Filipino Composer

Countries in the world have their own cultures made more colorful, beautiful and vibrant because of Music that are reflection of who they are. Behind this wonderful music that we are listening are the “composers”. A composer  is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media. We Filipino’s have many talented composer. The following are some Filipino composers: 

 

Ryan Cayabyab

Ryan Cayabyab born Raymundo Cipriano Pujante Cayabyab but known as Mr. C is a Filipino musician and was the Executive and Artistic Director of the defunct San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Ryan Cayabyab was born on May 4, 1954 in Manila, Philippines. His mother died when he was only 6, and his father struggled to support him and his three other siblings. His mother's dying wish was that none of her children would pursue music as a profession, knowing how hard life is for a musician with meager earnings (she was an opera singer).

As music, director, conductor and accompanist, he has performed with leading Philippine music personalities at Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center in New York City; Carnegie Hall (both the Main and Recital halls) in New York; the Kennedy Center and the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.; the Shrine in Los Angeles; the Orpheum in Vancouver; even at the Circus Maximus of the Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.

He has traveled, as music director in most of the Southeast Asian cities, in the cities of Australia as well as in Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, and the United States. He has worked in the same shows with Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, as well as conducted the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for special performances of American jazz singer Diane Schuur and pianist Jim Chappel.

He has performed as music director in command performances for King Hasan II in Rabat, Morocco, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia ofSpain in Manila, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia in Tangiers, Queen Beatrix at the Noordeinde Palace in the Netherlands, and U.S. President Bill Clinton in Boston, Massachusetts.

In Manila, he has conducted the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines for a concert of Philippine and American contemporary music; and the Manila Chamber Orchestra for a concert of his original works.

Ryan Cayabyab is a laureate of the Onassis International Cultural Competitions (2nd Prize), having won for original music composition for dance (2001).

He is a TOYM (Ten Outstanding Young Men) awardee for contemporary Filipino music in 1978. He won the Grand Prize award at the first Metro Manila Popular Music Festival for the song "Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika".

As of 2006, he has won three international Grand Prix awards for his compositions; in the First Seoul Song Festival, in the Voice of Asia Song Festival in the former U.S.S.R., and in the Tokyo Music Festival. He has won the Jingle of the Year award from the Philippine advertising industry as well as Bronze Awardee at the New York Film and Television Awards. He has won a total of ten best movie score awards from the various film award-giving bodies.

This song composed by Ryan Cayabyab and sung by Hajji Alejandro won the grand prize of the First Metro Manila Popular Music Festival last 1978.

Jose Mari Chan (born March 11, 1945) is a Chinese Filipino singer, songwriter and businessman in the sugar industry. He was born in Iloilo City on March 11, 1945. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1967.  He is currently Chairman and CEO of BISCOM, Inc. and A. Chan Sugar Corporation. He is also the Chairman and President of Signature Music Inc.

He first appeared on the local scene as the Host & Singer of a Television show called "9 Teeners" of ABS-CBN in 1966. His first single Afterglow was released in 1967. His first long playing album "Deep in My Heart (album)" was issued in 1969. In 1973 he represented the Philippines in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo where his song "Can We Just Stop and Talk A While" went into the final entries.

In 1975 he moved to the United States for his sugar business and remained there for 11 years. In 1986, he went back to the music industry with the release of his album A Golden Change.

In 1989, he released his album "Constant Change". It was named Album of the Year by the Awit Awards, the local equivalent of the American Grammy Awards and reached the Diamond Record in terms of sales. It also sold in other Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

In 1990 his Christmas album "Christmas in Our Hearts" was released. It reached triple platinum status that same year, eventually earning the Double Diamond Record Award. His 2001 album "A Heart's Journey" won Album of the year in the Awit Awards.

In 2005 he composed "We're All Just One" as the theme song of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

In 2011, he released his 13th full length album, The Manhattan Connection: The Songs of Jose Mari Chan. The album, which was produced by Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer. The songs were reimagined by music producer Yaron Gershovsky.

Christmas in Our Hearts is the seventh studio album and the first Christmas album by Filipino singer-songwriter and balladeer Jose Mari Chan. It was released in November 1990 by Universal Records. The album sold over 600,000 units in the Philippines in 2006, certifying Double Diamond by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI).

