NATIONAL ARTISTS: MUSIC

ANTONIO R. BUENAVENTURA
Antonio Buenaventura, together with Francisca Reyes Aquino,
National Artist for Dance, researched on and popularized
Philippine folk songs and dances in 1935. He wrote songs and
musical arrangement based on the folk songs of different ethnic
groups in the country. Included in his works are several marches
and symphonic and orchestral music composition. His notable
marches include History of Fantasy, Triumphal March, Echoes from
the Past, and more while his known orchestral music composition
includes Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, Philippine Triumphant,
Symphony in C Major, Mindanao Sketches, and Concert Overture.
Buenaventura was also the conductor of the Philippine Army Band
that brought back the band’s prestige as one of the world’s best
military bands. With his lead, the Philippine Army Band was
tagged as “the only band that can sound like a symphony
orchestra.”
JOSE MACEDA
Jose Maceda’s life-long musical career focused on understanding
and popularizing Filipino traditional music. He conducted
reaserches and fieldworks on traditional music which resulted in his
wide array of recorded music from different parts of the country.
His papers led to the understanding and appreciation of the ethnic
and traditional music of the Philippines, locally and internationally.
Apart from conducting researches, he also wrote some compositions
inspired by traditional music. His major works include Ugma-ugma,
Pagsamba, Udlot-udlot, Kubing, Agungan, Ugnayan, Aroding,
Ading, Siasid, and Suling-suling.
LUCRECIA R. KASILAG
Lucrecia R. Kasilag reinforces the Filipino’s appreciation to music by
fusing Western influences to ethnic music. She integrated ethnic
instruments in her orchestral productions like “Toccata for
Percussions and Winds, Divertissement and Conceertante”,
Filiasiana, De Profundis, and Minsang Pilipino. Her other works
include Legend of the Sarimanok, Philippine Scenes, Her Son, Ang
Pamana, Jose, Sisa, Awit ng mga Awit Psalms, Fantasie on 4 Note
Theme, and East Meets Jazz Ethnika. Also, Kasilag was the music
director of the Bayanihan Dance Company. Together with other
artists, she made the group one of the finest cultural dance group
in the Philippines.
ERNANI J. CUENCO
Ernani Cuenco is one of the remarkable singer, composer, film scorer, and a
musician in his time. Many of his songs etched a mark in the hearts of the
Filipinos due to his style of incorporating Kundiman elements in his ballad love
songs. Many of his works served as the theme songs and musical scores for
numerous Filipino movies that led to his fame. Some of his popular works
include Bato sa Buhangin, Bulong ng Puso, Kalesa, Gano Kita Kamahal, Diligin
mo ng Hamog ang Uhaw na Lupa, and Nahan, Kahit na Magtiis. Cuenco
collaborated with Levi Celerio, another National Artist for Music, in composing
and adding lyrics to most of his musical compositions used in the films. Also,
before entering the movie world, Cuenco was a cellist for five years in the
Manila Symphony Orchestra. He was also a professor in the University of
Santo Tomas.
LUCIO D. SAN PEDRO
Lucio San Pedro is a master composer known for creatively using folk idioms in
his musical compositions. Unlike other artists, he did not incorporate folk song
materials in his works. Instead, he extracted the Filipino essence and style from
the folk materials and used them in his compositions. His music has this effect of
bringing a sense of identity of the Filipinos. He produced numerous works like
songs, orchestral compositions, chamber music, and cantatas. Some of his
famous songs include Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, Lulay; choral compositions include
Eastern Cantata, Sa Mahal Kong Bayan; orchestral works include The Devils
Bridge, Malakas at Maganda Overture, Hope and Ambition; and band
musical compositions include Dance of Fairies, and Lahing Kayumanggi.
Moreover, Maestro Lucio San Pedro was the conductor of three bands namely
Peng Kong Grand Mason Band, The San Pedro Band of Angono and Banda
Angono Numero Uno.
ANTONIO J. MOLINA
Antonio Molina’s notable contribution to the Philippine music is his use of folk
music in his works. He innovated the Philippine music in his time by using folk
instruments like the kulintangan and gabbang. He composed more than 300
works and two-thirds of which used traditional music. His works involve
orchestral music like Ang Batingaw Choral Symphony, Kundiman-Kundangan,
The Living World; chamber music like Hating gabu, String Quartet, Kung sa
Iyong Gunita; keyboard music like Malikmata, We Were Moonlight, Dancing
Fool; vocal music like Amihan, Awit ni Maria Clara, and Larawan Nitong
Pilipinas, among others. Molina came from a family of a musician who
influenced him to play different instruments. His father founded the Orchestra
Molina with 22 musicians who studied music for free in the Molina’s residence.
