Pinay Pianist Hila Performs with PPO Under Maestro Fukumura

Press Update:

FILIPINA pianist Hiyas A. Hila performs with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Yoshikazu Fukumura in a matinee concert on June 11, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).  

The program consists of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s works, including the Overture from the opera Cosi fan tutte and Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551 “Jupiter”. Hiyas will render Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23 in A major (K.488).

Hiyas Hila performs regularly as a solo, orchestral and chamber music artist. She has been featured in concerts in the United States, Spain and the Philippines. Her orchestral appearances include performances with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra, and the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra.

Hiyas earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Minnesota School of Music, with Lydia Artymiw as her teacher, and her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in piano performance, with Mack McCray as her mentor, from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. A graduate of the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), she attended the University of the Philippines College of Music for two years, where she was a consistent university scholar before she moved to the United States. Her previous piano teachers were Regalado Jose, Leonor Kilayko, Ariel Dechosa and Cecile Basilio-Roxas. She has played in masterclasses given by Blanca Uribe, Faina Luzshtak, Roman Rudnytsky, Russel Brandon, Reynaldo Reyes, Ariel Dechosa, Boris Slutsky, Julian Martin, and Albert Tiu.

Dr. Hila received several scholarships and fellowship awards such as the Sergei Barsukov Scholarship for Piano at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Asian Cultural Council Fellowship Grant, the University of Minnesota Centennial Piano Fellowship, U.P. Concert Chorus Alumni Foundation, Inc. Scholarship, Cecile B. Licad Scholarship, GlaxoSmithKline Philippines Scholarship Grant, and the Sonny B. Reyes Foundation grant.

She garnered top prizes in several piano competitions including the 2005 University of Minnesota Concerto Competition; the 2006 and 2007 Elinor Bell Piano Competitions in Minneapolis; 2006 Schubert Club Piano Competition (Graduate Division) in St. Paul, Minnesota. In Manila, she won the 1995 Category B and 1992 Category A-2 NAMCYA piano competitions; 1995 Piano Concerto Competitions sponsored by the Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines; 1991 Lyric Piano Competition, and 1991 Rosario Picazo Piano Competition.

Dr. Hila currently teaches piano, chamber music and piano ensemble at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond, California and at Saint Brigid Catholic School in San Francisco, California. She previously taught applied piano and class piano at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Tickets are P1000, P800, P500 and P200.

For inquiries, please contact the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or 832-1125 local 1409.

Acclaimed Pianist Christopher McKiggan Performs Evocative "Three Minds" at CCP Feb 10

Press Announcement:

Acclaimed classical pianist Christopher Janwong McKiggan performs on February 10, 2015, 7:30pm at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Little Theater. The concert is presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and KMP Artists and is part of a World Tour celebrating Christopher's debut solo CD released FEB 1st on Albany Records.

Program includes Brahms’ Piano Sonata No.2 in F sharp major, Op.2; Narong Prangcharoen’s Three Minds, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.31 in A flat major, Op.110;

Robert Beaser’s Pag Rag, Karim AI-Zand’s Paganini Reverie and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.

Born in Christchurch, England, Christopher began his piano studies at age six with his father. He moved to Thailand at age seven, residing with his British father and mother, a Thai citizen of Chinese heritage. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Missouri-Kansas City as a Bachelor of Music studying under Dr. Robert Weirich, a Master’s Degree from Rice University is currently there as a Doctoral of Musical Arts Piano Performance under Prof. Jon Kimura Parker.

Hailed as a pianist with “astounding technique… startling poise and control” (Kansas City Star) and “astonishing virtuosity and piano coloration” (The Citizen), Christopher won a top prize as a laureate and finalist at the prestigious 12th UNISA International Piano Competition (WFIMC) 2012. He has won numerous other awards including the Gold medal in the Seattle International Piano Competition, second prize in the solo division and third prize in the senior concerto division at the Kingsville International Music Competition, first prize in the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, Finalist in the World International Piano Competition, among many others. He is also the recipient of the Presser Award in which he was awarded a grant to create an upcoming international relations project titled “Resonance of Hope.” His upcoming solo CD titled “Paganimania” will be published by Albany Records and released in fall 2014.

