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DR.

LUCRECIA
ROCES KASILAG
Tita King
First Lady of Philippine Music
National Artist in Music in 1989
Distinguished composer and music educator
Former President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG


grew up in Paco, Manila

born in San Fernando, La Union


Father: Marcial Kasilag Sr.
Mother: Asuncion Roces, a violinist and a music teacher
(August 31, 1918 - August 16, 2008)

Learned to play the bandurria and guitar at an early age


Every weekend, she and all five of her siblings performed as the Kasilag
Rondalla before their mother

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG


Academic Achievements:

Valedictorian, Paco Elementary School (1930)


Valedictorian, Philippine Womens University High School (1933)
Cum Laude, PWU Bachelor of Arts in English
Music Teacher's Diploma, St. Scholastica's College (1939), student of
Sister Baptista Battig
Bachelor of Music, Major in Piano at the PWU in 1949
Master of Music at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York
under a Fulbright Travel Grant (1950)
received an Eastman School of Music fellowship, and studied theory
under Dr. Allen I. McHose and composition under Dr. Wayne Barlow;
Doctor of Music from Centro Escolar University (CEU)

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG


Positions Held:
taught piano and music theory at SSC, and at the University of the
Philippines Conservatory of Music (1946 1947)
Dean of the PWU College of Music and Fine Arts (1953-1977)
In 1957, she put together the Bayanihan Folk Arts Center, which
undertook research and organized theatrical performances
Chairperson of the Philippine Society for Music Education in 1971
Chairperson of the Asian Composers League in 1975
Upon her retirement, she became Dean Emeritus of the PWU College
of Music and Fine Arts (1977)
Director of the Center for Arts and Humanities of the PWU
Honorary adviser to the Asian Arts Festival
Chairperson of the League of Filipino Composers

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG


Accomplishments continued:

LUCRESIA KASILAG with Ferdinand


Marcos, Imelda Marcos, pianist Van
Clibur and Englands prima ballerina
assoluta Dame Margot Fonteyn.

worked closely as music director with colleagues Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula,


Isabel Santos, Jose Lardizabal and Dr. Leticia P. de Guzman
made Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company one of the premier artistic
and cultural groups in the country (reaped international recognition)
National Artist for Music in 1989 (lone addition to the roster)
President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines during the Marcos
years, which music lovers like to describe as the "golden age of CCP" in
terms of world-class presentations
Special consultant during the Aquino administration
Other key positions in both national and international music
organizations: National Music Council of the Philippines, Regional Music
Commission of Southeast Asia, and the National Music Competition for
Young Artists Foundation

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG


Awards and Honors:
Doctor of Music, Honoris Causa from the Centro Escolar University,
1975
Doctor of Law, Honoris Causa from the Philippine Women's University,
1980
Doctor of Fine Arts, Honoris Causa from the St. John's University in New
York, 1981
The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Awardee for Culture and the Arts, 1989
Avicenna award from the USSR
Dama de La Orden Alfonso X el Sabio from the Spanish government
Japans Third Class of the Order of the Precious Crown
Frances Commandeur dans lOrdre de Arts et des Lettres

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS
has composed more than 250 works covering most genres including
orchestra, chamber, organ, piano, vocal, sacred, operetta, dance,
theatre, electronic and incidental music:

Love Songs
Legend of the Sarimanok
Ang Pamana
Philippine Scenes
Her Son
Jose
Sisa
Awit ng mga Awit Psalms
Fantaisie on a 4-Note Theme
East Meets Jazz Ethnika
For You for voice

The Message, for voice


Love Songs, a song cycle for
soprano and piano
Paru-paro at Uod from Jose
Rizals Pamana ng Lahi
also arranged for duet, or for
voice and string quartet, and for
Dularawan, a song-dance
drama which was first
performed at the inauguration
of the CCP in 1969

Dularawan (Excerpts)
From the album: Pagdiriwang
1979

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS
Having been exposed to the European classical music
tradition in her studies, Kasilag drew interest to the exotic
elements of Philippine traditional music and combined the
two
She collected and made studies of native instruments, as
well as other Asian music during her travels
Her concept of east-west fusion became the main basis for
her numerous works, where she combined timbres of
native and western instruments, and scales of different
musical systems, therefore making her music distinctive
such as the Divertissement for Piano and Orchestra, the
prize-winning "Toccata for Percussions and Winds,
Divertissement and Concertante," and the scores of the
"Filiasiana," "Misang Pilipino" and "De Profundis"

