Maestro Michael Dadap, Kwerdas in RHAPSODY OF STRINGS

Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc. presents RHAPSODY OF STRINGS featuring acclaimed classical and folk guitarist Maestro Michael Dadap with the special participation of Kwerdas, one of the country’s best pluck string ensemble, on October 2008 at the Marcelo B. Fernan Cebu Press Center.

For Maestro Michael A. Dadap, music is not limited to merely performing or playing a tune. Rather, music is a medium for one to gain more confidence, empowerment and a strong sense of completeness. This inspiring insight harmonized with his strong passion for music, have brought him to the limelight of success as an accomplished musician, performing artist, mentor and inspiration to the young. Hailing from a small town in Leyte, he worked his way to become an international virtuoso, making beautiful music with the world’s great musicians and performers; at the same time sharing his talent with others as his contribution to make this world a better place to live.

An acclaimed classical and folk guitarist in the Philippines and the United States, Mr. Dadap has performed in hundreds of concerts in many parts of the world including New York City’s most prestigious concert halls such as Carnegie Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. He comes home to the Philippines periodically to give concerts at the CCP and conduct workshops in educational and other performing arts centers. By including Filipino music as part of his concert repertoire, he has raised cultural awareness and national pride among Filipinos in many parts of the world. In 2000, he was awarded “Artist of the Year” by the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts.

An accomplished and seasoned composer and conductor, he has written a significant number of original compositions and conducted major symphonic works by great composers of the romantic period to contemporary times. His early works include the patriotic piece, “Huling Pagsamo” which became popular among Filipinos in the United States during the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship in the early 70s. His “Handurawan Suite” won the first prize award from the Asian American Alliance for Culture and Arts in 1986.

In 1998, he composed “Sinulog”, a symphonic work for orchestra to commemorate the Philippine Independence Centennial Celebration. He also wrote the music of “Yutao: A Musical Dula in Two Acts”, a theatrical piece designed for courses in culture and history which will be included in the curriculum of high schools in California and eventually in all high schools in the US. The play highlights the Filipino-American experience from their migration to the US a century ago, and during World War II. Moreover, his arrangements of music for the rondalla are now part of standard rondalla repertoire in the US and the Philippines. He is currently working with the Supreme Council of Datus Alimaong, the ethnic-based community group in the Visayas and Northern Mindanao, on a community cultural program by promoting the revival of the bandurria and rondalla music. His award-winning works commissioned by different Filipino communities, have been featured in various events in the US and other countries.

Kwerdas started out in 1999 as an “ad hoc” rondalla with the sole purpose of performing the Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5 by Heitor Villalobos for one of the soprano students of Prof. Priscilla Magdamo Abraham. It was then composed of music students who were interested to try something new. Since then, the group has performed both in the national and international levels. What started as a music endeavor turned out to be one of the more successful performing entities of Silliman University. 

Tickets to the event are priced at P300. For inquiries please call the Arts Council office at 233-0452 or email us at [email protected]