The said band was disbanded in the Spanish period. Molina studied Law at
the University of Sto Tomas and Manila Law School but later on stopped
baecause of his father’s illness. He then established the Rondalla Ideal and
continued with his musical career until it flourished. He became known as he
last musical triumvirate along with two other musicians Nicanor Abelardo and
Francisco Santiago, who set the bar of folk music.
FRANCISCO FELICIANO
Francisco Feliciano was a musician, composer, teacher and
conductor known for incorporating “Asianess” in his music. His works
show the rich culture and ethnicity of Asia especially the
Philippines. This world renowned artist created unique musical
works by transforming our indigenous music to a level equal to the
music of the western countries. In his choral pieces, he used musical
lines from ethnic songs resulting to the enthusiastic harmony of
sound and culture. His operas and orchestral works, on the other
hand, has unique musical language carrying contemporary style
that uses modal scales. His major works include Sihay sa Kabila ng
Paalam, La Loba negra, Pokpok Alimako, Pamagun, Yerma, and
the Ashen Wings.
LEVI CELERIO
Levi Celerio started playing the violin when he was 11 years old. Due to his
extraordinary talent in music, Alexander Lippay of the University of the
Philippines Conservatory of Music recommended him at the Academy of
Music Manila for a scholarship. However, Celerio had an accident resulting
to a broken wrist which stopped him from playing the vilin but this accident
did mot stop him from continuing a career in music. He became a lyricist
and wrote a wide range of songs of different themes. He composed an
estimate of 4000 thousand of musical works. Some of his famous pieces
are Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak, Saan Ka Man Naroroon,
Ang Pipit, Kung Tayo’y Magtanim, Kalesa, etc. He was also a lyricist of the
famous Christmas song, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit. Celerio also became known
for writing songs for Filipino movies. He collaborated with another National
Artist like Lucio San Pedro and Ernani Cuenco.
RAMON SANTOS
Ramon Santos’ music highlights Asia’s and Philippines’ rich artistic tradition
and features elements from western and non-western areas. He combined
Philippine indigenous instruments and vocals to orchestral instruments and
others instruments from foreign nations like the Javanese gamelan. He is
also composed works that interweaved Asian culture, drama, poetry, and
dance like his Sandiwaan, Darangang Mayon, Ta-O, Awit ni Palau, etc.
Moreover, included in his popular unique compositions is Kulintang. It is a
piece for solo piano which resembles the sound of kulintang, a musical
instrument from Mindanao. Santos promoted the Philippine music to other
nations through his cultural education programs. He organized an
international festival for rondalla and forum for traditional music attended
by composers.
JOVITA FUENTES
Jovita Fuentes was remarkable Filipina artist known for her portrayal of Cio-cio
san in Madame Butterfly by Giac33omo Puccini, which was held in Teatro
Municipale di Piacenza in Italy. Spain awarded her as the “Embahadora de
Filipinas a su Madre Patria” for outstandingly portraying different roles in
numerous musical performances in Europe. It has to be noted that at that time,
Filipinas are rarely heard in Europe, but Jovita made the country proud for her
exceptional voice and performances. Fuentes was also the founder of the artist
guild of the Philippines which periodically produced the “Tour of Operaland”
productions which promoted opera in the Philippines. She also supported other
musical organizations which kept Philippine music alive. Also, Jovita was an
educator of music at the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music, Sta.
Isabel College, and College of Holy Spirit.
FELIPE PADILLA DE LEON
Felipe Padilla de Leon is a “People’s Musician” for the sentiments and the
aspirations of the Filipino people in times of war and of peace are evident
in his musical works. The musical artists before him inspired de Leon to
create a Filipinized version of Western Music. Some of his orchestral music
include, Mariang Makiling Overture and Roca Encantada; his symphonic
work include Maynila Overture and Orchesterstuk while his choral music
and songs include Payapang Daigdig, Ako ay Pilipino, Bulaklak and Mutya
ng Lahi.
ANDREA VENERACION
Andrea Veneracion played a significant part in the development in the
Philippine choral music. She was the founder of the world-renowned choral
group, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, which has won numerous awards in
and outside the country. The Madrigals contributed in the development of
chorale literature and movement throughout the Philippines. Veneracion
also conducted cultural outreach programs providing Music Education in
several areas in the country.