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS
Kasilag's compositional style embodied Classic and Romantic style during the 1940s
However, from the 1950s, her style was more experimental and incorporated twentieth-century
techniques in standard forms. . . .
April Morning (Fantasie Tone-Poem) was composed and completed by May 6, 1941. This composition is
based on a poem by a Filipina poet, Angela Manalang-Gloria (1907 - 1994)

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS

Theme and Variations (based on a Filipino Folk Tune kundiman 'Walay


Angay') April 17, 1950: use of Filipino folk songs . . . shows Kasilag's highly
imaginative skill in converting a simple melody into various forms
challenging the listener's ear with fresh material by which to perceive an old
one
was composed during Kasilag's years at Eastman, she incorporated new
compositional techniques, like multi-meter and quartal and quintal
harmonies, into her compositions
Other techniques: rhythmic patterns including triplets, dotted rhythms of
particular figures and placing accents on weak parts of the measure
Elegy on Mt. Pinatubo (September 16, 1991), Kasilag graphically essays a
poignant lamentation over the catastrophic tragedy wrought by the volcano,
Mt. Pinatubo
This composition is programmatic and evokes a clear depiction of the
eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. Kasilag demonstrates it well by use of
trills, major and minor seventh tremolos, scalar passages in parallel octaves
and ninths, glissandi, extreme upper and lower registers, and quartal
harmonies (lacking the third for an open sound)

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS

Carmencita LOZADA, violin ~ Francisco FELICIANO conducting the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
KASILAG Violin Concerto, LK 241 BUENAVENTURA Violin Concerto in E Minor "Lakambini" MARCO POLO
(1986)

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS

From the Album: Authentic Philippines


January 1, 1999

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS

Lucrecia Kasilag - Violin Concerto (1/3) - Moderato


Carmencita Lozada: violin
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Francisco Feliciano: conductor
Manila-Nov. 1983
Premiere performance and recording
Composed specially for Carmencita Lozada

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS

Lucrecia Kasilag - Concerto-(2/3)-Adiago


Carmencita Lozada: violin
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Francisco Feliciano: conductor
Manila-Nov. 1983
Premiere performance and recording
Composed specially for Carmencita Lozada

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS

Lucrecia Kasilag - Concerto-(3/3)-Allegro


Carmencita Lozada: violin
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Francisco Feliciano: conductor
Manila-Nov. 1983
Premiere performance and recording
Composed specially for Carmencita Lozada

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


COMPOSITIONS

Lucrecia Kasilag(left) Sonata for Violin and Organ


Composed for Carmencita Lozada (right): violin
Hans Trummer: organ
10th Bamboo Organ Festival - 1985
Allegretto-Andante-Allegro

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


OTHER COMPOSITIONS

National Music Competitions for Young Artists, Commissioned Works for


Youth Choir 1975-1978
(A Project of the First Lady, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, undertaken
annually by the Cultural Center of the Philippines)
Paperback 1979
by Chairman Lucrecia R. Kasilag (Preface)

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


OTHER COMPOSITIONS

National Music Competitions for Young Artists Commissioned Works for


Children's Choir 1973-1978
(A Project of the First Lady, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, undertaken
annually by the Cultural Center of the Philippines)
Paperback 1979
by Lucrecia R. Kasilag (composer) (Author), Lucio D. San Pedro (composer)
(Author), Ramon Pagayon Santos (composer) (Author), Chairman Lucecia
R. Kasilag (Preface)

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


OTHER COMPOSITIONS
Excerpt from the book:

Lucrecia Roces Kasilag: My Story


(Autobiography)
Philippine Women's University, 2000
158 pages

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


AND OTHERS

National Artist for Music Lucrecia Kasilag at


the Virac airport in 1992 with Pablo
Tariman, Estrella Placides and pianist Zenas
Reyes Lozada.

