The Casino Español de Cebu recently celebrated the feast of Saint James, patron saint of Spain with an evening of Spanish music that featured internationally acclaimed pianist Rudolf Golez and classical guitarist Angelica Vinculado.
The program opened with Golez playing a selection of piano pieces by the prolific Cuban composer, Ernesto Lecuona. This was followed by Alborada del Gracioso, a five-movement suite by French pianist and conductor Maurice Ravel. The succeeding numbers were by Isaac Albeniz, best known for his Spanish folk music idioms, Enrique Granados, considered to be a representative of musical Nationalism, and Manuel de Falla, the most distinguished Spanish composer of the early 20th century and whose music represents the spirit of Spain at its purest.
Amparito Lhuillier, Kingsley Sode Medalla and Angie Mathiew
Angelica Vinculado, the first female graduate of classical guitar performance from the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music, impressed the audience with her extensive range of music from traditional and contemporary to free improvisation. The opening number was Moreno Torroba’s Fandanguillo from suite Castallena, which is modeled after the common Spanish flamenco dance. Other pieces included Campanas del Alba by Eduardo Sainz de la Maza, En Los Trigaless by Joaquin Rodrigo, Pasaje Abierto by Edin Solis and Cancion y Danza by Ruis Pipo.
The highlight of the concert was the duo piano and guitar performance of Adagio from Concerto de Aranjuez by Golez and Vinculado.
Al Espejo of Biomedis, Allan Nazareno, theater director from Hong Kong and Vivina Chiu
Golez concertizes mainly in the Philippines and the United States and looks forward to gaining exposure in the concert stage of the capitals in Europe even as he carries out his responsibilities as vice president for external and cultural affairs of Liceo de Cagayan University and as a faculty in Philippine Women’s University and Cebu Normal University.
Vinculado, a recipient of the Consuelo Chito Madrigal Foundation, released her first solo album “Philippine Treasures Volume 4” under VGO Recording Label based in San Francisco, California.