Brilliant storyteller / Unique pianist Rondello / GMA artists in exhibit

South African Ambassador Pieter Vermeulen has graciously sent me voluminous and most impressive credentials of South African story-teller Gcina Mhlophe, whom Mr. Vermeulen describes as “highly regarded not only in South Africa but also internationally”, and who performs at CCP’s Studio Theater July 8-10.

Here are a few highlights of Ms. Mhlophe’s distinguished career. As lead actress, she has toured England, Ireland, Holland and Switzerland. She has won New York’s “Obie” award and the Edinburgh Festival’s “Fringe First Award” both as best actress, the “Sony Award” nomination for best production from BBC Radio Africa, and Chicago’s “Joseph Jefferson Award”. She has staged and directed plays, appeared on television and radio.

She was one of the top performers at the Graz International Storytelling Festival in Austria, performed at the Wuerzburg Africa Festival in Germany, took “Waves and Tales” to a most enthusiastic audience at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, garnered literature, storytelling and heritage awards, and published several books of stories and poems.

I am certainly eager to lend storyteller Mhlophe my ear.

Former prodigy and outstanding American pianist Angelo Rondello, 28, will give a piano recital at the Philamlife auditorium on Aug. 9, Sunday, at 7 p.m. He will render Beethoven’s Sonata in C Minor (“Pathetique”), Chopin’s Mazurka in A Minor and Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Liszt’s Tarantella from “Venezia e Napoli” and Avelina Manalo’s Katlala (“Nostalgia”).

Rondello began studying the piano at age 13 and was remarkably concertizing within a year. Since his New York debut in the Trinity/St. Paul concert series in 2005, he has appeared on TV playing St. Saens’ Concerto No. 2 in G Minor and has been interviewed for studio recordings. His playing of Bach was used in the award-winning film “Die Martins Passion”.

Concertist Rondello, also a teacher and dedicated advocate of music education, founded Melodia, a non-profit organization devoted to bringing educational music programs to schools and communities for aspiring musicians.

His writings on music education and philosophy of music have been published in prestigious US magazines, books and newspapers.

Rondello studied at the Seattle Conservatory, the Manhattan School, Mannes College and the Conservatory at Brooklyn College. His principal mentors were Mark Salman and Jeffrey Biegel.

Rondello’s unique take on the piano recital creates a form of presentation which leads to new levels of enjoyment and understanding of music. He achieves this with an innate gift of communication, illuminating music’s many facets through engaging commentary and example.

Recital proceeds will go to the Center for Positive Futures, a private Catholic high school that provides children of disadvantaged families quality high school education.

It was GMA graphic artist Sixto del Rosario who gave me details on GMA’s 50th anniversary and on the first-ever exhibition of its 50 staff artists to celebrate the occasion. Sixto again has sent me the names of the 50 artists whose show at the GMA Center runs through July 10.

They are Issa Aguas, Dodjie Aguinaldo, Glenn Ala, Jay Amor, Love Añover, Randy Arrojo, Alyx Arumpac, Samuel Austria, Lundle Bolano, Sherilyn Bruan, Deo Bugaoisan, Jack Cabanayan, Portia Carbonell, Ada Canas, Nelson Canlas, Arlene Carnay, Pye Cruz, Rovie dela Cruz, Carol Eguaras, Eva Ercilla, Marj Espejo, Redge Estrada, Ferds Recio, Marissa Flores, Tonipet Gaba, Chino Gaston, Ever Lawrence Gutierrez, Ma. Abegail Lara, Charo Lagonoy, Joy Madrigal, Erwin Mata, Joseph Morong, Jay Orense, Tin Agustin-Padilla, Aileen Padua, Sheila Paras, Tina Panganiban-Perez, Sweeney del Pilar, Jeco Placio, Kikoy Rapadas, Benedick Rellama, Sixto del Rosario, Kiko Rustia, Marie Saballegue, CJ Salas, Joel San Luis, Howie Severino, Jessica Soho, May delos Santos, Raffy Tima, Jay Taruc and Jazel Villamarin.

Part of the proceeds from the sale of photos, paintings, sketches and sculpture will go to the Kapuso Foundation.