist since Daniel Barenboim to perform and record all 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas. He began his study of piano at the age of 7, furthering his studies at the Milan Conservatory under Mario Patuzzi and is a former pupil of the acclaimed pianist Karl Ulrich Schnabel. Christian studied at the Theo Lieven International Piano Foundation and also with Rosalyn Tureck at the Tureck Bach Research Foundation at Oxford, England. Likewise, he studied at the Literature and Philosophy faculty of Milan State University. Christian officially began his career in 2002 in Montreal at the age of 22 and began to perform the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas, which he completed in a period of less than a month.

Pianist Christian Leotta

Christian Leotta has worked with major orchestras such as the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Kammerorchester, the Italian RAI National Television Orchestra, the Milan’s Symphony Orchestra “Giuseppe Verdi”, regularly performing in important theatres and concert halls such as the Philharmonie at the Gasteig in Munich, the Konzerthaus of Vienna, the Tonhalle of Zurich, the Sala Verdi and the Auditorium of Milan, the Salle Claude-Champagne of Montreal, the Great Hall at the Bunka Kaikan Theatre of Tokyo.

The international press hailed Christian as "one of the major Beethoven soloists of our time" (Pizzicato, Luxembourg), defining his complete recording of the 32 Piano Sonatas as "a major addition to other sets currently available" (Fanfare, USA); "his prodigious technique used to better express the poetry of Beethoven’s music" (The Whole Note, Toronto), to "his capability of really seizing your attention at unexpected moments" (All Music Guide, USA), gaining a reputation as "a pianist of the highest order: technician, musician and interpreter all at once" (La Presse, Montreal). Leotta has been defined by the legendary Rosalyn Tureck as "an extraordinary talent with a beautiful innate musicality", and praised by the great Karl Ulrich Schnabel for "his respect of the indications of the Classical and Romantic composers as perfect and their understanding considerable."

An Evening with Christian Leotta: From Bach to the Romantic Piano of Schubert, Rossini and Beethoven is for the benefit of the Philippine-Italian Association Endowment Fund.

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3704

Philippine Italian Association 815-1310

TicketWorld 891-9999

Violin prodigy Chino Gutierrez in Passion the repeat

September 30, 2014, 7:30 PM

Ayala Museum

Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street

Greenbelt Park, Makati

Featuring:

Joaquin Maria "Chino" Gutierrez, violin

Corazon Kabayao, piano 

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach Chaconne from Partita in D minor, BWV 1004

Johannes Brahms Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108

Giuseppe Tartini Violin Sonata in G minor Devil’s Trill

Ernest Bloch Nigun from Baal Shem

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42

Pablo de Sarasate Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25

Due to popular demand, Joaquin Maria “Chino” Gutierrez will stage a repeat of his Passion concert this September 30, 2014, 7:30 PM with the Ayala Museum as the venue this time around. Joining him will be pianist Corazon Kabayao as they perform works such as Johann Sebastian Bach’s Chaconne from Partita in D minor, BWV 1004, Johannes Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108, Giuseppe Tartini’s Violin Sonata in G minor Devil’s Trill, Ernest Bloch’s Nigun from Baal Shem, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42, and Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25

Joaquin Maria “Chino” Gutierrez belongs to the emerging crop of young Filipino virtuosos who are carving a secure place in the international arena of classical violin playing. Chino began violin studies at 7 and ½ years old under Alfonso „Coke“ Bolipata.  He made his orchestral debut at the Cultural Center of the Philippines at the age of 10 in a performance of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. Similarly, his first solo recital at the age of 10 in a program of Bach, Mozart, Paganini, Sarasate, Wieniawski, and Kreisler, earned public and critical acclaim. In 2002, he won first prize at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), high school division.  At 12, he was the youngest competitor in his category. His first violin teacher, Alfonso Bolipata described him as “unusually gifted, with a natural ability and a sense of music-making that is uncanny for someone his age.” Rosalinda Orosa of Philippine Star wrote, “Chino’s performance was brilliant, manifesting an expressivity and sensitivity well beyond the soloist’s tender years. The most intricate and rapid configurations were hurled with agility and pizzazz… with virtuosity.” Respected conductor and violinist Oscar Yatco made an assessment of Chino’s gifts, thus: “Chino is the Cecile Licad of the violin.”