Christopher’s playing of “Three Minds” by Thai composer Narong Prangcharoen has been hailed as “Evocative” (The Daily Sound), and he recorded the piece for Albany records in the album “Phenomenon” and recorded “Between Heaven and Earth” in the album “Matras”.

Tickets are P800 (Center) and P600 (Sides).

For details, contact the CCP Performance and Exhibition Department at 832-1125 loc. 1606-1607.

AIM presents World-class Pianist Sunico in Three Tchaicovsky Conciertos

Press Announcement:

The Asian Institute of Management presents internationally renowned pianist Raul Sunico in a rare performance that will put on spotlight the three piano concertos of Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky happening at the Old Senate Hall of the National Museum of the Philippines, February 22, 4 p.m.

“Raul Sunico Performs Tchaikovsky: The Premiere Concert”is poised to set a world record as Sunico will perform the three concertos of the Russian master for the first time in one evening.

Sharing the stage with Sunico is the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo Ranera. These world-class musicians will perform the three Tchaikovsky masterpieces, including Concerto no.1 in B-flat minor, op. 23; Concerto no.2 in G major, op.44; and Concerto no. 3 in E-flat major, op. 75.

Sunico earlier achieved worldwide recognition when he performed the four piano concertos of the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff also in one evening. He has garnered acclaim around the world where he had performed in solo recitals as well as with the best orchestras throughout Europe, North America, Australia, Middle East, and Asia.

The evening is a celebration not only of Sunico’s brilliance as a musician but also of AIM’s excellence as an international graduate business school. Nearing its 50^th anniversary, AIM sets its eyes on a vigorous future where it continues to enjoy a leadership status in the ASEAN region by mobilizing resources for its exciting campus development plans.

Witness an exciting celebration of excellence unfold yet again as AIM presents this world-class concert that features the best musicians of the country. Like Sunico, this pioneering graduate business school proudly stands on its rich heritage amid an ASEAN backdrop that rises on the global economic landscape.

This event is co-presented by the National Museum of the Philippines and Lyric Piano.

Concert inquiries may be coursed through Irene Donohue at (02) 892-4011 ext. 7101 and idonohue@aim.edu.

FORTE@40 - A Concert of 40 Pianos Set on Nov. 18 at CCP

Press Release:

 

In a Musical Multitude Never Before Heard with

40 PIANOS ON ONE STAGE

OVER 300 PIANISTS

AGES 8 - 80

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, The Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines together with The Cultural Center of the Philippines, LYRIC and KAWAI proudly presents “ FORTE@40 ” – a fund-raising concert to be held at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on November 18, 2012 – Sunday  at  3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

This historical concert which will be conducted by Dr. Herminigildo Ranera and Daniel Bartolome will feature over 300 pianists ages 8 to 80 comprising students, teachers/members, past and present PTGP board members, festival participants and competition winners on 40 pianos.

Special guest performers include: CCP President Dr. Raul Sunico, concert pianists Della Besa and Annie De Guzman, Fr. Manuel Maramba, OSB, Carmen Padilla, Nita Abrograr-Quinto, Philippine Madrigal Singers choirmaster Mark Anthony Carpio, UST Singers’ conductor Fidel Calalang, Najib Ismail, Mary Anne Espina, and many more.

A special sneak preview of “ Forte@40 ” will be held on November 11, 2012 ( Sunday – 4 p.m. ) at Lucky Chinatown, located at Reina Regente St., Binondo, Manila.

The highlight of the concert is the world premiere of “ Mga Gintong Pamana ” by Augusto “Agot” Espino, commissioned by the Piano Teachers' Guild of the Philippines which will showcase “ 40 pianos, 80 players, 2 per piano ” playing the parts - a first of its kind in the history of Philippine music. This masterpiece pays tribute to the Great Filipino composers, namely: Nicanor Abelardo, Dr. Francisco Santiago, Francisco Buencamino, Sr., Dr. Antonio Molina, Rosendo Santos, Jr., Lucio San Pedro, Felipe De Leon, Sr., Ramon Tapales, Dr. Lucrecia Kasilag, and Rodolfo Cornejo who have made unparalleled contributions to the Philippine piano literature. 

