Antonino

Buenaventura

National Artist for Music

Getting to know him:

Antonio Ramirez Buenaventura was born on
May 4, 1904.
Place of Birth: Baliuag, Bulacan, Phils.
Date of Death: January 25, 1996
 Did you know:
Antonino Buenaventura
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 09:29 PM May 13, 2012

Musician Antonino Buenaventura was born on May 4, 1904,

and named National Artist for Music in 1988. One of his
most famous compositions was Pandanggo sa Ilaw. He led
the Philippine Constabulary Band, later the Philippine
Army Band, for 16 years. He also became the director of
the Conservatory of Music of the University of Sto. Tomas.
In 1964, he organized the School of Music and Arts of the
University of the East. Buenaventura died on Jan. 25, 1996.
Schatzi Quodala, Inquirer Research

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/192697/did-you-know-antonino-

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His musical abilities developed further when he entered the University
of the Philippines (UP) Conservatory of Music at the age of 19. During
his stay at UP, he led the UP
ROTC Band and established the
UP Junior Orchestra, the first
collegiate orchestra in the
country. Esteemed Filipino
musicians Nicanor Abelardo and
Francisco Santiago were among
his mentors. After graduating
from UP in 1932 with a teachers diploma, major in science and
composition, he pursued further studies at the Institute of
International Education in New York.
Before joining the Philippine Constabulary Band in 1945,
Buenaventura was a music instructor and band conductor of the
Philippine Military Academy (PMA). He also founded the San Pablo
Music Academy in Laguna.
Upon retiring from the military, Buenaventura became the music
director of the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music in 1961
and the University of the East School of Music and Arts in 1964.
Throughout his career, he represented the country in various
competitions abroad. He also represented the Philippines at the
general meetings of the International Music Council (IMC) in Rome
(1962) and Hamburg (1964).
(source: http://himig.com.ph/features/62-col-antonino-buenaventura)
National Artist for Music (1988)
(May 4, 1904 January 25, 1996)
Antonino R. Buenaventura vigorously
pursued a musical career that spanned
seven decades of unwavering commitment
to advancing the frontiers of Philippine
music. In 1935, Buenaventura joined
Francisca Reyes-Aquino to conduct
research on folksongs and dances that
led to its popularization. Buenaventura
composed songs, compositions, for solo
instruments as well as symphonic and
orchestral works based on the folksongs of various Philippine ethnic
groups. He was also a conductor and restored the Philippine Army
Band to its former prestige as one of the finest
military bands in the world making it the only
band that can sound like a symphony orchestra.
This once sickly boy who played the clarinet
proficiently has written several marches such as
the Triumphal March, Echoes of the Past,
History Fantasy, Second Symphony in E-flat,
Echoes from the Philippines, Ode to Freedom.
His orchestral music compositions include
Concert Overture, Prelude and Fugue in G
Minor, Philippines Triumphant, Mindanao Sketches, Symphony in C
Major, among others.

This once sickly boy who played the clarinet proficiently has written
several marches such as the Triumphal March, Echoes of the Past,
History Fantasy, Second Symphony
in E-flat, Echoes from the
Philippines, Ode to Freedom. His
orchestral music compositions include
Concert Overture, Prelude and Fugue
in G Minor, Philippines Triumphant,
Mindanao Sketches, Symphony in C
Major, among others.
http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/national-artists-of-the-
philippines/antonino-r-buenaventura/
National Artist for Music Col.
Antonino Ramirez Buenaventura
(1904-1996) was a renowned
c om p o s er , c on d uc t or , a n d
teacher. It was he who restored the
Philippine Constabulary Band,
reputedly the only military band
that sounded like a symphony
orchestra, to its former glory as one
of the best military bands in the world. The band would
later be renamed the Philippine Army Band.
Buenaventura promoted Philippine music by extensively using folk
materials in his works. He recorded folk and dance music around
the country with Ramon Tolentino and National Artist for Dance
Francisca Reyes Aquino. Buenaventura composed the music and
did the notations for the folk dances as researched by Aquino.
Lucio, Buenventuras father, was chief musician of the Spanish
artillery band in Intramuros and founder of Banda Buenaventura.
Thus as a young boy, Buenaventura already demonstrated a
passion for music. He learned the rudiments of solfeggio and
became a proficient clarinet player as a child.