After finishing first year high school at the Philippine Science High School, Chino left for Germany to train under the renowned violin pedagogue Jens Ellermann, who instantly recognized him as “a major talent of the violin”. He was admitted into the prestigious Hochschule für Musik und Theater München (State Academy of Music and Theater in Munich) where he studied violin while simultaneously attending a regular German high school. Multi-talented and gifted, Chino made splendid progress with the violin even as he reaped success in math, science and languages. At 14, he emerged Landdessieger (champion) in the state math competitions in Bavaria. In addition, because of his linguistic abilities, he was handpicked to co-author a book on etymology in five languages. When he is not performing in concerts here and abroad, Chino finds time to teach high school algebra and trigonometry and is an enthusiastic mentor to younger violin students.

Chino has participated in master classes in the Philippines, Germany, Italy and USA, and has taken lessons and personal coaching from noted violinists like Gilopez Kabayao, Oscar Yatco, Gina Medina, Joseph Esmilla, Alexandru Tomescu, Gottfried Schneider and Weigang Li. He has performed as soloist with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra and the Metro Manila Community Orchestra under the baton of Chino Toledo, Francisco Feliciano, and Oscar Yatco. He has been the recipient of a scholarship from the Miriam College Music Center, as well as German grants from the Dorian Stiftung in Stuttgart and the Theodor-Rogler Stiftung in Munich. Currently, Chino is finishing his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München under the tutelage of respected pedagogues Olga Voitova-Bloch and Christoph Poppen.

Ticket price:

P1000

For inquiries:

(0915) 189-2998, (0925) 764-2608, 218-1864

Italy based flutist Sarah Mae Gabuyo performs in CCP's Special Concert Series

August 15, 2014, 7:30 PM

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Sarah Mae Gabuyo, flute

Dingdong Fiel, piano

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach Aus Liebe from St. Matthew’s Passion, BWV 244

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sonata in C major, K.296

Emanuele Krakamp Fantasy on Themes from Linda di Chamounix, Op. 40 by Gaetano Donizetti

Paul Taffanel Fantaisie sur Françoise de Rimini

Jules Massenet Meditation from Thaïs

Giulio Briccialdi Fantasy on Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi

François Borne Fantaisie brillante sur Carmen by Georges Bizet

Italy-based young Filipino flutist Sarah Mae Gabuyo will be the second featured artist of the CCP Special Concert Series on Friday, August 15, 2014 at 7:30 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

Based in Milan, Italy since she was 10, Sarah Mae Gabuyo entered the Accademia Internazionale della Musica where the prestigious Italian international flute soloist Raffaele Trevisani took her in his class and taught her the Sir James Galway method of flute playing. After 12 years of continuous study at the Accademia under the guidance of Raffaele Trevisani, she earned her Diploma, graduating brilliantly with outstanding remarks from the professors. Then in June 2013, she received her Bachelor's degree in Flute Performance from the State Conservatory of Music "A. Buzzolla" in Adria, Italy. During the course of her study, she attended the masterclasses of Sir James Galway in November 2002 and, years later, in April and November of 2012. This was  capped by the invitation of Sir James Galway for her to play in a masterclass at the 2012 edition of the Sir James Galway Annual International Flute Festival in Weggis, Switzerland and, very recently, at the Villa Medici Giulini 2014 Masterclass in Briosco, Italy. Her intensive training also included participations at the Annual Summer Music Academy in Premeno, Verbania, Italy under the direction of Raffaele Trevisani.

From 2010 to 2013 she was a member of the Orchestra of the Accademia under the conductors Alberto Intrieri, Mario Valsecchi, and Francesco Borali. Her important performances in the Orchestra include opening the 2012 festival Notti Trasfigurate in July as a soloist, in the occasion of the 150th anniversary celebration of the Accademia; and in the Orchestra's rendition of The Creation by F. J. Haydn at the Teatro dal Verme of Milan in December.

Flutist Sarah Mae Gabuyo

She is currently pursuing concurrently a Master's degree in Flute Performance with Raffaele Trevisani, a Bachelor's degree in Vocal/Opera Performance (Junior year) under the Italian baritone  Roberto Coviello and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology (Senior year) at the State University of Milan -­ Bicocca.

