Forte @40 Press Launch – A Blog By a 9-year old Piano Prodigy
My mom said one night, “Hey you are being invited by your Tita Jo to blog about an upcoming piano event, do you want to go?”
By default, I’d say yes to any piano invite, but then — “Mom, what’s a blog again?”
Okay so now I am officially a blogger and this is my first blog. I’m 9 years old by the way, and I’m also a pianist – an aspiring concert pianist! That’s what I want to be when I grow up!
So last October 20, my Dad and I went to Lyric Hall for the press launch of “Forte @40,” a fund-raising concert in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of The Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines (PTGP). My teacher, Prof. Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz, is a prominent member of PTGP. The concert’s highlight is the world premiere of “Mga Gintong Pamana” by Augusto Espino, a tribute to great Filipino composers which will feature 80 pianists on 40 pianos — all in one stage! The concert will be held at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on November 18, 2012.
Five music genres make up the concert’s repertoire – Baroque, Classical, 20th Century, Pop and Filipino. I am not at all surprised to see a Mozart and a Haydn number, but seeing “Harry Potter Fantasy and Super Mario Cappricio,” which will be played on 30 pianos by 30 pianists?! That’s just awesome don’t you think?
This is the kind of event that I will bug my parents to bring me to until they give in but sadly, I will not be able to make it on the concert itself. I will be in Bangkok for a piano masterclass with an Italian concert pianist.
Okay back to Manila where the coolest piano event is about to happen… I was disappointed and a little sad that I’m gonna miss it, but at least I was able to attend the press launch. As soon as I saw the 4 Baby Grands on stage, I felt excited!
Young pianists Lorenzo Medel, Denise Faith See, Matthew Calderon and Sharon Jasminez took over each piano and performed the Grand Perpetual Motion by M. Cox as a group. They played it with so much skill and harmony – the rich sounds they made were such a treat!
Then there’s the Valse Noble by C. Gritt played by six small hands! That of very young pianists Hansel Ang, Yvonne Jael Ang and Clarissa Li! Young as they may be, they played with so much expression!
There is also Ma. Regina Montesclaros who played Mozart’s Sonata in C Major with her teacher Mary Ann Espino. This is the second time I saw Ms. Montesclaros perform in person. We were in the same masterclass with a Thai concert pianist last year at UST. She’s really good and she plays with a lot of passion.
The Forte @40 press launch gave a very enticing preview of the much-awaited concert. I was very much inspired that I can’t wait to get home and sit in front of the piano. I wish I have known my teacher way before, maybe I could have bugged him to let me participate in this awesome event until he gives in too! (But my teacher is VERY strict teehee!)
Yours Truly (Yñigo Regis) with Dr. Raul Sunico, CCP President, taken during the Forte @40 Press Launch.
(I first met him last year in a masterclass I participated in)
WHEN IN MANILA, don’t miss out on this awesome piano concert and be dazzled by 80 pianists on 40 pianos — all in one stage! Tickets can be bought at XXXX. Forte @40 Piano Concert will be held at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on November 18, 2012.
