3 September 2011 Concert at UP College of Music

Rare and Immortal Philippine music at UP College of Music on September 3

The University of the Philippines College of Music closes the international conference “The Impact of Music in Shaping Southeast Asian Societies” with a concert featuring the teachers and students of the College in a concert dubbed “Musics of Philippine Nationhood” on Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 8pm. Arwin Tan conducts the UP Collegium Musicum and Novo Concertante Manila singing rare and immortal works produced in the Philippines from mid-18^th century to 1986.

The earliest music to be performed are the four villancicos (Spanish musical genre) preserved in the Franciscan archives of San Juan del Monte church, one of which has a Tagalog text. This will be followed by chamber music played in 19^th century tertulias (evening parties in the homes of affluent Filipinos during the 19^th century), i.e., Diego Perez 1860 piano medley of Tagalog folk songs and dances to be interpreted by pianist Augusto Espino. The UP Dance Company, with Angel Baguilat  and Herbet Alvarez as artistic directors and consultant Cora Iñigo, will interpret this medley with reconstructed folk dances from the second half of 19th century. This piano medley is a landmark work in Philippine music history as it is the first extant music with a Filipino name in its manuscript (now preserved in the UP College of Music library). For the September 3 concert, the medley will receive a cumparsa (instrumental ensemble) arrangement by Dr. Verne de la Peña, Chair of the UP College of Music’s Department of Musicology. The tertulia music will continue with other piano music from the same salon society in Manila such as Julio Nakpil’s Recuerdos de Capiz (circa 1890s) and the ever popular Francisco Buencamino Sr.’s Mayon. The enfant terrible, pianist Lorenzo Medel will render these immortal Philippine piano classics.

The second part will feature revolutionary songs from 1896 to 1986 such as Alerta Katipunan and Bayan Ko. Three types of kundiman follows Alerta Katipunan. These are Jocelynang Baliuag (folk kundiman), Nasaan ka Irog (art song kundiman), and Walang Hanggang Paalam, a popular music kundiman composed by Joey Ayala who will make a guest appearance. The concert will also feature beloved songs such as Lucio San Pedro’s Sa Ugoy ng Duyan and Aguilar’s Anak and Maguindanaon kulintang music with artist Kanapia Kalanduyan. The concert will end with two songs from the 1986 EDSA people power revolution.

Limited tickets at 200 pesos each are available before the show. For further details, please call 929.6963 (Josie) or 926.0026 (Yvette).

2 September Concert at UP College of Music

AIMA LABRA-MAKK PLAYS PIANO AT THE UP COLLEGE OF MUSIC

World-renown Filipina pianist based in Austria, Aima Labra-Makk, will be featured in a solo piano recital at the University of the Philippines College of Music Abelardo Hall Auditorium on 2 September 2011, 8pm. Her appearance coincides with the international conference on music in Southeast Asian societies that is being organized by the faculty of the newly-instituted doctoral program in music in the College.

Awarded the highest honors in Concert Diplomate from the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria University of Music in 1990, Ms. Labra-Makk leads a solid career as a solo concert pianist, chamber musician, and educator. Her performances and magnetic presence have earned her worldwide acclaim. European critics describe her playing as “peerless marked by high musical intelligence, colorful expression with physical robustness (to sound) with elegant ease of touch but never for the sake of display.”

In the September 2 concert at UP College of Music, Ms. Labra-Makk will perform a repertory that is rarely heard in Manila such Jeno von Takacs Suite of Old Hungarian Dances, op.42a and Tombeau de Liszt, Bartok’s Suite for Piano, op. 14, and Santos’s Abot Tanaw among others. Ms Labra-Makk is the only pianist in the world who had recorded the complete solo piano works by Takacs on disc. Takacs was a one time-professor in the UP Conservatory from 1932-33. He had done research on indigenous Philippine music, an output of which was a book on Philippine music instruments published in Vienna in 1975. Ms. Makk is an alumna of the UP College of Music. She studied under Perla Suaco.

Limited tickets at 300 pesos each will be available at the gate before the show. For details, please call 9296963 (Josie) or 926.0026 (Yvette).