UP College of Music Celebrates 50th anniversary in Diliman campus

A memorable September 2013 awaits the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman community and residents of Quezon City as the UP College of Music celebrates its 50th anniversary in Diliman campus. Concerts and other events are currently being organized by various stakeholders of the College.

The month-long celebration kicks off with student-led activities during the first week of the month. On September 2, 1-5PM, the College of Music (CMU) Student Council, under the leadership of Patricia Poblador and Stef Quintin, presents Walang Kupas. This will be followed by a Sportsfest: “Are you UP for the Challenge?” to be held at the College of Human Kinetics New Gym on September 3 from 9:30 AM onwards.

A more festive day will happen on the 3rd of September with a parade in UP Academic Oval at 11 AM. This will be followed by a Quiz Bee at 11:30 AM and a solidarity feast Salu-salo thereafter. A student-run ticketed concert at 7PM “Humayo’t Itanghal: Isang gabi ng musika ni Nicanor Abelardo” will end the 3rd day of September.

From the serious, the world reverts to the profane with carnivalesque laughter the following day, September 4 at 4PM. This is the fun-filled, annual Freshie Show, a folly featuring students in preposterous cross-dressing images “Binibining G-CLEF.”

Meanwhile, the faculty of the College, together again with students and some alumni, will have their contribution to the September celebration. These events are part of the series of faculty concerts held in the Abelardo Hall Auditorium.

Prof. Rayben Maigue conducts the UP Jazz Ensemble in a concert dubbed “Golden Jazz” on September 5. This concert will be followed by a presentation of innovative original dance theater works by composers of the Department of Composition and by the UP Dance Company. The concert is billed “Kathain 2” on September 12.

From the second week going to the third, the listing of the College’s September 2013 events thickens. The opera class, in partnership with a community theater, will present the classic Filipino musical by Jerry Dadap, “Andres Bonifacio: Ang Dakilang Anakpawis.” Set to the libretto by Dionisio Salazar, the musical play will be directed by Prof. Alegria O. Ferrer. The play is scheduled to run for three nights on the 16th, 17th, and 20th of September.

This musical coincides with the interdisciplinary humanities conference Seeing-Sounding Social Transformation that will be jointly held in the College of Music and the UP College of Mass Communication from September 18 to 20. An important concert to be embedded in the conference is the concert of memorable avant-garde music by Drs. Jose Maceda, Ramon Santos, and Jonas Baes on September 19.

The month-long celebration will be highlighted with a free concert titled “AHA@50 Anniversary Gala Night” on September 24. Music of this concert will be rendered by icons of Filipino classical music scene such as Raul Sunico, Eric Barcelo, Joseph Esmilla, Rudolf Golez, Rodney Ambat, Rayben Maigue, Alegria Ferrer, UP Madrigal Singers, and UP Concert Chorus. A memorable souvenir program will be distributed during this concert.

All Faculty Concerts start at 6:30PM. The cost of admission tickets vary. For further details, please call Josie Baradas at 9296963 or 9818500 loc. 2639.

Original Filipino Piano Music in UP Concert

The Keyboard Department of the University of the Philippines College of Music presents rare gems of original Filipino character pieces for the piano on August 27, 2013, 6:30 p.m. Billed “OPM” (although not to be confused with pop music), the concert will feature rarely played, but beautiful, works by eminent Filipino composers from UP College of Music. The concert is part of the College’s Filipino music heritage series and of the special 50th anniversary concert series of Abelardo Hall.

The concert program will be rendered by the current resident faculty members of the keyboard department of UP such as Augusto Espino playing his arrangement of Nicanor Abelardo’s “Bituing Marikit,” April Misa doing Antonio Molina’s “We were Moonlight,” Geraldine Gonzales, Antonino Buenaventura’s “Twilight by the Sea,” Karen Fatima Francisco and Gemma Malicdem in Rodolfo Cornejo’s “Pola-Russe,” Nita Quinto in Lucio San Pedro’s “Recuerdos” and “Dance of the Fairies,” Luci Magalit performing Jose Balingit’s “Dedication” and “Valse,” Carolyn Cheng articulating Carmencita Arambulo’s “Poeme,” Pia Margarita Balasico and April Misa doing Rosendo Santos’s “Santa Clara Pinung-pino.” The concert will end with Gemma Filipina Malicdem and Karen Fatima Francisco interpreting Rodolfo Cornejo’s “Kandingan.”

Tickets to the show are priced at PhP200 with special discounts for students and the elderly. For further details, please call Josie Baradas at 9818500 local 2639 or 9296963.