New Music Composers: Jose Maceda

New Music Composers

New music composers incorporate traditional music forms and indigenous rhythms and instruments into their compositions.
Jose Maceda (1917-2004), National Artist for Music, was born in Manila on January 17, 1917.
Maceda studied at the Academy of Music in Manila, studied in Paris with Alfred Cortot, and later in the USA with E. Robert Schmitz where he earned his Doctorate in Ethnomusicology from UCLA.
In 1953, Maceda's musical style shifted after encountering the indigenous music of the Mindoro tribes.
He collected and understood traditional Filipino music from remote communities.
His compositional approach was Western-style, combined with ethnic instruments.
His compositions were generally for large groups of musicians.
Examples of his works include Ugna-Ugma (1963), a work for voice and ethnic instruments; Agungan (1975), a piece for six gong families; Pagsamba (1968), a musical ritual for a circular auditorium; and Cassettes 100 (1971), a composition for 100 cassette tape recorders. Ugnayan (1974) was played simultaneously on multiple radio stations.
Jose Maceda was the first Filipino avant-garde composer.
In 1958, Maceda worked in a Paris recording studio, specializing in musique concrète.
He met influential musicians including Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Iannis Xenakis in this field.
Maceda taught piano and musicology at the College of Music, University of the Philippines from 1952 to 1990.
He was the Executive Director for Ethnomusicology in 1997.
He passed away on May 5, 2004, in Manila.
Lucrecia Kasilag (1918-2008), National Artist for Music, was born on August 31, 1918, in San Fernando, La Union.
She earned a degree in Music from the Philippine Women's University.
She received her Master's degree from Eastman School of Music in New York.
Her compositions were influenced by professors Irving McHose and Wayne Barlow.
Her music style fused Eastern and Western musical elements in instruments, melodies, harmonies, and rhythms.
She incorporated indigenous Filipino musical instruments in her orchestral compositions.
Kasilag served as Dean of the College of Music and Fine Arts at Philippine Women's University.
She became President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
She wrote over 200 musical works including folksongs, operas, and orchestral pieces.
Kasilag was named a National Artist for Music in 1989.
Examples of her compositions include Toccata for Percussion and Winds (1959), composed for Indigenous Muslim and Western instruments; The Legend of the Sarimanok (1963); Divertissement and Concertante (1960); and Dularawan (1969), which was a musical drama with a dance solo, chorus, orchestra, and other ensemble compositions.
Ramon Santos (1941- ), National Artist for Music, received degrees in Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Philosophy in Composition, from Indiana University and the State University of New York.
His graduate studies were in Ethnomusicology at the University of Illinois.
His compositional style includes chromaticism, music seria, and electronic components, combined with indigenous Filipino music.
He was Dean of the College of Music at the University of the Philippines (UP) from 1978-1988 and Director of the UP Center of Ethnomusicology.
He was later appointed Professor Emeritus at UP.
He became a National Artist in 2014.
Fr. Manuel Maramba, OSB (1936-), received a full music scholarship at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria, a Master of Arts in Church Music, and a Teacher's Certificate in Organ.
He performed at Carnegie Hall at age 19 in the United States.
He composed numerous operas, including Aba!, Sto Nino, La Naval, and Lord Takayama Ukon, music for Awakening for the Ballet Philippines, and music for the Philippine Ballet Theater production of Seven Mansions.
He also composed three masses, three cantatas, three psalms, a zarzuela, and three orchestral works.
Examples of his compositions include, The Virgin of Naval, Transfiguration, and Missa Mysterium.
Jerry Dadap (1935-) was the first Filipino composer to conduct his own works at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York.
He received his Bachelor of Music degree in composition at the UP Conservatory.
Dadap studied and taught musical composition in the US and in the Philippines.
He received a study observational grant from the Music Promotion Foundation of the Philippines
He received a full scholarship grant from the United Presbyterian Church of USA.
Dadap earned a postgraduate diploma in composition at Mannes College of Music; and taught composition, ear training, and orchestration at Sta. Isabel College of Music in Manila.
His compositions showcase unconventional instruments like beanpod rattles, leaves, and iron-nail chimes, various Asian instruments, and vocal music using Asian techniques.
He was influenced by Jose Maceda's use of large numbers of performers.
Examples of his compositions include Imagined Community, After Benedict Anderson, Bamui trail caller, Sarunai for Oboe, and Khaen for mouth organ.
Francisco Feliciano (1942-2014), National Artist for Music, was born in Morong, Rizal.
Feliciano was an avant-garde composer and conductor for band and chorus. His work was in several styles of music.
He established the Morriz Band, a brass ensemble.
Feliciano was a composer, teacher, and conductor.
He was a music teacher for high school, earned a Teacher's Diploma, a Bachelor degree in Composition of the Conservatory of Music at UP.
Feliciano received a Master's degree in Music Composition at UP, a Diploma in Music Composition from Hochschule der Kunst in Berlin. Master of Musical Arts, and a Doctorate in Music Composition.
He studied with Jacob Druckman, Isang Yun, and H.W. Zimmerman.
Also known for writing music utilizing unorthodox instruments.
Examples of his composition include Prelude and Toccata, Fragments, Life of Wartime Filipino Hero Jose Abad Santos, and Ballet Yerma.
He composed music for the movie, Ang Bukas Ay Atin, which was performed by many groups.
Other works include instrumental for orchestra like Prelude and Toccata, Fragments, and Ballet Yerma.
He wrote Transfiguration & Missa Mysterium, works for orchestra and chorus.
Josefino Toledo (1959-) is known for his role in Asian contemporary art music.
He earned a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Toledo is a composer, and conductor.
Among his awards were "Ten Outstanding Young Men" and numerous other musical awards and workshops.
Jonas Baes (1961-) studied with Ramon Santos at the College of Music of UP.
Baes used methods that involved the audience directly in the compositions.
He was known for his unusual and unorthodox musical instruments. He composed and conducted music for chorus, orchestra, chamber ensembles.

Other Information

Activity to compose a song/lyrics are listed. Criteria include aspects for originality, imagery, story, melody, structure, phrasing, rhythm, performing ability, stage presence, and audience rapport.
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