An Evening of Music with the Four Pianists
By Michael Ebro Dakudao
Thank goodness it is becoming more fashionable and acceptable to
combine Filipino pop and “classic” music with Western classic and
contemporary music in legitimate concerts held these days. It
encourages more lovers of music of varying age groups to attend
performances of our legitimate Filipino performing artists. I am
keeping my fingers crossed that many guests will fill the CAP Grand
Auditorium tomorrow, March 8, at six in the evening for the Four
Pianists on Four Pianos Concert, a fund raising project whose
beneficiary is the Ladies of Charity of Davao City.
The Ladies of Charity of Davao, headed by President Perla Palma Gil,
provides food, education and shelter for poor and abandoned children as
well as the neglected and abandoned elderly people of the city. I am
appealing to the compassion, love and tender care of charitable
individuals of this city to please support the concert for a truly
worthy cause.
According to the fiery and authoritative music maestra Nenita Belda
Azarcon, the concert’s musical director no less, the program will be
divided into two parts. The repertoire for the first part will feature
Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 16, Milhaud’s Scaramouche, Donkey Serenade by
Friml-Stothart and Lecuona’s Ante El Escorial
.The Musikang Pilipino portion will commence with the spirited and
vibrant composition Prelude by maestra Nenita Belda Azarcon. This will
be followed by Estrella’s Ang Maya, Katakataka and Pandangguhan
arranged by Espino, composers De Guzman and Canseco’s Filipinas Medley,
and Ryan Cayabyab’s Ang Ganda ng Ating Musika for the finale.
“It has been more than two years since the four pianists played
together in a concert. The Ladies of Charity of Davao are reuniting
them again for the love of music for a worthy cause,” madam Azarcon
stated as she continued, “The four charming concert pianists have been
practicing diligently. I guarantee the audience will be thrilled with
their inspired performances. At the same time, this concert will
definitely renew the passionate concert pianists’ sense of being
fulfilled artists.”
And when it’s maestra Azarcon telling you, you just got to believe her
every word. She has, after all, two music degrees (Bachelor of Music
Major in Piano and Bachelor of Music major in Music Sciences) from the
pioneering St. Scholastica’s College of Music in Manila. She taught for
21 years at the University of the Immaculate Conception where she
served as Dean of Music for 11 years. She was also honored with a Music
Award twice during the Centennial Celebration of her alma mater;
besides the two Music Awards she earned in the 1970’s. The grand music
diva was also the past President of the Ladies of Charity Davao.
Davao’s Piano Divas
Davao’s leading concert pianist superstars who are naturally gifted
with their musicality and are renowned for their love for fashion
include (mentioned in alphabetical order so I don’t get myself into
trouble with the billing) Daphne Cabaguio Jocson, Mila Cabaguio Jocson,
Evelyn Abellera Magno and Maria Luisa “Inday” Fucoy Montero.
Daphne Cabaguio Jocson started her training with Ms. Encarnita
Fernandez at the Fernandez Piano School. She then pursued a Bachelor of
Music degree at the St. Scholastica’s College of Manila under the
tutelage of Ms. Alice Araneta Lim and Ms. Virginia Laico Villanueva.
She left for the USA in 1998 to continue her studies at the Mannes
College of Music in New York where she took lessons under music
maestros Vera Berskaya, Dr. Hugo Goldenzweig, Nancy Gameiz, among
others. Daphne has performed in various concerts in Manila and Davao
City. She takes pride in having performed with the Manila Philharmonic
Orchestra in concerts held at the CCP and the Central Bank Auditorium
of Davao.
Mila Cabaguio Jocson is a Bachelor of Music graduate of the Fernandez
Piano School. She taught music at the Ateneo de Davao University,
Philippine Women’s University and the Stella Maris Academy in the past.
She also conducted private piano lessons. She is an original member of
the Davao Piano Quartet along with Celine D. Garcia, Nelly D. Castro,
and Inday F. Montero, which was formed 20 years ago. Ms. Jocson takes
pride in the fact that her daughters Daphne and Gretchen plus her
grandchildren all play the piano.
Evelyn Abellera Magno is a woman of impeccable credentials and has
proven her mettle from the classroom to the corporate boardroom to her
music room.
Her list of academic credentials includes degrees in Piano, Psychology,
and Educational Administration. Her hard work and achievements did not
go unnoticed as she was rewarded with a TOWNS Award, and scholarship
grants from American universities like the Harvard University School of
Education, Indiana University, Stetson University, and the University
of Hawaii. Ms. Magno holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the
Philippine Women’s University in Manila. She was fortunate to be under
the loving tutelage of great music maestras like Dean Lucresia Kasilag
and Ms. Vilma Santiago Felipe. She also studied music under Ms. Olga
Ifland de Wit at the University of the Philippines.
Last but not the least, Maria Luisa Fucoy Montero is a Bachelor of
Music in Piano and Music Education graduate of the Conservatory of
Music of St. Paul’s College in Manila. She studied piano under Ms.Sony
Lacson, Ms. Carmencita Arambulo and Ms. Stella Golenberg Brimo. Ms.
Montero is also the conductress cum voice coach of such celebrated
choral groups in Davao as the Brothers in Harmony, Davao City Chorale
Ensemble, PC-INP Recon 11, LCB-PAC, and the Marco Polo Hotel
Nightingales. She is also an accomplished stage actress and a committed
dancer.
A special treat during the concert is the special participation of
guest artist Ms. Mee Hai Cho, a Bachelor of Music graduate from Seoul
University, South Korea. Ms. Cho earned her Diploma in Voice from the
St. Cecilia Conservatory in Italy where she lived for 13 years before
settling in Davao City. The talented Korean opera singer has performed
successfully all over the world.
Let us honor our accomplished artists who have helped highlight music
in Davao City through all these years. Let’s celebrate their artistry
as they take center stage tomorrow at the Cap Auditorium.
My special thanks to Kat Mercado for providing the photos of the artists used on this page.
