Ingrid Sala Santamaria opens new YouTube channel

CEBU, Philippines — Much has been written about Dr. Ingrid Sala Santamaria’s (ISS) six CDs featuring 11 romantic concertos which she professionally recorded with the Manila Symphony Orchestra in different acoustically considered world-class venues between the years 2014 and 2017. Conductor is Prof. Arturo Molina and Music Director is Jeffrey Solares.

Most recently, the 11 concertos have been made accessible to world audiences by uploading these through a new YouTube channel named “Dr. Ingrid Sala Santamaria.” Unlike the first channel, the new one stages full-length concertos instead of segments of live performances.

The new YouTube channel presents each of the 11 concertos with an introductory interview by Sam Costanilla, which was specially arranged last May 31, 2018. The concertos are: Tschaikovsky Concerto in B-flat minor; Chopin Concerto in E minor; Grieg Concerto in A minor; Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 in C minor; Liszt Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major; Schumann Concerto in A minor; Beethoven Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major ; “Emperor” Saint Saens Concerto No. 2 in G minor; Brahms Concerto No. 1 in D minor; Mendelssohn Concerto No. 1 in G minor;  and Liszt Concerto No. 2 in A major.

The new YouTube offering’s technical wizardry is the result of the collaboration of audio-recording engineer Holland Buela’s careful editing of the audio materials and videographer Anric Boholst’s artistry in painstakingly interspersing visuals taken from numerous concerts, press releases and ISS photograph files to complement and enhance the aural component. For all venues, the grand piano was provided by Lyric Piano through Joy Cristobal.

When asked for the rationale of documenting her performances, ISS said that she considers her CDs as her legacy to the nation,  a testament of her love for music which she has graciously shared through her personal appearances at the remotest venues from north to south of the country in order to delight thousands of listeners.

She has proven her mettle by founding the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra Development Program (1991-1995), which evolved into the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra (1996-2000) and eventually, into the Peace Philharmonic Philippines (2001- 2015) and through the bi-annual Romantic Piano Concerto Journey Tours with Professor Reynaldo Reyes (2001-2015).

Her current project is to add nine concertos more to this trove of a lifetime, several of which were performed at CCP Manila during the ‘70s.  Earning the sobriquet “legendary,” she is able play these concertos all by herself, with a second pianist, with a chamber group or with an orchestra, without any score, in just one setting, at the request of an enthusiastic audience due to her eidetic memory.

Dr. Santamaria was last heard as a guest soloist of the Classic Youth Orchestra at the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Churcn in Pardo, Cebu City. A major performance prior to that was at the Cultural Center of the Philippines where she played with Dr. Raul Sunico with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and CCP Japanese resident conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura on March 16, 2018.