Aima Labra-Makk

Classical music is no dying art, and to underscore that, SM City Cebu, together with the Arts Council of Cebu and St. Theresa’s Alumnae Association, present the homecoming concert of the world-renowned Cebuana pianist Aima Maria Labra-Makk tomorrow evening.

Aima Maria Labra- Makk’s gala concert Virtuosi Klaviermusik will be held 8PM tomorrow at the SM City Cebu Theater One. A matinee show is also scheduled on Monday, August 20, at the same venue. The concert of the now Austria-based pianist will feature the elegant strains and timeless pieces from Scarlatti to Schumann, plus some of the solo piano works of composer Jeno Takacs, which she recorded on four CDs released by Hungaroton, a leading classical music recording company in Hungary.

A visual treat also awaits concertgoers as Labra-Makk told The FREEMAN Entertainment that her performance will be complemented with a video support. “It will be something different and new, and to be able to do this before the Cebu audience is what I’m really excited about,” said Labra-Makk, who arrived here in Cebu yesterday morning. “Normally, this is not really used in classical concerts. But we want it to be a learning experience for the audience as well. I am aware that there still needs to be done here in terms of developing appreciation for classical music.”

The effervescent and vivacious Labra-Makk, who was born and raised in Mabolo and educated at St. Theresa’s from pre-school to high school, before heading to the University of the Philippines in Diliman to pursue a degree in Music, sat down with a one-on-one interview with The Freeman late morning yesterday at the Prana Medi Spa, found at the 16th floor of the posh Club Ultima in Fuente Osmeña Boulevard. A press conference was also held for her at SM City Cebu yesterday afternoon.

Labra-Makk has been recipient to various accolades both here and abroad including last year’s “Garbo sa Sugbo” award given by the Cebu Provincial Government. Raving reviews have had welcomed her concerts, with European critics particularly commending her “expressiveness and depth of playing.”  

But the proud-to-be Cebuana is not only a leading solo concert pianist and chamber musician, but an active educator as well. Labra-Makk has had mentored carefully  selected and extremely musically talented children from different parts of the world through rigorous auditions at the University of Music, Graz where she currently holds a teaching position. In fact, all of her students have won national and international competitions.

As her desire to be able to extend this experience to young Filipinos aspiring to nurture their innate musical gifts, she makes it a point to give free master classes every time she comes home to the country. In this very latest Philippine visit of hers, the virtuoso pianist has already given master classes at UP Diliman and University of Sto. Tomas in Manila, and will be followed by another one this Saturday, 10AM, at the Mandaue School for the Arts. 

After her well-attended invitational performance last Sunday at the Francisco Santiago Hall in Manila and before she proceeds to fulfill international musical engagements, Labra-Makk is for the meantime absolutely looking forward to playing in her hometown where, of course, her lifelong affair with music first found its start. 

For the August 17 concert, tickets are priced P800 for reserved seats; P400 for orchestra and P250 for balcony; while on August 20, P250 for reserved seats and P100 for general admission. For more information, call the Arts Council at 233-0452, SM Cinema Office at 231-4852 or STAA Office at 253-4928.