MANILA, PHILIPPINES — FIVE young pianists will have an opportunity to showcase their talents and excellence in a special virtual concert series, dubbed “Special Concert Series: Young Virtuosos Play on the Fazioli Piano,” on Feb. 9 to 13, 2022 to be live streamed at the CCP YouTube Channel and Facebook Page.
Nathan Samuel Gemina, Michael Angelo Valenciano, Aidan Ezra Baracol, Inna Montesclaros and Ella Gabrielle Gaw will each perform a classical piece in a 15-minute solo recital, exhibiting their musicality and piano skills using the CCP Fazioli piano, one of but a rare few in the country.
A grade-10 scholar at the Philippine High School for the Arts, Baracol won first prize in 2020 NAMCYA Junior Piano category and Best Interpretation of the Contest Piece in the same competition, among other awards.
Nine-year-old Gaw enjoys playing Beethoven and Mozart and has won several awards. She is preparing for her solo concerts featuring Bach’s invention works, Beethoven sonata, and D. Shostakovich pieces.
A music degree graduate at the Royal College of Music in London, Montesclaros is known for her warm musical tone and in-depth understanding of musical pieces. In 2019, she completed a series of concerts in the Philippines to promote classical music and raise funds for advocacy projects for women.
Valenciano, a Piano Performance degree holder from the UST Conservatory of Music, is a 2018 NAMCYA second place winner. He was a full scholar of the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines, upon the recommendation of renowned concert pianist, Dr. Raul Sunico.
Also a graduate of the UST Conservatory of Music, Gemina won the second prize in the 2019 NAMCYA Senior Piano category, as well as a finalist in the 2016 Junior Piano category. He is currently a piano teacher in ACTS Manila and a member of the Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines.
The concert series – which was pre-recorded at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) – will be hosted by Raul Sunico, who is masterfully adept with the literature of the Fazioli piano.
Best described as perfectly balanced, the Faziolis are highly regarded for their rich tone and feather-like touch. The CCP Fazioli piano has been impeccably made with tremendous precision, consistency and beauty. It has been used and played for concerts featuring most sought-after musicians including Sunico, Mary Anne Espina, and PPO’s pianist/harpist Madeline Jane Banta.
The concert is organized with the cooperation of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA). Since 1973, NAMCYA has been producing outstanding young pianists through the Junior and Senior Piano categories of the competition.
Through the CCP Special Concert Series, the winning musicians are able to showcase their talents through solo concerts. The concerts also aim to popularize and promote appreciation for classical piano music among our young audiences and the general public.
