Sunico and Arrieta join forces in 2-piano concert at the Met

Raul Sunico and Rowena Arrieta are pianists. But they are also known for other things. Sunico was discovered and considered the heartthrob of the piano in the late ‘70s. He was thought of as phenomenal because of his ability to memorize scores overnight.

Sunico was well-prepared for the day job with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics cum laude aside from his Bachelor of Music from the University of the Philippines. He took up his masters in music at Julliard and his doctorate at New York University. He is one of the very few Steinway Artists in the world.

A NAMCYA champion, Arrieta was one of the first scholars of the Philippine High School for the Arts in Makiling, Laguna. She became famous for her fiery playing style. She was also the pretty young girl who wrote the lyrics of the pop tune Ewan to the melody of Louie Ocampo.

Arrieta’s college days were spent in Russia where she studied and graduated with the highest honors from the Moscow Conservatory of Music where Russian National Artist Yevgeny Malinin was among her teachers. She continued her studies at the Manhattan School of Music and was awarded the Elva Van Gelder Scholarship. She is now based in New York but would be ready to come home for special performances.

A NAMCYA champion, Rowena Arrieta was one of the first scholars of the Philippine High School for the Arts in Makiling, Laguna. Her college days were spent in Russia where she studied and graduated with the highest honors from the Moscow Conservatory of Music. She continued her studies at the Manhattan School of Music and was awarded the Elva V

Those facts should make them recognizable to the young generation who might have never heard of them. Not anybody’s fault really. Culture, particularly classical music, has taken a backseat to most things these past years. Therefore, the kids are most of the time exposed only to pop music, and unfortunately, of the K-pop variety, at that.

This is very sad. Not being able to experience the pride of having world-class instrumentalists around does create a void. I mean, the ones that young people can admire, have crushes on as they swoon over the beautiful music that their idols make.

Another reason is that there have only been a few or no pianists of their stature at all these past three decades. Back during those days, fans had choices. Rene Dalandan, Cecile Licad, Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz, Victor Asuncion, among others.

And including Sunico and Arrieta, they are all winners of international competitions and can claim to be world-class. Why, I can even recall heated debates about who was the best.

And with very few pianists of that stature around, it also follows that there would be very few piano concerts happening hereabouts. So, finding out that Sunico and Arrieta will be performing together on two pianos is great news indeed.

The concert is Ritmo at Romansa and it will be held at 8 in the evening at the Metropolitan Theater on Saturday, Sept. 30.

That these two would play well is already a given. But what also makes this concert important is that it will showcase Filipino music, both pop and classical played together on two separate pianos.

There will be a few war horses like the Italian Polka by Sergei Rachmaninoff; Libertango by Astor Piazolla; Gayane Ballet Suite by Aram Kachaturian; and the Blue Danube Fantasy by Johann Strauss. But everything else will be Filipino.

Not only Filipino but coming from several decades with some of them only recently discovered and will be performed for the first time. Think of the late 1800s like the Simoun Overture and Romanza Appasionata by Juan Hernandez; Sayaw (Festival Dance) by Antonio Regalario; Mandolina by Jose Estella; Danse Compestre, ob.11a by Julio Nakpil; La Fuerza del Amor by Diego Perez; and Kandingan by Rodolfo Cornejo.

Then on to the 1950s for Poeme by Carmencita Arambulo and down to the ‘70s and succeeding eras for Tanging Yaman by Manoling Francisco, arranged by Rica Arambulo; a medley of Kapag Puso’y Sinugatan and Sana’y Maghintay ang Walang Hanggan, which I wrote with Willy Cruz and arranged by Danny Tan; and then Ikaw and Ngayon at Kailan Man by George Canseco arranged by Louie Ocampo.

Do take note of this event: Ritmo at Romansa directed by Monino Duque. It will be held at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 8 o’clock in the evening.

Tickets are now available on line or call tel. no. 0969-6100825. Presented by Musika Pilipinas and produced by SATB, proceeds from the show will benefit the PARC Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the enrichment of education and the arts among young people.