Ingrid Santamaria launched 3-CD set

A 3-CD set of six major Romantic Piano Concertos was launched recently in the Heart of Tondo, Manila. The occasion also highlighted the unveiling of the marker of the "Ingrid Sala Santamaria Concert Salon," with Mrs. Dachelyn Yap Badoy representing Hon. Ludovico Badoy, Director of the National Institute of the Philippines, and French Cultural Attache Hon. Michel Stanislas Villar, doing the honors.

The activity, attended by closest family and friends, started with a Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Romel Cruz. Jeffrey Solares, erstwhile Music Director of Cebu-based Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation's Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) and Peace Philharmonic Philippines (PPP) Training and Performance Development Programs, then explained the making of the 3-CD recording. Now Executive Director of the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), he recounted how the MSO, conducted by Prof. Arturo Molina, together with pianist Santamaria recorded on February 9, 2014, the Tschaikovsky and Chopin No. 1 concertos; the Grieg and Rachmaninoff No.2 on March 16; and the Liszt No. 1 and Schumann concertos on March 23 with Holland Buella as the chief sound engineer. Recording venue was the CADD Auditorium at Faith Academy in Cainta, Rizal.

Intense editing by MSO team composed of Solares, Ariel Perez, and Gina Media Perez; and Santamaria and Buela, followed in April and May. Photography by Joanne Zapanta Andrada was used by J. Romero Advertising and Gil Paterno to conceptualize and produce the unique CD cover designs, brochures and set packaging. Now both a landmark and a benchmark in Philippine Music History, the Santamaria-MSO 3-CD set was produced and launched within the relatively short period of February 9 - June 12, 2014.

Bert Robledo, Executive Director of the nationwide classic radio station DZFE, has scheduled three consecutive Fridays starting June 20 at noon to 1pm, airings of the Santamaria - MSO CD recordings together with a live interviews with pianist Santamaria, sound engineer Buela, and MSO director Solares. The programs will be streamed live worldwide.

Santamaria recently shared the June 12 Tondo Premiere Launch activities by video with Cebu Press friends. On July 25, she played a major concert featuring the Tschaikovsky and Schumann concertos with MSO/Molina at the Ayala Museum in Makati. She had previously played the Grieg and Rachmaninoff No. 2 concertos on March 20 at the same venue with MSO/Molina.

On the July 25 event at the Ayala Museum, the 3-CD set was presented to the general public. One may obtain further info by contacting Solares at [email protected].