Rehearsals of Cecile, Gerard; The ABS-CBN Philharmonic / Chance takes another chance

Having been invited much earlier to the Coyiuto-Enomoto concert, I settled for the privilege of attending a rehearsal of Cecile Licad and Gerard Salonga at the ABS-CBN studio. There were, in fact, four days of rehearsals, each lasting four hours. If these rehearsals were not aimed at striving for perfection by the two totally dedicated, assiduous musical artists, then I don’t know what they were. Passages were repeated again and again. Endlessly!

My companion Evelyn R. Garcia and I sat at the elegant, medium-sized ABS-CBN auditorium where we met Mickey Muñoz. He has been with the broadcasting corporation for the last 23 years while zealously striving for excellence, being tasked to lead the TV station in bringing beautiful music to Filipinos. He has handled various genres in TV productions, was executive producer for talk shows as well as soap operas. Mickey has also been production manager, music head and researcher for ABS-CBN’s special events. He spent seven years as head of Global Events, traveling to all regions where The Filipino Channel (TFC) is distributed — US, Canada, Europe, ME, Japan, Australia and Asia Pacific — to bring Kapamilya artists and mount roadshows.

A stage actor with Rep and its workshop, he first appeared in “Evita”; he then transferred to Tanghalang Pilipino to act in zarzuelas. Avid lover of musicals, Mickey has been going to New York twice a year since 1989 to watch Broadway shows. What addiction!

Neil Andoque, who invited me to the rehearsals, was a radio DJ for 13 years, 11 of these with ABS-CBN’s flagship radio station WRR where he was DJ Jack Melo. He worked briefly with Star Records’ Ad Promotions for Radio in 2000. He now brings his warm, charming personality to the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra as Creative and PR Specialist. Despite his hectic schedule, Neil is also an Event Host, Voice Over Talent, scuba divemaster and underwater photographer.

Neil recounts how the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra began. It was the result of a collaboration between Federico “Piki” Lopez, chairman of First Philippine Holdings, and Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III, chairman of the ABS-CBN corporation. Forthwith, Piki met Gerard who talked to him about the FilHarmonika and its need of funding.

The conversation shifted to the challenges facing professional orchestras, to the musicians of Venezuela and El Sistema. Piki was also having similar conversations with renowned international pianist Jiovanney Emmanuel Cruz who, with his wife Tinky, was hoping to have a program similar to that of Venezuela and El Sistema in the Philippines.

After a few more meetings, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth were formed.

Gerard and Mickey Muñoz were to take charge of the adult orchestra, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic; the former as music director, the latter, as managing director; Jiovanney and Tinky, of the youth orchestra.

The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra’s consistent aim is to strike a balance between classical and popular music while meeting the highest artistic standards. Gerard has the final say on the pieces to be played for any occasion.

The orchestra now performs for the network’s various concerts and events, and for TV and film scoring. Since its formal establishment a year ago, the orchestra, under its dynamic conductor Gerard Salonga, has been drawing lusty applause from audiences everywhere.

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The amazingly large number of talented Filipino musicians proves the contention of Horacio de la Costa, SJ, that we are a musical race. Very young pianists keep surfacing, among them the ten-year old Andrei Avi, Lorenzo Medel and Chance Elan Israel, both 17.

In a play of words, Chance will take a chance giving a second recital, this time on July 12, 7 p.m. at the UP mini-concert Hall in QC.

Chance started formal lessons at age eight-and-a-half at the UP College of Music, and at age nine won first prize in a Sonata and Sonatina Competition. At his graduation recital last year, he performed with Prof. Carolyn Kleiner Chen, chair of the UP College of Music piano department.

Currently an incoming sophomore under Roberta Rust at the Lynn Conservatory in Florida, Chance won second prize in the 2013 Walenstein Competition, Junior Category, and was chosen to perform at the World Performing Arts Center, both in Florida. Winning in an all-Chopin audition, he played the Grand Polonaise Brillante in the Young Pianists’ Concert sponsored by the US Chopin Foundation.