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


AS FEATURED ARTIST

LUCRECIA R KASILAG AN ARTIST FOR THE WORLD


Paperback 1985
by DE LA TORRE V (Author)

DR. LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG:


CONCLUSION
Biographical research on Kasilag has revealed her to be a wellknown, successful pianist and composer of the twentieth
century
She has to her credit over 250 works of many genres. She has
earned the respect of her Philippine countrymen and
colleagues as well as educators abroad
Kasilag's use of Filipino folk songs as thematic material and
indigenous structural elements as the main melodic motif,
had introduced a new perspective and technique in the study
of indigenous music in the Philippines

REFERENCES:

Himig: The Filipio Music Collection of FHL. Lucrecia R. Kasilag. http://www.himig.com.ph/features/32-lucrecia-r-kasilag;


http://www.himig.com.ph/people/23-lucrecia-roces-kasilag?composer=true; http://www.himig.com.ph/albums/389pagdiriwang/songs/4620-dularawan-excerpts.
Tariman, P.A. The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Lucrecia Kasilag, grand dame of RP music, dies at 90.
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20080817-155206/Lucrecia-Kasilag-grand-dame-of-RP-musicdies-at-90.
National Commission for Culture and the Arts. THE NATIONAL ARTISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES: Lucrecia R. Kasilag.
http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca/org-awards/music/lucrecia_kasilag.php.
Filipino American Artists Network. A Homage for Lucrecia Kasilag, First Lady of Philippine Music.
http://www.filamartists.com/2008/08/19/a-homage-for-lucrecia-kasilag/.
Salido, C.B. The Piano Compositional Style of Lucrecia Roces Kasilag. http://www.oovrag.com/essays/essay2004b-4.shtml.
http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Compositional-Style-LucreciaKasilag/dp/3639245636/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1427990175&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=lucrecia+kasilag.
Bayanihan: The Philippine National Folk Dance Company. Dr. Lucrecia R. Kasilag: President and Music Director, Bayanihan.
http://www.bayanihannationaldanceco.ph/kasilag.html.
Yan, C. B. Lucrecia Kasilag: First Lady of Philippine Music.
http://www.globalpinoy.com/gp.topics.v1/viewtopic.php?postid=4d22ca80b77ec&channelName=4d22ca80b77ec.

REFERENCES:

Carmencita Lozada: Kasilag / Buenaventura: Violin Concertos Lp. http://www.amazon.com/Carmencita-Lozada-KasilagBuenaventura-Concertos/dp/B00HJI2HUM.


Lucrecia Kasilag-Violin Concerto-(1/3)-Moderato. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkD4QwDlf4s.
Lucrecia Kasilag-Violin Concerto-(2/3)-Adiago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGJem06x4bE.
Lucrecia Kasilag-Violin Concerto-(3/3)-Allegro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI70ibkC0Jo.
Lucrecia Kasilag-Sonata for Violin and Organ (Composed for Carmencita Lozada).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktyoiHEMTIA.
De la Torre, Visitacion R. (1985). Lucrecia R. Kasilag: an Artist for the World.
Felipe, Vilma R. Santiago- (1998). A Gem of a Person, A Jewel of an Artist. In The National Artists of the Philippines (pp. 209217).
Pasig City: Anvil Publishing.
Tariman, Pablo. (2008, August 17). Lucrecia Kasilag, grand dame of RP music, dies at 90. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Tiongson, Nicanor (Ed.). (1994). CCP encyclopedia of Philippine art (Vol. 6: Philippine music). Manila: Cultural Center of the
Philippines.
National Music Competitions for Young Artists, Commissioned Works for Youth Choir 1975-1978.
http://www.amazon.com/Competitions-Commissioned-1975-1978-undertakenPhilippines/dp/B002RGRNCI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427990745&sr=1-1.
National Music Competitions for Young Artists Commissioned Works for Children's Choir 1973-1978.
http://www.amazon.com/Competitions-Commissioned-Childrens-undertakenPhilippines/dp/B002RGLPDG/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427990745&sr=1-2.

DR. LUCRECIA
ROCES KASILAG
Tita King
First Lady of Philippine Music
National Artist in Music in 1989
Distinguished composer and music educator
Former President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines

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