Filipino Composers

Nicanor Abelardo was born in San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan to Valentin

Abelardo and Placida San Ana. His mother belonged to a family of artists in
Guagua, the Henson. He was introduced to music when he was five years old
when his father taught him the solfeggio and the banduria. Abelardo
completed his first composition, a waltz entitled "Ang Unang Buko" dedicated
to his grandmother, at the age of eight. By the age of thirteen, he was playing
at saloons and cabarets in Manila, and by fifteen, he was teaching at barrio
schools in San Ildefonso and San Miguel in Bulacan.

N. Abelardo Hall (UP Diliman).

In 1916, Abelardo entered the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music, taking courses under Guy F. Harrison and Robert
Scholfield. During his studies, he composed the melody of the university's official anthem, U.P. Naming Mahal. After earning a
teacher's certificate in science and composition in 1921, he was appointed head of the composition department at the Conservatory
in 1924. Years later, he ran a boarding school for young musicians, among which were Antonino Vuenaventura, Alfredo Lozano, and
Lucino Sacramento.

Abelardo died in 1934 at the age of 41, leaving behind a collection of roughly 140 compositions. He is known for redefining
the kundiman, bringing the form to art-song status. Notable among his works are 'Nasaan Ka Irog," "Magbalik Ka Hirang," and
"Himutok."

The main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the building housing the College of Music in UP Diliman (Abelardo
Hall) were named in his honor and memory.

Ryan Cayabyab (born Raymundo Cipriano Pujante Cayabyab on

May 4, 1954 in Manila, Philippines but known as Mr. C) is
a Filipino musician, composer and conductor; he was Executive and
Artistic Director for several years of the defunct San Miguel Foundation
for the Performing Arts. He was also a resident judge for the only
television season of Philippine Idol, broadcast in 2006.

His works range from commissioned full-length ballets, theater musicals, choral pieces, a Mass set to unaccompanied
chorus, and orchestral pieces, to commercial recordings of popular music, film scores and television specials.

Cayabyab's current project includes the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS), a group of seven young adult singers comparable
to his group Smokey Mountain in the early 1990s. After FreemantleMedia decided not to renew the Philippine
Idol franchise, Cayabyab transferred to rival show Pinoy Dream Academy (season 2), replacing Jim Paredes as the show's
headmaster. PDA 2 started on June 14, 2008. He also became the chairman of the board of judges for GMA Network'
musical-reality show To The Top.
 Lucrecia Roces Kasilag was born in San
Fernando, La Union, Philippines, the third of the
six children of Marcial Kasilag, Sr., a civil
engineer, and his wife Asuncion Roces Kasilag, a
violinist and a violin teacher. She was the
first solfeggio teacher of Kasilag. The second
teacher of Kasilag was Doa Concha Cuervo,
who was a strict Spanish woman. Afterwards,
Kasilag studied under Doa Pura Villanueva. It
was during this time that Kasilag performed her
first public piece, Felix Mendelssohn's May
Breezes, at a student recital when she was ten
years old.

Kasilag grew up in Paco, Manila, where she was educated at Paco Elementary School and graduated valedictorian in
1930. She then transferred to Philippine Women's University for high school, where in 1933 she also graduated as
valedictorian. For college, she graduated cum laude in 1936 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English, in the same
university. She also studied music at St. Scholasticas College in Malate, Manila, with Sister Baptista Battig, graduating
with a Music Teacher's Diploma, major in piano, in 1939.

Canseco wrote the classic "Kapantay Ay Langit", a theme from the award
winning motion picture sung by Amapola. It also had an English version titled
"You're All I Love" that was sung by American singer Vic Dana that included
some Tagalog lines. The song won the Manila Film Festival Best Song Of The
Year Award in 1972. Canseco followed it with an English song entitled "Songs"
exclusively for "Songs and Amapola" under the Vicor Music Corporation Pioneer
Label. Canseco's best-known composition, however, was "Child", the English-
language version of Freddie Aguilar's signature song "Ank". He wrote
for Sharon Cuneta and Basil Valdez, and his songs were also recorded by Regine
Velasquez, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Pilita Corrales, Martin Nievera, and Kuh Ledesma. Rey
Valera was a lyricist of two of Canseco's songs.

Canseco credited film producer and Vicor Music Corporation owner Vic del Rosario for his biggest break in the music
industry. Canseco was elected President of the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. in 1973, and
also elected a Councillor for the First District of Quezon City in 1988

Jos Mari Chan (born March 11, 1945) in Iloilo City is a Chinese Filipino singer,
songwriter and businessman in the sugar industry. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1967. He is currently the
chairman and CEO of BISCOM, Inc. and A. Chan Sugar Corporation. He is also the
chairman and president of Signature Music Inc.