CONTEMPORARY

PHILIPPINE MUSIC ARTIST

BY: EDECIL OGAO-OGAO
Felipe Padilla de
Leon Sr.
(1912-1992)
 FELIPE P. DE LEON SR.
• He was born on May 1, 1912 in Peñaranda, Nueva
Ecija.
• His parents were Juan de Leon and Natalia Padilla.
• Married to Pianist Liuminada Mendoza and the
Father of six children that are equally gifted in
music.
• During his School days, De Leon’s talent in painting
and drawing was discovered and admired by his peers.
• He was paid for making sketches and illustrations that
the People asked.
When he was still studying at Nueva Ecija High School,
went on trips with his hometown band and wrote short
pieces for them
 FELIPE P. DE LEON SR.
• Took up Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines in 1927,
but had to stop schooling in order to make a living.
• He played the trombone in dance orchestras which performed
in cabarets, circuses, and bodabil (vaudeville) shows.
• Then 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
• De Leon decided to study music formally and enrolled at the
Conservatory of Music. University of the Philippines. He
studied under National Artists Col. Antonino Buenaventura
and Antonio Molina.
• He contributed articles to the school paper and vernacular
magazines, and wrote music columns for the Manila Times also
known as Manila Tribune and Taliba
• De Leon graduated with a Music Teacher's
diploma, major in conducting, in 1939.
then, he took advanced studies in
composition under Vittorio Giannini of the
Julliard School of Music in New York,
USA.
• De Leon received many awards, such as
Composer of the Year (1949), Manila
Music Lovers Society: Musician of the
Year (1958), UP Conservatory of Music.
• He was conferred an Honorary degree.
Doctor of Philosophy in the Humanities, by
the University of the Philippines in 1991.
FELIPE PADILLA DE LEON SR.

 Wrote piano compositions, hymns,

marches, art songs, chamber music,
symphonic poems, overtures, band music,
school songs, orchestral works, operas,
kundiman, zarzuelas.
 He was known as a nationalist composer
who expressed the Philippines cultural
identity through his compositions.
 Felipe Padilla de Leon Sr
Works
Operas.
Noli Me Tangere (1957) and El Filibusterismo (1970)
• are considered his masterpieces and have been staged in the Philippines
and abroad.
A march
Tirudig – During the Japanese Regime
Aking Inang Bayan, Bagong Lipunan - During the martial law period.
Popular Christmas Carols
Payapang Daigdig (1946), Noche Buena, and Pasko Na Naman, both in
1965.
De Leon died on December 5, 1992 and received a posthumous
award as National Artist for Music in 1997.