MANILA, Philippines -Known for its collaborations with different renowned Filipino artists, Freeway launches the National Artist Collector’s Series for fall 2013. The brand celebrates Lucio San Pedro’s 100th birth centennial with the brand’s collection of awe-inspiring pieces beaming with Filipino pride.
The National Artist for Music is a man full of talent and ingenuity. Lucio San Pedro is a great Filipino composer and teacher. Known for his composition of the widely popular lullaby Sa Ugoy ng Duyan — in collaboration with another National Artist, Levi Celerio — and the symphonic poem Lahing Kayumanggi, San Pedro has paved the Pinoy world of music with plenty of his beautiful compositions bearing the national soul.
The collection is composed of a wide array of casual and work tops and dresses using fabrics such as satinized twills, matte charmeuse, poplins and knits. The unique cuts and styles made out of different fabric combinations are carefully crafted to flatter the woman’s figure without sacrificing comfort by using mostly stretch fabrications. As for its visual prowess, the collection combines floral inspirations with hand-drawn lines and curves fused with lyrics and titles of San Pedro’s famous orchestra pieces. Colors range from the basic black and white to subtle tones such as beige and teal. Certainly, these pieces are made to capture the essence and mark of the Filipina’s modern beauty.
Lucio San Pedro was born in Angono, Rizal on Feb. 11, 1913. He composed many different types of music including symphonic, band, vocal, choral, theater, chamber and movie, all of which boast Filipino pride and soul. His other popular works include orchestral music such as The Devil’s Bridge, Malakas at Maganda Overture, Prelude and Fugue in D minor and Hope and Ambition; choral music such as Easter Cantata, Sa Mahal Kong Bayan and Rizal’s Valedictory Poem; vocal music such as Lulay, In the Silence of the Night; and band music such as Dance of the Fairies, Triumphal March and Angononian March.
He belonged to a family with strong musical influences. During his late teen years, he became a church organist and started composing songs, hymns and two complete masses for voice and orchestra. After studying under different musicians in the Philippines, he proceeded to the Julliard School of Music in New York City as a scholar and learned advanced composition under Bernard Wagenaar in 1947. He also studied harmony and orchestration under Vittorio Giannini.
Apart from composing music, Lucio also developed a passion for teaching. He taught Composition in numerous conservatories and universities such as Ateneo de Manila University, Centro Escolar University Conservatory of Music and at the University of the Philippines College of Music, where he became chairman of its Composition and Conducting Department from 1970 to 1973. He retired as a professor in 1978 and received the title of professor emeritus in UP the following year.
His numerous works, influences and contributions to Philippine music led to the proclamation of Lucio San Pedro as a National Artist of the Philippines for Music on May 9, 1991 by President Corazon Aquino. He died at the age of 89 on March 31, 2002 and is buried in his hometown of Angono.
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