The UP College of Music and the UP College of Music Alumni Association Incorporated (UPCMAAI) presented a thanksgiving concert on February 1 at the Executive House in Diliman to honor UP President Alfredo E. Pascual.
Present at the event were UP faculty, students, and administrative staff of the UP College of Music, UP System officials, as well as National Artists Ramon Santos and Bienvenido Lumbera.
“This concert manifests our greatest gratitude to UP President Alfredo Pascual for his unwavering support to the College since the beginning of his term. The infrastructure development that has been awarded the College is a great leap forward to new beginnings and continuing academic excellence and service,” said College of Music Dean Jose S. Buenconsejo, , in a message.
In his response, President Pascual said that he has been a big supporter of the arts. “I am looking forward to the full completion of the new facility of the College of Music as well as the other infrastructure development for the Arts and Humanities on campus. I believe that the University should excel and flourish not only in the sciences, but also in the arts.”
Danica Mae Antazo, a pianist and a student of the College of Music, performed Franz Liszt’s Sonnet 104 of Petrarch and Ryan Cayabyab’s Toccata.
The Tugtugang Musika Asyatika (TUGMA) Koto Ensemble, composed of Maikee Barba, Angela Montaño, James Gazmin and Elizabeth Arce, played Tadao Sawai’s Tsuchi Ningyo. While the TUGMA Kulintangan Ensemble, made up of Elizabeth Arce, Julia Yabes, Hannah Malonzo, James Gazmin, Jacques Dufourt, Jun Legson, Kathleen Cahis, Dona Gonzales, Jeannae Dormido and Marla Añonuevo, serenaded the audience with Tidtu and Sinulog a bagu.
A major feature of the concert were the presentations of College of Music students Christian Dino and Jairus Saldajeno, who offered their original compositions to be performed for the first time.
Dino’s Gratitude for Generosity was interpreted by Michelle Mariposa, a soprano, Isaac Roldan on violin, Celyn Ponce on cello, and Christian Dino himself on the piano.
Meanwhile, Saldajeno’s Gunita, was performed by Paul Andrew Evangelista, Draizen Genesis Sanchez, Danelle Dionisio, Jose Lorenzo Reyna Jr., and Klyde Ledamo on violin, oboe, clarinet in Bb, bassoon, and piano respectively, and accompanied with an interpretive dance by the UP Dance Company. (Stephanie S. Cabigao, UP MPRO)
