MAPEH 10 Reviewer Music
ABELARDO
Contemporary Philippine Music
Contemporary Philippine Music
 “Refers to compositions that have adopted ideas
and elements from 20th century art music in the
West, as well as the latest trends and musical
styles in the entertainment industry”
According to National Artist Ramon Santos, PhD
 The modern Filipino repertoire consists of musical
pieces that have been written in 20th century
idioms that have evolved out of such stylistic
movements as
 impressionism,
 expressionism,
 neo-classicism, as well as
 avant-garde and
 new music
compositions which are improvisational works
20th Century Traditional Composers
 Philippines was colonized by Spain and then
America from the early 1500s to the late 1800s,
that’s why it was unavoidable to have Western
compositional techniques in Philippine music
The Major Philippine Contemporary Composers
who used Traditional Styles
FRANCISCO B. BUENCAMINO SR.
(1883-1952)
Born on November 5, 1883 (Bulacan)
Died on October 16, 1952
 Studied music composition and harmony at Liceo
de Manila but was not able to finish his studies.
 Founded the Centro Escolar de Señoritas,
Conservatory of Music
 Founded the Buencamino Music Academy in 1930
Nicanor Abelardo was one of his students
 Many of his piano works have become staples in
the Philippine repertoire of today’s performers,
especially Mayon, Larawan, and Maligayang Bati.
 He ventured into musical direction and scoring for
films, as well as composing several zarzuelas and
kundiman.
 Posthumous award honored him with the title
“Outstanding Composer”
FRANCISCO S. SANTIAGO, PhD
(1889-1947)
Born on January 29, 1889 (Sta. Maria, Bulacan)
Died on September 28, 1947
 Known as the “The Father of Kundiman”
 Belongs to the “Triumvirate of Filipino
Composers”
 He finished his music specialization at the
American Conservatory of Music in Chicago
He obtained his Doctorate Degree in 1924
 His music was Romantic in style, incorporating
Western forms and techniques with folk materials.
 Among his famous works are Pakiusap, Madaling
Araw, and Kundiman (Anak Dalita).
 He became the first Filipino Director of the
University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music
NICANOR S.
(1893-1934)
Born on February 7, 1893 (San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan)
Died on March 21, 1934
 One of the “Triumvirate of Filipino Composers”
 He studied at the Chicago Music of College and was
influenced by Schoenberg, Hindemith, and
Stravinsky
 He developed a style that combined European
romanticism with chromaticism.
 Although a 20th century modern composer, he was
also a composer in the Romantic style
 His best-known compositions include Mutya ng
Pasig, Nasaan Ka Irog, Cavatina for Violoncello,
and Magbalik Ka Hirang
 He composed the melody for the UP’s official
anthem, U.P. Naming Mahal
 The Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater)
of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the N.
Abelardo Hall of the UP College of Music were
named after him.
ANTONIO J. MOLINA
(1894-1980)
Born on December 26, 1894 (Quiapo, Manila)
Died on January 29, 1980
 The first National Artist for Music (1973)
 One of the “Triumvirate of Filipino Composers”
 He began his music career as an orchestral soloist
at the Manila Grand Opera House.
 He serve as Dean of the Centro Escolar University
Conservatory of Music (1948 to 1970)
 He was a faculty member of the UP Conservatory
(now College) of Music
 Was a product of both the Romantic and
Impressionist styles
 Known as the “Father of Philippine Impressionist
Music”
 He was fascinated by the dynamics and harmonies
of Debussy, but retained much of the Romantic
style in his melody
 A characteristically impressionist work is his piano
composition Malikmata (Transfiguration).