Levi Celerio is a Filipino composer and lyricist, born on April 30, 1910 in Tondo, Manila, Philippines. He received a free education to the Academy of Music in Manila and became the youngest affiliate of the Manila Symphony Orchestra. He was a creative songwriter, with more than 4,000 songs to his acclaim including Filipino folk, Christmas, and love songs that are popular pieces, which many consider to be immortal.

Famous for being a lyricist, his songs treasure life; express nationalistic sentiments and complete grand philosophies. At one instance or another, no Filipino can miss the song or lyrics of Levi's Christmas songs namely Pasko na Naman, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, and Misa de Gallo.

He is probably best recognized for being a leaf-player, an achievement where he was place into the Guinness Book of World Records.

He wrote a huge number of songs for local movies, which gained him the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Film Academy of the Philippines.

He was awarded as National Artist of the Philippines for Music in 1997. He died on April 2, 2002.

Sopranos Isabella Ramos and Joanne Marie Villanueva sung a duet together with the Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra and the combined Children's Choirs: IHMC Children's Choir, Immaculate Heart of Mary Children's Choir, Our Lady of Loretto Children's Choir, and Blessed Sacrament Children's Choir. This piece was composed by Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio and arranged by Louie Ramos.

Nicanor Sta. Ana Abelardo (February 7, 1893 – March 21, 1934) was a Filipino composer who composed over a hundred of Kundiman songs, especially before the Second World War.

Abelardo was born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan. His mother belonged to a family of artists in Guagua, the Hensons. He was introduced to music when he was five years old, when his father taught him the solfeggio and the banduria. At the age of 8, he was able to compose his first work, a waltz entitled "Ang Unang Buko," which was dedicated to his grandmother. At the age of 13, he was already playing at saloons and cabarets in Manila. At age 15, he was already teaching in barrio schools in San Ildefonso and San Miguel Bulacan. All of these happened even before young Abelardo finally took up courses under Guy F. Harrison and Robert Schofield at the UP Conservatory of Music in 1916. By 1924, following a teacher’s certificate in science and composition received in 1921, he was appointed head of the composition department at the Conservatory. Years later, he ran a boarding school for young musicians, and among his students were National Artist Antonino Buenaventura, Alfredo Lozano and Lucino Sacramento. In the field of composition he is known for his redefinition of the kundiman, bringing the genre to art-song status. Among his works were "Nasaan Ka Irog," "Magbalik Ka Hirang," and "Himutok." He died in 1934 at the age of 41, leaving a collection of more than 140 works.

As a composition major at the University of the Philippines, he also composed the melody for the university's official anthem, U.P. Naming Mahal. The building housing the College of Music in UP Diliman (Abelardo Hall) is named in his honor.

The Main theatre of the Cultural Center of the Philippines is named in his honor ( Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo).

Julián Felipe (January 28, 1861 – October 2, 1944), was the composer of the music of the Filipino national anthem, formerly known as "Marcha Nacional Magdalo", now known as Lupang Hinirang. He was born in Cavite City, Cavite. A dedicated music teacher and composer, he was appointed by then-President Emilio Aguinaldo as Director of the National Band of the First Philippine Republic. He died in Manila. In recognition of his remarkable contributions in the field of music, he was given awards and accolades.

When the revolution broke out, Julian joined his fellow Cavitenos who fought against the Spaniards. He was arrested and jailed at Fort San Felipe in Cavite.

When freed, he again joined Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's troop. He composed nationalistic songs that inspired his compatriots to continue fighting against the Spaniards. A bust of Felipe can be found in Cavite City, located near San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite.

Gen. Aguinaldo asked him to provide a stirring composition to be played in the historic proclamation of Philippine independence. His composition 'Marcha Nacional Filipina', played on June 12, 1898 in Aguinaldo's home in Kawit, was adopted as the Philippine national anthem on September 5, 1938.

Julian and his wife Irene Tapia had four daughters and a son. Julian died on October 2, 1944, at age of 83.

Lupang Hinirang, Philippine National Anthem compose by Julian Felipe