Her program includes Johann Sebastian Bach’s Aus Liebe from St. Matthew’s Passion, BWV 244, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata in C Major, K.296, Emanuele Krakamp’s Fantasy on Themes from Linda di Chamounix, Op. 40 by Gaetano Donizetti, Paul Taffanel’s Fantaisie sur Françoise de Rimini, Jules Massenet’s Meditation from Thaïs, Giulio Briccialdi’s Fantasy on Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi, and François Borne’s Fantaisie brillante sur Carmen by Georges Bizet Accompanying her is pianist Dingdong Fiel, an alumnus of the UST Conservatory of Music.

The last featured artist of The CCP Special Concert Series is double bass player Jiovanni Tabada on September 24, 2014. Sarah will conduct a flute masterclass on August 16, 2014 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the CCP Silangan Hall.

Ticket prices:

P800 Orchestra Center

P600 Orchestra Side

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For performance inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3706

For masterclass inquiries:

CCP Music Division 832-1125 local 1604, ccp.artist.training@gmail.com

Pianist Lorenzo Medel presents night of classical piano recital

May 24, 2014, 7:30 PM

Brother Rafael Donato Center for the Performing Arts

La Salle Greenhills

Featuring:

Lorenzo Medel, piano

Jourdann Petalver, piano

Programme:

Franz Joseph Haydn Sonata in C minor, Hob. XVI:20

Johann Sebastian Bach transcribed by Ferruccio Busoni Chaconne in D minor, BWV 1004

Igor Stravinsky Firebird

Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25

Expectations are high for piano prodigy Lorenzo Medel in his upcoming solo piano recital this May 24, 2014, 7:30 PM at the Brother Rafael Donato Center for Performing Arts in La Salle Greenhills. This recital will be his first since completing his first year of studies at the Eastman School of Music in New York under the Russian pedagogue Professor Natalya Antonova.

In this concert, Lorenzo will be performing Franz Joseph Haydn’s Sonata in C minor, Hob. XVI:20, Ferruccio Busoni’s transcription of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Chaconne in D minor, BWV 1004, Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird and Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 with Jourdann Petalver assisting him.

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, University of Rochester in New York and will be an incoming sophomore on September 2014. He has won top prizes in various piano competitions here in the Philippines like the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) and he became the country’s representative at the first Steinway Youth Piano Competition regional finals held in Singapore back in 2012.

For tickets and other inquiries:

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

Special Concert Series II: Aimee Mina-dela Cruz

Percussionist/marimbist Aimee Mina-dela Cruz

Featuring:

Aimee Mina-dela Cruz, marimba/percussion

Fe Marsha V. Nicolas, piano

Mikaela Natasha Janelle Ley, marimba

Leodivino Roque, percussion

Gomer Giron, percussion

Joy Allan dela Cruz, viola

Programme:

Pablo de Sarasate Carmen Fantasy

Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043, I. Vivace

Nebojsa Zivkovic Trio per Uno, I. Meccanico

Eugene Levitas Concerto for Percussion

Willy Cruz Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas

Eric Ewazen Concerto for Marimba

Music lovers had to wait a lot longer for the next installment of the Special Concert Series at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino. The postponement of Raymond De Leon’s concert to January 2014 meant that marimbist/percussionist Aimee Mina-dela Cruz’ performance eventually became the second, instead of the third and last of the series.

One of the percussionists of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Aimee Mina-dela Cruz is seen regularly during the orchestra’s subscription concert series playing whatever percussion instruments the concert pieces require. She also gets featured playing the marimba during PhilBanda events. But this was the first time, as far as I can recall, that she headlined a concert. I initially thought that she would just be performing with only the marimba. But in a pleasant surprise, she brought out almost the whole percussion arsenal for this concert.

She started out with a familiar show piece, Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, arranged for marimba and piano, wherein she was accompanied by pianist Fe Marsha Nicolas. The next number was the Vivace from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043 that was transcribed for two marimbas this time with young Mikaela Natasha Janelle Ley joining Aimee on stage. The stagehands then got busy to remove the marimba and arrange the drums, cymbals and other percussion instruments for the next piece, the Meccanico of Nebojsa Zivkovic Trio per Uno. Aimee was joined by Leodivino Roque and Gomer Giron for this dynamic and crowd pleasing number. This piece I think could probably sway a lot of youngsters to try out percussion much to the dismay of their parents who want peace and quiet. The stagehands got even busier as they set up almost all percussion instruments with the exception of a tam-tam (gong) for Eugene Levitas’ Concerto for Percussion. This piece was indeed a discovery for me for I’ve never seen nor heard something like this. Not only was it a delight to hear the various textures (especially during the combinations) brought about by the various instruments, but it was amazing to see the percussionist go through them with complete awareness of the instruments’ placement. I for sure would be scrambling trying to figure out where each instrument was and would possibly miss a few measures due to confusion.

