Nicanor Abelardo
Born February 7, 1893
San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan, Philippines Origin Philippines
Died March 21, 1934 (aged 41) Genres Kundiman
Occupation composer
Nicanor Sta. Ana Abelardo (February 7, 1893 – March 21, 1934) was a Filipino composer known for his Kundiman songs, especially before the Second World War.
Nicanor Abelardo was born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan. His mother belonged to a family of artists in Guagua, the Hensons. He was introduced to music when he was five years old, when his father taught him the solfeggio and the banduria. At the age of 8, he was able to compose his estoryahe first work, a waltz entitled "Ang Unang Buko," which was dedicated to his grandmother. At the age of 13, he was already playing at saloons and cabarets in Manila. At age 15, he was already teaching in barrio schools in San Ildefonso and San Miguel Bulacan. All of these happened even before young
Abelardo finally took up courses under Guy F. Harrison and Robert Schofield at the UP Conservatory of Music in 1916. By 1924, following a teacher’s certificate in science and composition received in 1921, he was appointed head of the composition department at the Conservatory. Years later, he ran a boarding school for young musicians, and among his students were National Artist Antonino Buenaventura, Alfredo Lozano and Lucino Sacramento. In the field of composition he is known for his redefinition of the kundiman, bringing the genre to art-song status. Among his works were "Nasaan Ka Irog," "Magbalik Ka Hirang," and "Himutok." He died in 1934 at the age of 41, leaving a collection of more than 140 works.[1]
As a composition major at the University of the Philippines, he also composed the melody for the university's official anthem, U.P. Naming Mahal.
The building housing the College of Music in UP Diliman (Abelardo Hall) is named in his honor.[2]
The Main theatre of the Cultural Center of the Philippines is named in his honor ( Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo)..
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Discography
1937 - Nasaan ka, Irog (music)
1937 - Bituing Marikit (Sampaguita) (music)
2013 - The Songs of Nicanor Abelardo,[3] featuring baritone Joseph Legaspi, tenor William Lim, soprano Katrina Saporsantos, and pianist Benjamin Dia
Antonio Molina (composer)
Born Manila
Nationality
Filipino
Occupation
Composer, conductor and
music administrator
Antonio J. Molina was a Filipino composer,
conductor and music administrator who was
named a National Artist of the Philippines for his services to music.
Early Life
Molina was born in Manila, the son of a government official. He
attended the Escuela Catolica de Nuestra Padre Jesus Nazareno in
Quiapo, and college at San Juan De Letran where he was awarded a
bachelor of arts degree in 1909.he was also known as Claude
Debussy of the Philippines.
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Musical Career
His first composition was "Matinal" in 1912. He was appointed to
teach harmony, composition, music history, and violincello at the UP
Conservatory of Music, pursuing a career in music education until
being appointed dean of the Centro Escolar Conservatory of Music.
He founded the CEU String Quartet which was professionally
organized and financed by its music school.
Juan Nakpil
Born 1899 Died 1986 Manila, Philippines Nationality Filipino Occupation ArchitectKnown for National Artist of the Philippines
Juan F. Nakpil (1899–1986) was a Filipino architect, teacher and a community leader. In 1973, he was named one of the National Artists for architecture, and tapped as the Dean of Filipino Architects.
He was one of eight children of the Philippine Revolution veterans Julio Nakpil and Gregoria de Jesus (who married the former after the death of her first husband Andrés Bonifacio).
Among Nakpil's works are San Carlos Seminary, Geronimo de los Reyes Building,
Magsaysay Building, Rizal Theater, Capitol Theater, Captain Pepe Building, Manila Jockey Club, Rufino Building, Philippine Village Hotel, University of the Philippines
Administration and University Library, and the Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna. He also designed the International Eucharistic Congress altar and improved the Quiapo Church in 1930 by erecting a dome and a second belfry. He was hailed as a National Artist for Architecture in 1973.[1]
Juan Napkil died in Manila, Philippines in 1986.
Francisco Santiago
Francisco Santiago (January 29, 1889 – September 28, 1947), was a Filipino musician, sometimes called The Father of Kundiman Art Song.
Santiago was born in Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines, to musically-minded peasant parents, Felipe Santiago and Maria Santiago. In 1908, his first composition, Purita, was dedicated to the first Carnival Queen, Pura Villanueva, who later married the
distinguished scholar Teodoro Kalaw.
Santiago's masterpiece was the "Concerto in B flat minor" for pianoforte and orchestra. His most famous piece "Kundiman, (Anak-Dalita)", was sung upon the may apat nah tanga pang lima ang bumasa.
His other compositions are the kundiman "Sakali Man", "Hibik ng Filipinas", "Pakiusap", "Ang Pag-ibig", "Suyuan", "Alaala Kita", "Ikaw at Ako", "Ano Kaya ang Kapalaran?", "Hatol Hari Kaya?", "Sakali't Mamatay", "Dalit ng Pag-ibig", "Aking Bituin", "Madaling Araw" and "Pagsikat ng Araw". He was named UP Emeritus Professor of Piano, on May 25, 1946. When the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music was celebrating its 30th anniversary, the patriotic musician died of a heart attack. He was buried at the North Cemetery, Manila. A hall in the Head Office of BDO( former PCIBank Twin Towers) was named in his honor as the Francisco Santiago Hall. It was mainly used for kundiman contests of the Makati City Government and the awarding of Service Awards of the former Equitable PCIBank and PCIBank.
Lucrecia Roces Kasilag
(31 August 1918 - 16 August 2008)[1] was a Filipino Life Lucrecia Roces Kasilag was born in San Fernando, La Union, Philippines, of parents Marcial Kasilag and Asuncion Roces Kasilag. She grew up in Paco, Manila, and studied at the Philippine Women's University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She also studied music at St. Scholastica’s College in Singalong, Manila, with Sister Baptista Battig, graduating with a teaching degree.[2] After completing her studies, Kasilag made an
international tour as a concert pianist, but eventually had to give up a performing career due to a congenital weakness in one hand.
From 1946 to 1947, Kasilag taught at the University of the Philippines’ Conservatory of Music and worked as secretary-registrar at Philippines Women's University. During World War II, she took up composition, and on 1 December 1945, she performed her own compositions in a concert at Philippine Women's University. She completed a Bachelor of Music degree in 1949, and then attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, studying theory with Allen I. McHose and composition with Wayne Barlow. Kasilag returned to the Philippines, and in 1953 she was appointed Dean of the Philippines Women's University College of Music and Fine Arts.[3]
Kasilag was instrumental in developing Philippine music and culture. She founded the Bayanihan Folks Arts Center for research and theatrical presentations, and was closely involved with the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company.[4]
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Honors and awards
Honorary Doctor of Music from Centro Escolar University, 1975
Honorary Doctor of Laws from the Philippine Women’s University, 1980 Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from St. John’s University in New York, 1981 National Artist in the Philippines, 1989
Works
Kasilag's works include more than 250 compositions including orchestral, chamber, vocal, organ, piano, sacred, dance, operetta, theatre, incidental and electronic music. She often incorporated Philippine folk music and traditional music. Selected works include:
April Morning (Fantasie Tone-Poem) (1941)
Theme and Variations (based on a Filipino folk tune “Walay Angay”) (1950) Elegy on Mt. Pinatubo (1991)
Toccata for Percussions and Winds (1958) Divertissement for Piano and Orchestra (1960) Legend of the Sarimanok (1963)
Filiasiana (1965) Dularawan (1969)