HILARION F. RUBIO
(1902-1985)
Born on October 21, 1902 (Bacoor, Cavite)
Died on December 28, 1985
 A composer, music teacher, conductor, and
clarinetist
 He created substantial works for the orchestra
 He served as a conductor of opera, ballet, dance
recitals, and movie music
 His early interest for music came from the
influence of his uncle who was playing with the
Bacoor Band
 His first lessons in music theory and clarinet were
with Fr. Amando Buencamino who taught him
solfeggio and some musical instruments
 8yrs old – Bacoor Band as clarinetist
 He co-founded the Anak Zapote Band
 He later became a bandleader of the ROTC Band
More on sa UP and other colleges as conductor/lecturer/professor
  He was the Vice President of the PASAMBAP
(Pambansang Samahan ng mga Banda sa
Pilipinas), the National Band Association
 He was a board and charter member of the League
of Filipino Composers
 The first President of the Philippine Bandmasters’
Association
COLONEL ANTONINO R. BUENAVENTURA
(1904-1996)
Born on May 4, 1904 (Baliuag, Bulacan)
Died on January 25, 1996
 A renowned composer, conductor, and teacher
 His father was the chief musician of the Spanish
artillery band and founder of Banda Buenaventura
 Nicanor Abelardo and Francisco Santiago were
among his famous mentors
 At UP, he led the UPROTC Band and established
the UP Junior Orchestra (the first collegiate
orchestra in the country)
 He represented the country of the International
Music Council (IMC) in Rome (1962) and Hamburg
(1964), and was later a delegate of the
International Society for Music Education (1976)
 He was actively involved with various military
bands which ultimately earned him his military
rank of Colonel.
 He was a music instructor and band conductor of
the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)
 He restored the Philippine Constabulary Band in
1945, which was considered “one of the best
military bands in the world”
The band was later renamed the Philippine Army Band
 He founded the San Pablo Music Academy in
Laguna
 He was a faculty member of the UP Conservatory
of Music
 Later, he became the music director of the
Conservatory of Music, University of Santo Tomas
(UST) in 1961
 After retiring from the military, he became the
music director at the School of Music and Arts,
University of the East (UE) in 1964
 He promoted Philippine music through his
extensive use of folk materials which he had
recorded around the country.
 He composed the music and folk dances notations
for the researches of Aquino.
 He was declared National Artist for Music in 1988
 Pandanggo sa Ilaw, one of his most popular
compositions, remains a favorite in the
performance repertoire of many folk dance
companies
RODOLFO S. CORNEJO
(1909-1991)
Born on May 15, 1909 (Singalong, Manila)
Died on August 11, 1991
 6 yrs old – started formal music lessons
 10 yrs old – first composition, a piano piece
entitled Glissando Waltz
 14 yrs old – he already had 26 compositions listed
by the United Publishing Company Inc.
 He was the researcher and official composer of the
Philippine government-in-exile, under President
Manuel L. Quezon.
 He served as pianist-director of a USO concert unit
that entertained the Allied Forces during World
War II.
 He later became the soloist of several orchestras,
and eventually the musical director of the
Sampaguita and Vera-Perez movie companies
 He wrote scores for 27 films during his 10 years as
musical director of Sampaguita Pictures
 He was a founding member of the League of
Filipino Composers, and is listed in “The
International Who’s Who in Music”
 He is known for his extemporaneous thematic
improvisations based on the letters of people’s
names.
 He wrote over 300 compositions, ranging from
classical to pop. Among these were Ibong Adarna,
Caprice on a Folksong, and the cantana Christ the
Redeemer.
FELIPE P. DE LEON SR.
(1912-1992)
Born on May 1, 1912 (Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija)
Died on December 5, 1992
 His son Bayani is a well-known composer
 His son Felipe Jr. is a writer and the present
chairman of the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA)
 He worked as an assistant conductor of the Nueva
Ecija High School Orchestra where he started
doing musical arrangements and eventually
writing music for the zarzuela
 He studied under Col. Antonino Buenaventura and
Antonio Molina
 He contributed articles to the school paper and
vernacular magazines, and later wrote music
ciolumns for the Manila Times (then known as
Manila Tribune) and Taliba
 He received many awards, such as
Composer of the Year (1949),
Manila Music Lovers Society,
Musician of the Year (1958),
UP Conservatory of Music
 He wrote piano compositions, hymns, marches, art
songs, chamber music, symphonic poems,
overtures, band music, school songs, orchestral
works, operas, kundimans and zarzuelas.
 Known as a nationalist composer who expressed
the Philippines’ cultural identity through his
compositions
 His two operas, Noli Me Tangere (1957) and El
Filibusterismo (1970), are considered his
masterpieces and have been staged in the
Philippines and abroad
 He received a posthumous award as National
Artist for Music in 1997
LUCIO D. SAN PEDRO
(1913-2002)
Born on February 11, 1913 (Angono, Rizal)
Died on March 31, 2002
 He studied the banjo which inspired him to
become a serious musician.
 He is known as a “romantic nationalist.”
 He incorporated Philippine folk elements in his
compositions with Western forms.
 His chords have a rich expressive tonality, as
represented in his well-loved Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, a
lullaby melody sung by his mother.
 His other compositions include songs; pieces for
violin, cello, and chorus; and works for the
symphonic band
 His works for the Symphony Band were his most
prolific and productive, both as a composer a
conductor
 His musical prowess was internationally recognized
when he was invited to be a judge at the Van
Cliburn International Piano Competition (1980)
 He was declared National Artist for Music (1991)
ROSENDO E. SANTOS JR.
(1922-1994)
Born on September 3, 1992 (Caridad, Cavite City)
Died on November 4, 1994 (Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, USA)
 11 yrs old – he started composing band marches,
instrumental and vocal scores, and music for
Catholic Masses
 He was a awarded the “Philippine Composer of the
Century” (1956) after receiving the “Composer of
the Year Award” (1957) in Manila
 A prolific composer, his works include concerti,
sonatas, symphonies, symphonic poems, five
operas in Filipino, numerous band overtures, and
more than 200 marches.
 He wrote 50 masses in Latin and 20 in English.
 He has more than 1,000 musical compositions in
the library of the University of the Philippines
 His last musical work and only ballet composition,
Melinda’s Masquerade, was performed in 1995, a
year after his death.
ALFREDO S. BUENAVENTURA
(born 1929)
Born on October 14, 1929 (Sta. Maria, Bulacan)
 He grew up in a musical environment and drawin
by his fascination with trumpets and trombones,
he became a band member in his hometown at a
young age and eventually one of the band’s
arrangers and conductors.
 He was one of the 20 boy sopranos of the Tiples at
Sto. Domingo Church where he received his first
significant musical training
 He holds an honorary Doctor of Music degree from
the Philippine Women’s University
 Holds the sole distinction among Filipino
composers of having composed five full-length
operas.
 Many of his compositions are based on Filipino
heroes, legends, and epics
 He uses native songs, both tribal and folk, as
themes of his music compositions; and a number
of his compositions make use of Filipino indigenous
instruments
 His other creative musical works have been
commissioned by the Cultural Center of the
Philippines, the Metropolitan Theater, and the
National Music Competitions for Young Artists
(NAMCYA)
 His compositional style combines both
contemporary and conventional materials
 He keeps his melodies simple and understandable,
but with contemporary harmonies that enhance
their complexity.
 He is a member of the League of Filipino
Composers, and has twice received the Republic
Cultural Heritage Award as well as The
Outstanding Filipino Award (TOFIL) for Music
(1995)
RAYMUNDO CIPRIANO “RYAN” P. CAYABYAB
(born 1954)
Born on May 4, 1954 (Manila)
 He is a popular contemporary composer who has
classical compositions to his credit, such as Misca,
Four Poems for Soprano and Piano, and Te Deum.
 His compositional style makes use of syncopation,
extended chords, and chromatic harmony
 He spans both popular and classical worlds with his
pop music, ballads, operas, zarzuelas, orchestral
arrangements, and choral compositions.
 His compositions are mostly of traditional Western
influence
 Among his numerous compositions are the award-
winning Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika (1978), the
modern zarzuela Alikabok (2003), and the opera
Spoliarium with libretto by Fides Cuguyan-Asensio.
 He has also produced numerous recordings,
including the album One, where he personally sang
the unaccompanied songs on different tracks to
produce 16 voices
 At present, he continues to be a much sought-after
professor, musical director, composer, arranger,
and conductor in the Philippine concert and
recording scenes.
Summary
- National Artist for Music
 Antonio Molina
 Colonel Antonino Buenaventura
 Felipe De Leon
 Lucio San Pedro
- Triumvirate of Filipino Composers
 Francisco Santiago
 Nicanor Abelardo
 Antonio Molina
- League of Filipino Composers
 Hilarion Rubio (board and charter member)
 Rodolfo Cornejo (founding member)
 Alfredo Buenaventura (member)
New Music Composers
JOSE M. MACEDA
(1917-2004)
Born on January 17, 1917 (Manila)
Died on May 5, 2004 (Manila)
 His musical style was profoundly influenced when
he encountered the music of the indigenous tribes
of Mindoro in 1953
 He dedicated his life’s work to the understanding
and preservation of Filipino traditional music
 His extensive research and fieldwork resulted in an
immense collection of recorded music taken from
the remote mountain villages and far-flung inland
communities in the Philippines
 His compositional approach tended to be Western
in style, but he combined sounds of the
environment with ethnic instruments
 His compositions were usually for large groups of
musicians
 Among his works are Ugma-Ugma (1963),
Agungan (1975), Pagsamba (1968), Cassettes 100
(1971), Ugnayan (1974)
 Considered as the first Filipino avant garde
composer
 He is a National Artist for Music (1997)
LUCRECIA R. KASILAG
(1918-2008)
Born on August 31, 1918 (San Fernando, La Union)
Died on August 2008 (Manila)
 Her music was influenced by her professors Irving
McHose and Wayne Barlow
 Her compositional style demonstrated a fusion of
Eastern and Western styles in using instruments,
melody, harmony, and rhythm
 Known for incorporating indigenous Filipino
instruments into orchestral productions
 Her compositions are Toccata for Percussion and
Winds (1959), The Legend of the Sarimanok
(1963), Divertissement and Concertante (1960),
Dularawan (1969)
 Chairman of the Asian Composers’ League and the
League of Filipino Composers
 Credited for having written more than 200 musical
works
 She is a National Artist for Music (1989)
JERRY A. DADAP
(born 1935)
Born on November 5, 1935 (Hinunangan, Southern Leyte)
 First Filipino composer to conduct his own works
at the Carnegie Recital Hall in NYC
 He started composing when he was still studying at
Silliman University
 Among his numerous compositions are The
Passionate and the Wild (1960), The Redemption
(1974), Five Little Fingers (1975), Andres Bonifacio,
Ang Pag-ibig ng Diyos, Diyos Ama ay Purihin
 His major works were performed at the concert
“LAHI” that featured works by major local
composers
FR. MANUEL P. MARAMBA, OSB
(born 1936)
Born on July 4, 1936 (Pangasinan)
 One of the most accomplished musicians in the
Philippines
 11 yrs old – gave his first public performance as
the Bamboo Organ in Las Piñas
 14 yrs old – became the official accompanist of the
Las Piñas Boys Choir
 He was the youngest finalist to participate in the
NAMCYA piano competition (1978)
 19 yrs old – he performed at Carnegie Hall
 Best known as a liturgical composer whose body of
works leans towards religious figures and events
 His versatility as a pianist, composer, arranger,
theorist, and teacher is widely recognized
 He composed the music for the papal music
 He composed 4 operas: Aba!, Sto. Niño, La Naval,
and Lord Takayama Ukon
 He composed 3 masses: Papal Mass for World
Youth Day (1995), Mass in Honor of St. Lorenzo
Ruiz, and Mass in Honor of the Sto. Niño
 He composed 3 cantatas: St. Lorenzo Ruiz, St.
Benedict, and St. Scholastica; Three Psalms – A
hymn in honor of St. Lorenzo Ruiz
 He composed 3 orchestral works: Pugad Lawin,
The Virgin of Naval, and Transfiguration
 Awakening – commissioned by Ballet Philippines
and the music for Philippine Ballet Theater’s
production of Seven Mansions
 Ang Sarswela sa San Salvador – the official hymn
of the 1996 National Eucharistic Congress
RAMON P. SANTOS
(born 1941)
Born on February 25, 1941 (Pasig)
 Features chromaticism, music seria, and electronic
components, combined with indigenous Philippine
music elements
 His works include Ding Ding Nga Diyawa, Nabasag
na Banga at Iba’t iba pang Pinag-ugpong-ugpong
na Pananalita sa Wikang Pilipino para sa Labing
Anim na Tinig, and L’BAD
 Done extensive research on the Javanese gamelan
as well as the traditional music of the Ibaloi,
Maranao, Mansaka, Bontoc, Yakan, and Boholano
tribes in the Philippines
 Dean of the UP College of Music (1978-1988)
 Currently, head of the UP Center of
Ethnomusicology
 Appointed Professor Emeritus of UP
 He is a National Artist for Music (2014)
FRANCISCO F. FELICIANO
(1942-2014)
Born on February 19, 1942 (Morong, Rizal)
Died on September 19, 2014
 One of the Asia’s leading figures in liturgical music,
having composed hundreds of liturgical pieces,
Mass settings, hymns, and songs for worship
 His first exposure to music was with the Morriz
Band- a brass ensemble established by his dad
  He founded the Asian Institute for Liturgy and
Music (AILM)- a school for church musicians
 Composed several prize-winning works such as
Pokpok Alimpako, Salimbayan, Umiinog, and
Walang Tinag which was premiered at the ISCM
Festival in NYC, USA
 Pamugun and Restless have been performed by
Filipino choirs in various choral festivals in Europe
 John D. Rockefeller III Award in Music
Composition (1977)
 He supervised the publication of a new Asian
hymnal containing mostly works of Asian
composers
 He is a National Artist for Music
JOSEFINO J. TOLEDO
(born 1959)
Born on March 6, 1959
 Among his awards are the following:
Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM),
International Award for the Arts, Civitella
Ranieri Fellowship in Italy,
Chancellor Awards for Outstanding Musical
Works, University of the Philippines
 Member of the Pangkat Kawayan (a bamboo
orchestra)- 1966-1979
 Member of the Philippine Youth Orchestra (PYO)-
1977-1978
 Founding music director of the Metro Manila
Community Orchestra, the UP Festival Orchestra,
and the Crosswave Symphony Orchestra
 Noted for conducting the premiere performances
of the works of Filipino composers was well as
other Asian composer
 His compositions have been performed by well-
known international artists and ensembles
 Some of his works are Oyog-Oyog, Alitaptap,
Awiting Bayan, Musika para sa Pasyon at Buhay
JONAS BAES
(born 1961)
Born on 1961 (Los Baños, Laguna)
 He encountered the works of Jose Maceda and
researched on the music of the Iraya-Mangyan
people of Mindoro, which later became the
inspiration for his compositions
 Associate Professor in Composition and Theory
 Explored innovative territories and unusual musical
treatments in his works
 Known for writing music utilizing unorthodox
musical instruments, and vocal music using Asian
vocal techniques
 His early works in the 80s were influenced by
Maceda in the use of large numbers of performers
 Some of his musical compositions are Wala, Daluy,
Ibo-Ibon, Salaysay, Patangis-Buwaya, Pantawag
 Received the Gawad Chancellor para sa
Pinakamahusay na Mananaliksik (Hall of Fame,
2003)
Summary
- National Artist for Music
 Jose Maceda
 Lucrecia Kasilag
 Ramon Santos
 Francisco Feliciano
- League of Filipino Composers
 Lucrecia Kasilag (Chairman)
Song Composers
LEVI CELERIO
(1910-2002)
Born on April 30, 1910 (Tondo, Manila)
Died on April 2, 2002
 Prolific lyricist and composer
 Made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for
being the only person to make music with a leaf
(mouth-blown leaf).
 Wrote the lyrics for over 4 000 songs, received
numerous awards for his musical achievements in
film.
 Joined the Manila Symphony Orchestra
 Translates and re-wrote the lyrics of folksongs to
traditional melodies like
Maliwanag na Buwan from Ilocos,
Ako ay May Singsing from Pampanga, and
Alibangbang from the Visayas
 A great number of kundiman and Filipino love
songs have lyrics written by him, most notable of
which are Dahil sa Iyo, Buhat, and Ang Pasko ay
Sumapit
 National Artist for Music and Literature in 1997
 He will be forever rememberes through his lyrics
for song such as Ang Pipit, Bagong Pagsilang, Sa
Ugoy ng Duyan, Misa de Gallo, Itik-itik, Pasko Na
Naman, Kapag Puso’y Sinugatan, etc.
CONSTANCIO C. DE GUZMAN
(1903-1982)
Born on November 11, 1903
Died on August 16, 1982
 Composer of the nationalistic song Bayan Ko (the
symbolic song of the People Power Movement of
1986). It also won for him the Awit Award for Best
Filipino Lyricist.
 Acknowledged as the “Dean of Filipino Movie
Composers and Musical Directors”
 Became the music director of movie production
companies like Sampaguita, LVN, Royal, Excelsior,
Lea, and Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions.
 His “unexpected” hit song, Panaginip, paved the
way for him to record hundreds of songs,
principally under Villar and Columbia Records.
 His songs Ang Bayan Ko and Kung Kita’y Kapiling
won the gold medal at the Paris International Fair
in 1948
 Some of his notable compositions are Babalik Ka
Rin, Ang Tango Kong Pag-ibig, Birheng Walang
Dambana, Maalaala Mo Kaya, and Sa Piling Mo
MIGUEL “MIKE” G. VELARDE JR.
(1913-1986)
Born on October 23, 1913 (Manila)
Died in 1986
 A composer, conductor, movie actor, and musical
director
 He composed the popular song Dahil sa Iyo (1938)
 Supported himself as a bus conductor and later got
a job at a radio station where he was featured as a
singer and jazz composer
 He also opened a jazz school and became song
editor for the Philippines Free Press
 Composed the song Ugoy-Ugoy Blues which
opened opportunities for him in the movies
 Had a jazz band known as “Mike Velarde’s
Jazztocrats”
 Became editor of the Literary Song Movie
Magazine
 Most Important works:
o Luksang Tagumpay - FAMAS (Filipino
Movie Arts and Sciences) Award for Best
Picture (1960) which he wrote the story
and screenplay
o Alaala Kita – Best Director (1961)
 Strongly influenced by American composers and
songwriters Irving Berlin and Cole Porter
 He composed Ikaw, Lahat ng Araw, Gabi at Araw,
Buhat, Bituing Marikit, Minamahal Kita, Dalisay
 He won the Best Conductor award at the First
International Popular Song Contest in Japan
 Awarded him the Cultural Achievement Award in
Popular Music (1975) by the Philippine
Government Cultural Association
 He received the Gawad CCP Para Sa Sining (1986)
SANTIAGO SUAREZ
(1901-1964)
Born on 1901 (Sampaloc, Manila)
Died in 1964
 Accomplished composer of traditional Filipino love
songs
 His compositions include Ligaya Ko, Pandanggo ni
Neneng, Dungawin Mo Hirang, Bakya Mo
Neneng, Sa Libis ng Nayon, Harana, Kamia
 Knows how to play the piano and is also a
competent harpist
 Took private lessons from Cayetano Jacobe, Pedro
Floriaga, and Nicanor Abelardo
 His compositions are a mixture of the soulful
kundiman style and the lively strains of
countryside
 The melodies are tonal and catchy, while the
rhythms follow regular meter with minimal tempo
changes
RESTITUTO “RESTIE” A. UMALI
(1916-1998)
Born on June 16, 1916 (Paco, Manila)
Died in 1998
 Was a composer, teacher, and musical arranger
 He arranged the Philippine national anthem and
the local classic Kataka-taka for the Boston Pops
Orchestra when it performed for the Philippine
Independence Night in Boston (1972)
 His musical scores for the movies
Sa Bawat Pintig ng Puso (1964),
Pinagbuklod ng Langit (1969),
Mga Anghel na Walang Langit (1970), and
Ang Alamat (1972)
won him "Best Musical Score" honors at the
Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences
(FAMAS) Awards
 He also garnered the "Best Music Awards" for
Bitter-Sweet at the 1969 Manila Film Festival
Ang Agila at Ang Araw at the 1973 Olongapo
Film Festival
 His songs are Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Alaala ng
Lumipas, Ang Pangarap Ko’y Ikaw, Paano Kita
Lilimutin, Di Ka Nag-iisa, Sa Libis ng Barrio
ANGEL M. PEÑA
(1921-2014)
Born on April 22, 1921
Died on December 22, 2014
 Was a classical and jazz composer, musical
arranger, and bass player
 Widely considered by modern Filipino jazz
musicians as “one of the founders of traditional
Jazz in the Philippines”
 Became one of the most sought-after musical
arrangers in Manila
 He made a big band in 1956 for the Upsilon Sigma
Phi’s traditional concert at UP
 He composed Bagbagtulambing (a landmark in
Philippine Music)
 His entry Igorot Rhapsody won first prize on UST’s
national symphonic composition contest
 Accepted as bassist in Honolulu Symphony
Orchestra
 The Jazz Society of the Philippines-USA further gave
him a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Third
Annual Fil-Am Jazz Festival in Hollywood
ERNANI J. CUENCO
(1936-1988)
Born on May 10, 1936 (Malolos, Bulacan)
Died on July 11, 1988
 Was a composer, film scorer, musical director, and
music teacher
 National Artist for Music in 1999
 His works embodied the Filipino sense of
musicality, with the classical sound of kundiman
evident in many of his ballads
 He played for the Filipino Youth Symphony
Orchestra and the Manila Chamber Soloists from
1966 to 1970
 His musical director career began when he was
discovered by the actor Joseph Estrada while he
was playing a part of the band at an exclusive
restaurant in Makati
 He was sent as a delegate in the International
Music Conference in Tokyo, Japan (1963)
 Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal and Bato sa Buhangin,
both of which he composed in honor of his wife
 His works include Pilipinas, Inang Bayan; Isang
Dalangin; Kalesa; Nahan; Kahit na Magtiis
GEORGE M. CANSECO
(1934-2004)
Born on April 23, 1934 (Naic, Cavite)
Died on November 19, 2004 (Manila)
 Considered a “a nationally acclaimed composer of
numerous popular Filipino classics”
 He was commissioned by former First Lady Imelda
Marcos to compose a national tribute hymn
entitled Ako ay Pilipino
 He wrote the classic Kapantay Ay Langit, the
theme song from the award winning motion
picture of the same title, sung by Amapola. The
song won the Manila Film Festival “Best Song of
the Year Award”
 He composed song for some of the country’s top
popular singers such as Sharon Cuneta, Basil
Valdez, Regine Velasquez, Zsa Zsa Padilla, etc.
 He was elected President of the Filipino Society of
Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP)
in 1973
 He was elected as Councilor for the First District of
Quezon City in 1988
 His compositions include Kailangan Kita, Tubig at
Langis, Hanggang sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan,
Ikaw, Ngayon at Kailanman, Kahapon Lamang

LEOPOLDO R. SILOS SR.

(1925-2015)
Born on March 6, 1925
Died on March 10, 2015
 Was a composer, singer, and musical arranger
 Composed and recorded romantically soulful songs
 He was the award-winning musical director of the
television musical program Aawitan Kita
 His music touches the sentiment quite deeply, with
his lyrical and appealing melodies being
complemented by exotic harmonies
 His notable compositions include Halina Halina,
Hindi Ko Malilimutan, Aling Kutsero, Mundo Ma’y
Mawala, Lihim na Pag-ibig, Basta’t Mahal Kita

Summary
- National Artist for Music and Literature
 Levi Celerio
- National Artist for Music
 Ernani Cuenco