FOR today, December 15, Sistemang Pilipino will perform during the Christmas celebration of the Cebu Provincial Capitol at its front terrace starting at 5 p.m. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, says Lianne Sala.
Lianne is the president and CEO of Sistemang Pilipino, a nonprofit organization for outreach music education based in Cebu.
Fr. Ernesto Javier, SJ, is chairman of the board, while Jovanni Tabada, the program director, teaches cello and bass.
Lianne tells us that the public is most cordially invited to Sistemang Pilipino’s next performance, on December 21 at 6 p.m., at the J Centre Mall. It will be a delightful repertoire.
Sistemang Pilipino counts with the support of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi) and the Salud Borromeo Foundation in which frontliners are Bernadette Borromeo Gallego and Ina Borromeo Gaston.
Sistemang Pilipino regularly rehearses at the Cebu Eastern College at whose auditorium they gave a concert last Sunday, December 11.
From November 22 to 27, violinist and pedagogue Addison Teng brought members of his studio to Cebu from Chicago to teach and perform for the benefit of Sistemang Pilipino.
Professor Addison Teng from the Music Institute of Chicago came with his teaching assistant and Member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Paul Hauer and students Maia Law, Anya Brumfield and Aria Messina.
They encountered students from different orchestras and music studios in Cebu as they led violin workshops, group and individual lessons at Music and Me Studio on November 23.
From November 24 to 26, they performed one concert each day, for different types of audiences. On November 24, there were solo performances of virtuosic repertoire by Law, Brumfield and Messina.
They were accompanied on the keyboard by Paul Hauer, for all 3000 students at Sister of Mary Girlstown in Talisay, and the SOM Sisters.
On November 25, all five violinists performed as the Addison Teng Virtuosi with Sinfonia Orchestra Academy at the Moot Court of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation in Lahug.
They played the full Bach Concerto for Two Violins and the Vivaldi Concerto for Four Violins. In the audience was a mix of friends and supporters of Sistemang Pilipino, lay and religious, as well as students from the November 23 workshops.
Finally, on November 26, the Teng-Hauer Duo performed at a benefit event for Sistemang Pilipino at Circa 1900, organized by Circa and D & B Wines.
On the evening of November 26, we had the opportunity to listen to the Teng-Hauer Duo. Lianne Sala had invited them for dinner at the Casino Español. There, they regaled the diners at El Comedor with very much applauded numbers.
Both performers and audiences were greatly inspired by the concerts held by the group. Lianne Sala says that they at Sistemang Pilipino look forward to more such events in Cebu, and trust in the public’s continued support and participation.
They express their heartfelt gratitude to the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel for housing the visiting artists.