Philippines on Music Theory Print

Alice Doria-Gamilla

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Alice Doria-Gamilla (born 20 September 1931) is a composer whose works include the 1960 song “A Million Thanks to You,” which was later covered by Pilita Corrales in the first Philippine recording to sell a million copies. It became the signature song of Pilita’s musical television show An Evening with Pilita and was later recorded by Bobbi Martin of the Jackie Gleason Show in the United States under Coral Records. The song was recorded in seven languages. Born in Nagcarlan, Laguna, Philippines, Doria-Gamilla could play the piano by ear at the age of three and began formal instruction when she was six. She was raised in an atmosphere of music teaching by her mother (Socorro Plantilla Cuento), father (Santos Montañano Doria) and elder sister (Consuelo Cuento Doria). She completed Elementary Teacher’s Certificate at the National University. She first worked as a critic teacher for two years at the Elementary Department of National University. She became the pianist of the Division City schools of Manila, and a demonstrator and choral conductor of teachers and children’s group. As a new discovered composer in 1964, she was featured as a pianist playing her own compositions in The Tele

Dolores Paterno

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Dolores Paterno y de Vera-Ignacio (March 10, 1854 – July 3, 1881) was a Filipina composer known for the song “La Flor de Manila” (also known as “Sampaguita”). Biography Dolores Paterno e Ignacio (anglicized as Dolores Paterno-Ignacio) was born on March 10, 1854, in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. She was one of the thirteen children of Máximo Molo-Agustín-Paterno y Yamzon and Carmen de Vera-Ignacio y Pineda Dolores Paterno came from the wealthy mestizo sangley Paterno family. She was the sister of Lcdo. Dr. Pedro Alejandro Paterno, a Filipino politician, poet, and novelist. Her sisters and stepsisters, Águeda, Jácoba, Paz, Concepcion, and Adelaida, were celebrated painters and jewellers whose works were exhibited at the Exposición Regional de Filipinas in Manila in 1895 and at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. She was also related to the Asuncion brothers, among them Justiniano Asuncion who painted her portrait in 1870. Musically inclined at a young age, she was sent by her parents to the Santa Isabel College, Manila, an all-girls Catholic school managed by the Daughters of Charity. She devoted much of her time to learning the piano. In 1879, at the age of 25 she composed her on

Fred Elizalde

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Federico “Fred” Díaz Elizalde (December 12, 1907 – January 16, 1979) was a Filipino classical and jazz pianist, composer, conductor, and bandleader, influential in the British dance band era. Early life and education Elizalde was born in Manila, Philippines, to Spanish Filipino parents José Joaquín Elizalde and Carmen Díaz y Moreau. His paternal grandfather, Joaquín Marcelino Elizalde e Yrisarry, emigrated to the Philippines from Elizondo, Navarre. He was a brother of diplomat Joaquín (“Mike”), Manuel (“Manolo”), Juan Miguel, Ángel and Carmenchu Elizalde. At age seven he moved to Spain and entered the Madrid Royal Conservatory, winning the first prize in piano at age 14. This lasted only a year; soon after reaching England, Elizalde formed a new band, the Quinquaginta Band, In the same period, Elizalde composed works which melded jazz and European concert music elements, including “The Heart of a Nigger” Conductor and composer Elizalde broke up his band in 1929, and Christian Ferras gave its London premiere under the direction of Gaston Poulet, in the presence of the composer, and made the world premiere recording on November 7, 1947, when he was aged only 14 * a string quartet, an

Jonathan Manalo

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Jonathan Suarez Manalo (born November 26, 1978) is a Filipino songwriter and record producer. He is currently the creative director of ABS-CBN Music, having composed numerous compositions for ABS-CBN programs. His compositions for various artists have earned him 75 multi-platinum and 100 gold certifications At age 13, he finished his first full composition entitled Aming Panginoon (Our Lord). This song was chosen as one of the ten finalists in a songfest and was included in the compilation album Ikapitong Salmo (The Seventh Psalm). He was also mentored by Jungee Marcelo, a gospel songwriter who competed in songwriting festivals. Mainstream breakthrough Manalo made his first significant break in the Philippine music industry with ABS-CBN’s Himig Handog sa Makabagong Kabataan contest, which was open to amateurs and professionals alike. He won the grand prize with the winning composition, “Tara Tena”, a song that centered around inspiring the youth to do more for their country, and was interpreted by Kyla, Kaya, and V3. Dubbed then as the “anthem of the youth” by the Filipino politician Loren Legarda, it was used as a theme song for an eponymous TV series that catered to a younger aud

Lucrecia Roces Kasilag

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lucrecia Roces Kasilag (31 August 1918 – 16 August 2008) was a Filipino composer and pianist. She is particularly known for incorporating indigenous Filipino instruments into orchestral productions. Biography Lucrecia “King” Roces Kasilag was born in San Fernando, La Union Philippines, the third of the six children of Marcial Kasilag Sr., a civil engineer, and his wife Asuncion Roces Ganancial, a violinist and a violin teacher. She was Kasilag’s first solfeggio teacher. The second was Doña Concha Cuervo, who was a strict Spanish woman. Kasilag later studied under Doña Pura Villanueva, during which time performed her first public piece, Felix Mendelssohn’s May Breezes, at a student recital when she was ten years old. 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. 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. She completed a Bachelor of Music in 1949, and then attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, studying theory with Allen I. McHose and compo

Michael Dadap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Michael Amper Dadap is a popular Filipino guitarist, composer, and conductor, and an influential advocate of Filipino folk music. He was influential in the creation of a world-class rondalla ensemble in the United States is also the founding music director of the rondalla ensemble of Iskwelahang Pilipino based in Boston, Massachusetts. Early life and training Dadap was born in Barangay Bangcas B Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, on May 19,1944, into a family of musicians, one of the 14 children of Dionesia Amper and Vedasto Dadap. He is the younger brother of Filipino nationalist composer Jerry Amper Dadap. His first exposure to music was at a local Protestant church, where he grew up with the hymns of Handel, Mozart and Beethoven. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1964 from the University of the Philippines, majoring in conduction. In 1971, he went to study composition and conducting at the Mannes College of Music in New York City and three years later made his debut performance at Carnegie Recital Hall. He also toured as a musical performer in other parts of the United States, Europe and the Far East. Career Since 1984, Dadap has been the artistic and musical director and principal co

Nicanor Abelardo

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Nicanor Santa Ana Abelardo (February 7, 1893 – March 21, 1934) was a Filipino composer known for his kundiman songs. Biography Early life Nicanor Abelardo was born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan to Valentin Abelardo and Placida Santa Ana, on February 7, 1893 His mother belonged to a family of artists in Guagua, the Henson. He was introduced to music when he was five years old when his father taught him solfeggio, the bandurria, and the guitar at 6. His quick mastery of the instruments made him a local prodigy. He could play his father’s arrangement of Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” on the guitar at age 6. He also learned the violin and other string instruments given to him by his father, and learned how to play quickly without much difficulty. In 1901, he wrote his first composition, “Ang Unang Buko”, and dedicated it to his grandmother. In 1902, Nicanor’s uncle, the painter Juan Abelardo, took him to Manila to attend several schools. During this time Nicanor became the favorite among the haranistas who admired his skill at such a young age. This was also the time when he learned how to play the piano. He saw a piano for the first time at a factory of one of his uncle’s client

Nicole Laurel Asensio

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Isobelle Nicole Laurel Asensio (born July 7, 1986), professionally known as Nicole Asensio, is a Filipino actress, singer and songwriter. After providing lead vocals for all-girl rock band General Luna, she began a solo career and released her first album Schizoprano in 2015. Early life and family A member of the Laurel family, Asensio is the daughter of singer Iwi Laurel. Her maternal grandparents are former Vice President of the Philippines Salvador Laurel (the son of Philippine President Jose P. Laurel), and the singer Celia Diaz-Laurel. She is the first cousin of actress Denise Laurel and niece of theater artist Cocoy Laurel. Her paternal grandmother is famed opera singer Fides Cuyugan-Asensio. Asensio began singing as a child, but “didn’t undergo formal voice lessons like most heirs of musical legends do. Instead, living with her grandmother, mother, and uncle, was enough for her to discover her musicality.” She graduated from De La Salle University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in literature. In 1998, at age twelve, Asensio performed as one of the orphans in her first major production Annie with Repertory Philippines. The following year she performed in another musical (Th

Ramon Santos

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ramón Pagayon Santos (born 25 February 1941) is a Filipino composer, ethnomusicologist, and educator known for being the Philippines’ foremost living exponent of contemporary Filipino classical music, *Likas-An

Ryan Cayabyab

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Raymundo Cipriano “Ryan” Pujante Cayabyab (; born May 4, 1954) is a Filipino musician, composer and conductor of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He was the Executive and Artistic Director for several years for the defunct San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts. He was named National Artist of the Philippines for Music in 2018. His works range from commissioned full-length ballets, theater musicals, choral pieces, a Mass set to the unaccompanied chorus, and orchestral pieces, to commercial recordings of popular music, film scores and television specials. He composed the Da Coconut Nut Song performed by his Smokey Mountain band, Cayabyab’s current project includes the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS), a group of seven singers comparable to Smokey Mountain in the early 1990s. After FreemantleMedia decided not to renew the Philippine Idol franchise, Cayabyab transferred to rival show Pinoy Dream Academy, replacing Jim Paredes as the show’s headmaster. PDA 2 started on June 14, 2008. He also became the chairman of the board of judges for GMA Network’s musical-reality show To The Top. He is the executive director of the PhilPop MusicFest Foundation Inc., the organization behind the Phil

Vincent Bueno

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Vincent Mendoza Bueno (born 10 December 1985) is an Austrian singer of Filipino descent. On 12 January 2008, he became the winner of the ORF programme, Musical! Die Show (Musical! The Show), an Austrian television musical contest. He also served as a support act for Filipino singer Sarah Geronimo’s concert in Vienna. On 18 January 2008, Bueno told the Philippine media of his plans to debut in the Philippines. He then made his first performance in Philippine Television on ASAP XV on 29 August 2010. He also signed a contract under Star Records, an ABS-CBN Entertainment Group Company, to pursue his music career in the Philippines. He was supposed to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands with the song, “Alive”. However, on 18 March 2020, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he represented the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song “Amen”, however it did not qualify for the final. Career Early education Bueno started dancing at the age of 4. He later graduated in music and performing arts at the Vienna Conservatory of Music. Bueno is also a composer of R&B music, having taken special courses in ac