Of pianists, violinists

(Second of two parts)

November 29, 2007, was an unfortunate date for pianist Mariel Ilusorio and violinist-conductor Juan Muñoz; their concert at St. Cecilia’s Hall coincided with Trillanes’ caper at the Pen. Residents, strongly urged to stay home, missed the rendition of solo works by Haydn, Bach and Mozart, and of Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 with the MSO.

It was not the first time Mariel was performing, and in her past engagements, she held her own with the country’s leading pianists.

Of other younger ones, Rudolf Golez gave an outstanding recital at the Ritz Towers prior to a dinner hosted by Minerva Tanseco, showing acute sensitivity, exciting technical command and skill approaching virtuosity in pieces by Chopin, Beethoven, Liszt, Mozart and Rachmaninoff. Startling his listeners, Rudolf was to all appearances ready for an international career.

Greg Zuñiega played chamber music and rendered solo pieces on separate occasions during which he was consistently and immensely impressive, while harking back to his solid training — and performances — in Moscow and London. Pianist Mary Anne Espina, a much sought-after assisting artist, and an excellent one, gave a solo recital which rounded out her career. (Unfortunately, I missed it.) Najib Ismail, likewise a much sought-after assisting artist, unfailingly conveyed remarkable technical and interpretive gifts both as accompanist and solo performer.

Of the youngest pianists, 17-year old Beah C. Gumarang, already a Bachelor of Music degree holder, gave a junior recital at the Fleur-de-lis auditorium under the auspices of the St. Paul U. College of Music headed by Sr. Anunciata Sta. Ana as dean. Beah betrayed keen musicianship, an expressivity that was both inherent and cultivated, and a firm grasp of stylistic matters — all told, an augury of a bright future.

The even younger 16-year old Elielle Viaje, now on her second year at the Praynor Conservatory in Vienna, is likewise to be counted. She gives a recital on Jan. 12 (Saturday) at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Word Community Church, 325 Capt. Henry Javier St., Bgy. Oranbo, Pasig City. Elielle represented Austria in the Children’s Cultural Festival “Joy of Europe” last October in Belgrade, Serbia, playing in the Sava Centrum auditorium before an audience of over 2,000.

The centenary of Sr. Battig’s introduction of formal music education in the country was celebrated in grand style at St. Cecilia’s Hall, featuring the best graduates of St. Scholastica’s Music Department under Dean Sr. Mary Placid Abejo. Among them were Carmen “Menchu” Padilla, Marguerite Echaus, Della Besa, Carminda Regala, Priscilla F. Sison (president of St. Scholastica’s Music Association, Mary Anne Armovit, Annie de Guzman, and Mary Anne Espina. Leading pianist Nena Villanueva was a guest artist.

The Greenhills Music Studio of Prof. Carmen Arambulo, principal advocate of the Suzuki Method, likewise presented its leading graduates and professionals, as well as the versatile, admirably imaginative composer Ariel Arambulo.

The October debut of 16-year old violinist Jimmy Tagala Jr., protégé of virtuoso Gilopez Kabayao, demonstrated a maturity way beyond his years, inherent musicality, keen musical intelligence and musicianship. He rendered cadenzas with a secure, assured technique. Kabayao is preparing Tagala — definitely a virtuoso-in-the-making — for studies in the US.

Early in June, an even younger violinist, seven-year old Julian Duque, son of a fisherman, shared the limelight with seasoned virtuoso Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, and visiting American violinists William Harvey and Anna Farrer, and cellist Jeremiah Shaw in Vivaldi’s Concerto in A Minor, Duque performed without missing a note or a beat, his bowing firm, focused and unerring.

In Brahms’ Moto Perpetuo, the tiny violinist caused near pandemonium as the unflappable soloist, oblivious of everything save the music.