Five genres of music - Baroque, Classical, 20th Century, Pop and Filipino will be represented in the repertoire as follows:

I.   “ Concertino on Familiar Tunes ” by Stanley R. Avery. (40 pianos, 40 players, 1 per piano)

II.  “ Grand Perpetual Motion Waltz ” by M. Cox. (10 pianos, 10 players, 1 per piano)

III.  “ Andante from Symphony No. 94 in G Major, Hob. VI:54 (“Surprise”) by Franz Josef Haydn. Arranged by E. Steiner.         Transcribed & adapted by George Ong. (10 pianos, 20 players, 2 per piano)

           

IV. “ Symphony No. 40 in G minor, KV. 550 ” (Allegro molto) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Arranged by Theodor Kirchner. (40 pianos, 40 players, 1 per piano)

           

V.     “ Harry Potter Fantasy and Super Mario Capriccio based on a theme by Koji Kondo ” by Kabaitan R. Bautista. (30 pianos, 30 players, 1 per piano)

           

VI.  “ Polonaise in A Major, Op. 40 No. 1 (Military)” by Frédéric François Chopin. Arranged by Carl Burchard. (40 pianos, 40 players, 1 per piano)

VII.  “ Contagion on a theme by Nirvana ” by Kabaitan R. Bautista. (20 pianos, 20 players, 1 per piano)

VIII.    “ Workin’ on the Railroad ” by Eugénie Rocherolle. (14 pianos, 28 players, 2 per piano); “ Perpetual Commotion ”  by K. Olson. (14 pianos, 28 players, 2 per piano)

IX.       “ Pop Medley ” Arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.  (20 pianos, 20 players, 1 per piano)

X.   “ Mga Gintong Pamana ” by Augusto Espino. (40 pianos, 80 players, 2 per piano).

The Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines (PTGP) was founded in November 2, 1972 by piano teachers namely National Artist Lucrecia Kasilag, Prof. Milagros de Ocampo, Sister Scholastica Benitez, OSB, Ms. Vilma Felipe, Mrs. Angeles C. Hernandez, Mrs. Alice A. Lim, Sister Mamie Martell, CIM, Sister Cecil Belen, OFM, Mrs. Lydia L. Bunag, and Mrs. Pilar B. Larracas who organized themselves mainly to uplift teaching and performance standards in the musical development and pianistic growth of their students.

Over the years, The Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines has brought our country’s top pianists to compete in international music festivals held in Europe, the United States and recently in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

Among the foremost names in the field of music who are PTGP members include the following: Fr. Manuel Maramba, OSB; Sr. Mary Placid Abejo, OSB (Dean, St. Scholastica College of Music); Prof. Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz; Former Dean Mauricia Borromeo (UP College of Music); Former Dean Erlinda Fule (UST Conservatory of Music); Former Dean Cecile B. Roxas and Dean Sr. Emilita Pacubas, DC (Sta. Isabel College of Music); Former Dean Harold Galang (PWU College of Music) and many more. Today, PTGP boasts of its 525 total membership covering the entire country.

The over-all production team of  “ FORTE @40 ” is led by Dennis Marasigan (Artistic Director and Lighting Director), Eric Cruz (Set Designer), Antonio Africa (Video Documentary), Ave Asuncion Uy (Stage Manager), Toots O. Tolentino (PR & Publicity) and Mari Yuda (Marketing).

“FORTE@40” is also supported by media partners Business World, Herword.com,  Chinoy TV and The Manila Bulletin.

For inquiries and details of show, special group discounts for schools, please email : askptgp@yahoo.com. Visit ptgpinc.wordpress.com. Add http://www.facebook.com/PTGPInc on Facebook.

Tickets are now available through Ticketworld at 8919999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph