TODAY IN OUR MUSIC

CLASS WE WILL LEARN TO:

OBJECTIVES/GOALS:
•Identify the different world-
class Filipino performers
and their life and times as
well as their achievements.
 • ONE OF THE GREATEST FILIPINO VOCAL
JOVITA FUENTES TALENTS, NATIONAL ARTIST FOR MUSIC
JOVITA FUENTES WAS ALSO THE FIRST
FILIPINO INTERNATIONAL STAR IN THE WORLD
OF OPERA.
• IN APRIL 1925, FUENTES MADE HER
INTERNATIONAL DEBUT AS CIO CIO SAN IN
PUCCINI’S MADAMA BUTTERFLY, STAGED IN
ITALY’S TEATRO MUNICIPALE DI PIACENZA.
• SHE FOUNDED VARIOUS MUSIC
ASSOCIATIONS SUCH AS ASOCIACION
MUSICAL DE FILIPINAS, THE BACH SOCIETY OF
THE PHILIPPINES, AND THE ARTISTS’ GUILD OF
THE PHILIPPINES.
JOVITA FUENTES
HONORATA “ATANG” DE LA RAMA
• HONORATA “ATANG” DELA RAMA WAS
FORMALLY HONORED AS THE QUEEN OF
KUNDIMAN IN 1979, THEN ALREADY 74 YEARS
OLD SINGING THE SAME SONG (“NABASAG NA
BANGA”) THAT SHE SANG AS A 15-YEAR OLD
GIRL IN THE SARSUELA DALAGANG BUKID.
• ATANG BECAME THE VERY FIRST ACTRESS IN
THE VERY FIRST LOCALLY PRODUCED FILIPINO
FILM WHEN SHE ESSAYED THE SAME ROLE IN
THE SARSUELA’S FILM VERSION. AS EARLY AS
AGE SEVEN, ATANG WAS ALREADY BEING CAST
IN SPANISH ZARZUELAS.
HONORATA “ATANG” DE LA RAMA
HERMINIGILDO RANERA • HE GRADUATED FROM THE UST CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
WITH A BACHELOR OF MUSIC DEGREE, MAJORING IN
TROMBONE AND THEORY, AND FINISHED WITH A MASTER OF
MUSIC DEGREE IN CONDUCTING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
NORTHERN COLORADO (UNC).
• HE IS PURSUING HIS DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE WITH A
MAJOR IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
SANTO TOMAS. WHILE AT THE UNC, RANERA WAS HONORED
WITH THE DEANS'S CITATION FOR THE GRADUATE EXCELLENCE
AND NATIONAL GRADUATE AWARD.
• A MULTIPLY AWARDED PERFORMER, HE IS A THREE-TIME PRIZE-
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION FOR YOUNG
ARTISTS (NAMCYA) IN 1982 AND 1983 AS A PERFORMER IN
TROMBONE, BARITONE, AND TUBA CATEGORIES, RESPECTIVELY.
HE ALSO WON THE FIRST PRIZE IN CHAMBER MUSIC IN THE
SAME COMPETITION.
HERMINIGILDO RANERA
CECILE LICAD • ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING CONCERT
ARTISTS IN THE WORLD IS PIANIST CECILE
LICAD. BORN IN THE PHILIPPINES, LICAD BEGAN
HER STUDIES ON PIANO AT THE AGE OF 3 WITH
HER MOTHER AND MADE HER PUBLIC DEBUT IN
MANILA AT THE TENDER AGE OF 7.
• AT SEVEN, SHE MADE HER DEBUT AS SOLOIST
WITH THE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF THE
PHILIPPINES.
• AS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST MUSICIANS TO
RECEIVE THE PRESTIGIOUS LEVENTRITT GOLD
MEDAL, MS. LICAD WON IMMEDIATE
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION, AND HER
CAREER WAS LAUNCHED.
CECILE LICAD
 • RAUL M. SUNICO GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF THE
DR. RAUL SUNICO PHILIPPINES WITH THE DEGREES OF BACHELOR OF MUSIC (CUM
LAUDE), BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MATHEMATICS, AND MASTER
OF STATISTICS.
• A SCHOLARSHIP FROM FORMER FIRST LADY IMELDA
ROMUALDEZ-MARCOS THROUGH THE YOUNG ARTISTS
FOUNDATION OF THE PHILIPPINES ENABLED HIM TO FINISH HIS
MASTER OF MUSIC OF MUSIC DEGREE FROM THE JUILLIARD
SCHOOL IN NEW YORK AND A DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE,
MAJOR IN PIANO PERFORMANCE FROM THE NEW YORK
UNIVERSITY.
• SUNICO WON THE SILVER MEDAL IN THE 1979 VIOTTI
INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION IN VERCELLI, ITALY, WAS A
FINALIST IN THE 1979 BUSONI INTERNATIONAL PIANO
COMPETITION IN BOLZANO, ITALY AND RECEIVED THE HENRY
COWELL PRIZE IN THE 1980 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION IN THE UNITED STATES.
DR. RAUL SUNICO
RACHELLE GERODIAZ
• MARIA RACHELLE GERODIAS, “TEN OUTSTANDING
YOUNG MEN” AND “THE OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN THE
NATION’S SERVICE” AWARDEE, IS ONE OF THE
PHILIPPINES’ MOST SOUGHT-AFTER SINGERS,
REGULARLY PERFORMING TO LARGE AUDIENCES
THROUGHOUT THE PHILIPPINES AND ABROAD.
• MS. GERODIAS IS ALSO ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST
AWARD-WINNING SOPRANOS, HAVING WON 1ST PRIZE
IN THE CIVIC MORNING MUSICALS VOCAL
COMPETITION IN SYRACUSE, NEW YORK AND BEING IN
THE ALIW AWARDS HALL OF FAME FOR BEST FEMALE
CLASSICAL PERFORMER.
RACHELLE GERODIAZ
LEA SALONGA • MARIA LEA CARMEN IMUTAN SALONGA, IS A
FILIPINA SINGER AND ACTRESS BEST KNOWN
FOR HER ROLES IN MUSICAL THEATRE, FOR
SUPPLYING THE SINGING VOICES OF TWO
DISNEY PRINCESSES, AND AS A RECORDING
ARTIST AND TELEVISION PERFORMER.
• AT AGE 18, SHE ORIGINATED THE LEAD ROLE OF
KIM IN THE MUSICAL MISS SAIGON, FIRST IN
THE WEST END AND THEN ON BROADWAY,
WINNING THE OLIVIER AND THEATRE WORLD
AWARDS, AND BECOMING THE FIRST ASIAN
WOMAN TO WIN A TONY AWARD.
LEA SALONGA