Samar int'l music fest opens Oct. 29 in Calbayog City

MANILA, Philippines - The first in a series of chamber music events will unfold in Samar island when the First International Music Festival opens in Ciraco Hotel in Calbayog City, tomorrow night at 7.

Featured artists are violinist Gina Medina and pianist Mary Anne Espina who did one of the inaugural concerts of the newly-opened President Corazon Aquino Recital Hall last Oct. 16.

The music festival is a modest attempt to lure local and foreign tourists to visit Samar island after savoring the tourist spots. The concert is also a tribute to Samar’s music icon, Jose Gomez, whose music needs to be known by the new generation. Hopefully, festival concerts will start an idea for an eventual collaboration between Manila-based artists and the local musicians notably the members of the Christ The King College (CKC) Youth Symphony Orchestra under Fr. Marlowe Rosales, OFM.

Fortunately, the idea of classical music as tourist attraction and unifying factor is shared by the Ciriaco Hotel & Resort including Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento who sponsored the air tickets of the festival artists. Newly installed CKC President Fr. Marcelo Tubac has also expressed full support for the festival. The next festival concert on Dec. 5 will feature Filipino international baritone Andrew Fernando, flutist Christopher Oracion and pianist Espina.

Violinist Medina’s Oct. 29 Samar program includes Dvorak’s Romantic Pieces, Rondeau from Mozart’s B Flat major sonata, Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro, Liebeslied and Rondino On A Theme of Beethoven, De Falla’s Danse Espagnole and some Filipino pieces to be capped by the Redentor Romero’s arrangement of Constancio de Guzman’s Bayan Ko. We are frantically looking for a Jose Gomez music score but did not succeed in finding one. Please text 0906-5104270 if you have one.