A magnetic Spanish duo/ George Yang’s music scholars

The Spanish Embassy and the CCP presented “Suite Española” which featured Rosa Torres Pardo and Rocio Marquez Limon at the CCP Little Theater.

Rosa the pianist played brilliantly, demonstrating power and incredible stamina. Her rendition of De Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance was the most fiery, passionate, tempestuous I had heard. Singer Rocio, with a magnetic personality, displayed admirable breath control in the long “wailing” typical of flamenco, her low and high notes sustained magnificently. She punctuated her singing with finger snapping, foot stamping and an occasional bit of slow dancing.

The duo’s enthralling performance, a “combination of classic music and flamenco singing in search of a common ground,” drew tremendous applause that led to two encores.  The concert was an early celebration of Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day which is on June 30.  Pre-concert remarks were made by CCP VP Chris Millado and the Spanish Embassy’s Chargé Ignacio Perez Cambra. Heading the audience were Instituto Cervantes Director Carlos Madrid Alvarez-Piñer and celebrated painter Betsy Westendorp.

When George Yang discovered his singing talent some years ago, he founded forthwith the Klassikal Music Foundation.  Since then, the number of musical artists continues to increase.  The Foundation scholars are from the conservatories of UST, UP, St. Paul U. Manila, PWU and CEU.

At the recent meeting of the Foundation presided over by Yang and attended by board of trustee members, Raul Sunico, CCP president; Andrew Fernando, eminent international baritone; leading soprano Rachelle Gerodias, entrepreneur Shirley Y. Bangayan and this writer, Sunico voiced the opinion that in the auditions, talent rather than economic need of the candidates for scholarship should be the major consideration.

The country owes a debt of gratitude to distinguished tenor Yang for enriching our musical life through the Foundation which turns scholars into artists.