Aimee Mine-dela Cruz and violist Joy Allan dela Cruz

The second half started with a familiar, mainstream piece which was Willy Cruz’ Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas. Aimee, now back at the marimba, was joined by her husband, violist Joy Allan dela Cruz in this romantic duet that even had some members of the audience wishing for some on stage display of affection at the end. The last piece for the night was Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Marimba that showed Aimee’s mastery of the marimba. There was a brief tense moment during the third movement when her mallets broke right after a passage that required striking the marimba keys with the handles of the mallets instead of the heads. Fortunately, she had some spares nearby and she was able to grab a couple of them and resumed playing without missing a beat. For her encore, she performed Vittorio Monti’s Csárdás which is one of her regularly played solo pieces and always a crowd favorite.

Aimee then had a percussion workshop held at the CCP Main Theater Lobby a few days after the concert but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to check that one out. Percussionists have always received a lot of flak that what they’re playing isn’t really music but just noise. But Aimee Mina-dela Cruz proved otherwise with this concert that gave me an earful of the various percussion instruments out there and also showed me how exciting a marimba is as a solo instrument.

Japanese violinist Kazuhiro Takagi in solo concert at the CCP

December 10, 2013, 7:30 PM

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Kazuhiro Takagi, violin

Greg Zuniega, piano

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach Sonata No. 3 in C major, BWV 1005

Karol Szymanowski Three Myths for violin and piano, Op. 30

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42

Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75

The Cultural Center of the Philippines presents Japanese violinist Kazuhiro Takagi as he performs in a solo concert billed as Takagi in Concert: A Violin Recital on December 10, 2013, 7:30 PM at the CCP’s Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

Along with collaborating pianist Greg Zuniega, Takagi will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sonata No. 3 in C major, BWV 1005, Karol Szymanowski’s Three Myths for violin and piano, Op. 30, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op.42 and Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75.

Born in Osaka, Japan, Kazuhiro Takagi started violin lessons at the age of six where he studied under Takayoshi Wanami, Yuko Mori, Eduard Wulfson and Eduard Schmieder. He later left for France to study at the Conservatoire National Superieur Musique de Lyon where he graduated with the highest grades in 1994. He furthered his training at Southern Methodist University in 1995 and Roosevelt University Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2000 via Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan. His major awards include a prize at the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels (1997), 3rd prize at the Geneva International Music Competition (1998), and the 1st prize as the first violinist of the Eusia String Quartet at the Fischoff National Music Competition in Indiana State, USA (2001). He also obtained the National Arts Festival New Artist Award sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Osaka Cultural Festival Grand Prize (2005) and the Recorded Work Award, Audio Category at the 19th Music Pen Club Japan (2007).

Violinist Kazuhiro Takagi

Takagi had been a soloist of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra and Wuerttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen in Germany. He served as concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago conducted by Daniel Barenboim and a solo concertmaster of the Wuerttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen in Germany, Kazuhiro Takagi had also been a concertmaster of the touring Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (2007-2012) as well as a solo concertmaster of the Yamagata Symphony Orchestra (2006-2013). He is currently a member of the Nagaokakyo Chamber Ensemble in Kyoto, concertmaster of the Dallas Chamber Symphony Orchestra (USA), member of Izumi Sinfonietta Osaka, and leader of Lilis Chamber Orchestra. He also performs as a violinist of "A Hundred Birds", a house music orchestra band, and "tokyo.panda.", a hip-hop chamber group.

Kazuhiro Takagi was the guest concertmaster of the Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo that had a concert during the Japan-Philippines Friendship Contemporary Music Festival that was held at the CCP earlier this year. Watching the concert, I felt that Takagi really stood out from the rest of the violin section of the orchestra. This upcoming concert is the perfect opportunity for those who wants to see Takagi perform at a chamber music setting showcasing more of his virtuosity with the violin.

Ticket prices:

P800 Orchestra Center

P600 Orchestra Side

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999