Long time manager of Fourplay, Sonny Abelardo, has been involved in music his entire life.  You could say music is in his blood.  In fact, his grandfather, Nicanor Abelardo, Sr. was a musical prodigy, and considered one of the greatest composers in the history of the Philippines.

Nicanor Abelardo, Sr. was born in into a family of artists, and was introduced to music when he was five years old, learning the solfeggio and the banduria.  At the age of 8, he composed his first work entitled “Ang Unang Buko”, which was dedicated to his grandmother.  By the age of 15, Nicanor had begun playing publicly in Manila, and began teaching in local schools.

In 1916, Nicanor began studying at the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music, and by 1924, was appointed head of the composition department at the Conservatory.  Later, he ran a school for young musicians, where he molded future National Artists Antonino Buenaventura, Alfredo Lozano, and Lucino Sacramento.  Then, in 1933, Nicanor Abelardo received his Master’s from the Chicago Musical College in Chicago, Illinois.

As a composition major at the University of the Philippines, he composed the melody for the university’s official anthem, U.P. Naming Mahal.  The building for the College of Music at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, Abelardo Hall, and the main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, are named in his honor.

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.”  Nicanor Abelardo died in 1934 at the age of 41, leaving a collection of more than 140 works, and a family heritage that continues today.

Nicanor Abelardo will be honored as the first composer selected for the Great Filipino Composers Series, an annual concert that will feature the life and works of Filipino composers who have contributed profoundly to the country’s rich musical heritage.

The event will feature the life and works of Nicanor Abelardo, as narrated and performed by a professional roster of Philippine-American classical music artists, including:

Clement Acevedo, Pianist
Jerry Dadap Jr., Guitarist
Benjamin Dia, Conductor
Alex Drilon, Tenor
Enrico Lagasca, Bass-Baritone
William Oh, Violinist
Rogelio Peñaverde Jr., Tenor
Katrina Saporsantos, Soprano
Joy Tamayo, Soprano
Philippine-American Choral Project
San Lorenzo Ruiz Choir of New York

The show will be under the musical direction of Benjamin Dia, and the stage direction of Cristina Sison and Enrico Lagasca. It will premiere new arrangements of the maestro’s most beloved kundimans by Krina Cayabyab, with segments of the show introduced by audiovisual presentations prepared by Bianca Consunji.

The event will take place at the Merkin Theatre in New York City, on the evening of June 22nd, where Sonny Ableardo and his sister Andi, will be in attendance to represent the family for this tremendous tribute.

Tickets
Premium (Orchestra Prime Seating) – $100
Standard (Orchestra Seating) – $55
Basic (Balcony Seating) – $45

Email: ilustrado.1976@gmail.com
Phone: 347-696-5056.

For more information:
–    http://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/great-filipino-composers/
–    https://www.facebook.com/events/951838594855716/