“FORTE@40” - A Concert Of 40 Pianos Set On Nov. 18 At CCP

I am so excited to see this upcoming Musical Multitude that's never before heard with 40 pianos on one stage and over 300 pianists aged 8 to 80!

Edit: Dec. 20 - I was allowed by CCP to take pictures during the concert! Check out the photo album here :)

Press Release:

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, The Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines together with The Cultural Center of the Philippines, LYRIC and KAWAI proudly presents “FORTE@40” – a fund-raising concert to be held at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on November 18, 2012 – Sunday  at  3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

This historical concert which will be conducted by Dr. Herminigildo Ranera and Daniel Bartolome will feature over 300 pianists ages 8 to 80 comprising students, teachers/members, past and present PTGP board members, festival participants and competition winners on 40 pianos.

Special guest performers include: CCP President Dr. Raul Sunico, concert pianists Della Besa and Annie De Guzman, Fr. Manuel Maramba, OSB, Carmen Padilla, Nita Abrograr-Quinto, Philippine Madrigal Singers choirmaster Mark Anthony Carpio, UST Singers’ conductor Fidel Calalang, Najib Ismail, Mary Anne Espina, and many more.

A special sneak preview of “Forte@40” will be held on November 11, 2012 (Sunday – 4 p.m.) at Lucky Chinatown, located at Reina Regente St., Binondo, Manila.

The highlight of the concert is the world premiere of “Mga Gintong Pamana” by Augusto “Agot” Espino, commissioned by the Piano Teachers' Guild of the Philippines which will showcase “40 pianos, 80 players, 2 per piano” playing the parts - a first of its kind in the history of Philippine music. This masterpiece pays tribute to the Great Filipino composers, namely: Nicanor Abelardo, Dr. Francisco Santiago, Francisco Buencamino, Sr., Dr. Antonio Molina, Rosendo Santos, Jr., Lucio San Pedro, Felipe De Leon, Sr., Ramon Tapales, Dr. Lucrecia Kasilag, and Rodolfo Cornejo who have made unparalleled contributions to the Philippine piano literature. 

Five genres of music - Baroque, Classical, 20th Century, Pop and Filipino will be represented in the repertoire as follows:

I.   “Concertino on Familiar Tunes” by Stanley R. Avery. (40 pianos, 40 players, 1 per piano)

II.  “Grand Perpetual Motion Waltz” by M. Cox. (10 pianos, 10 players, 1 per piano)

III.  “Andante from Symphony No. 94 in G Major, Hob. VI:54 (“Surprise”) by Franz Josef Haydn. Arranged by E. Steiner. Transcribed & adapted by George Ong. (10 pianos, 20 players, 2 per piano)

           

IV. “Symphony No. 40 in G minor, KV. 550” (Allegro molto) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Arranged by Theodor Kirchner. (40 pianos, 40 players, 1 per piano)

           

V.     “Harry Potter Fantasy and Super Mario Capriccio based on a theme by Koji Kondo” by Kabaitan R. Bautista. (30 pianos, 30 players, 1 per piano)

           

VI.  “Polonaise in A Major, Op. 40 No. 1 (Military)” by Frédéric François Chopin. Arranged by Carl Burchard. (40 pianos, 40 players, 1 per piano)

VII.  “Contagion on a theme by Nirvana” by Kabaitan R. Bautista. (20 pianos, 20 players, 1 per piano)

VIII. “Workin’ on the Railroad” by Eugénie Rocherolle. (14 pianos, 28 players, 2 per piano); “Perpetual Commotion” by K. Olson. (14 pianos, 28 players, 2 per piano)

IX. “Pop Medley” Arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.  (20 pianos, 20 players, 1 per piano)

X.   “Mga Gintong Pamana” by Augusto Espino. (40 pianos, 80 players, 2 per piano).

 The Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines (PTGP) was founded in November 2, 1972 by piano teachers namely National Artist Lucrecia Kasilag, Prof. Milagros de Ocampo, Sister Scholastica Benitez, OSB, Ms. Vilma Felipe, Mrs. Angeles C. Hernandez, Mrs. Alice A. Lim, Sister Mamie Martell, CIM, Sister Cecil Belen, OFM, Mrs. Lydia L. Bunag, and Mrs. Pilar B. Larracas who organized themselves mainly to uplift teaching and performance standards in the musical development and pianistic growth of their students.

Over the years, The Piano Teachers’ Guild of the Philippines has brought our country’s top pianists to compete in international music festivals held in Europe, the United States and recently in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

Among the foremost names in the field of music who are PTGP members include the following: Fr. Manuel Maramba, OSB; Sr. Mary Placid Abejo, OSB (Dean, St. Scholastica College of Music); Prof. Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz; Former Dean Mauricia Borromeo (UP College of Music); Former Dean Erlinda Fule (UST Conservatory of Music); Former Dean Cecile B. Roxas and Dean Sr. Emilita Pacubas, DC (Sta. Isabel College of Music); Former Dean Harold Galang (PWU College of Music) and many more. Today, PTGP boasts of its 525 total membership covering the entire country.

The over-all production team of  “FORTE @40” is led by Dennis Marasigan (Artistic Director and Lighting Director), Eric Cruz (Set Designer), Antonio Africa (Video Documentary), Ave Asuncion Uy (Stage Manager), Toots O. Tolentino (PR & Publicity) and Mari Yuda (Marketing).

“FORTE@40” is also supported by media partners Business World, Herword.com,  Chinoy TV and The Manila Bulletin.

For inquiries and details of show, special group discounts for schools, please email : askptgp@yahoo.com. Visit ptgpinc.wordpress.com. Add http://www.facebook.com/PTGPInc on Facebook.

Tickets are now available through Ticketworld at 8919999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph