Jovita Fuentes was born on February 15, 1895 in Roxas city, Capiz. She was the fifth child in a family of twelve from Canuto and Dolores Fuentes. Fuentes learned to play the piano at the age of five and followed education at the Colegio de Santa Isabel in Manila. There she also received singing lessons from the well-known Italian singer Salvina Fornari. After that she sang several concerts and in 1914 she was a soloist in the symphony concert of Asociacion de Periodistas. In 1917 she taught at the Conservatory of Music, but after a year she resigned and gave private lessons from then on. In 1924 she left for Europe where she was given lessons in Milan by Arturo Cadore, who associated with Teatro alla Scala. In Milan she also made her debut in April 1925 as opera singer, as Cio-Cio San in Madame Butterfly, an opera by Giacomo Puccini. Her performance was very well received. The six years later she performed in several major European cities. She played roles such as Liu Yu in Turandot, Mimi in La bohème (both by Puccini), Iris in Iris by Pietro Mascagni, Salome in Salomé by Richard Strauss and princess Yang Gui Fe in Li Tai Pe.
Upon returning to the Philippines in 1930 she was received by thousands of compatriots. The government proclaimed the day of her return as a national holiday and Fuentes gave a performance at the Manila Grand Opera House. Shortly thereafter she left for Hong Kong, Shanghai and several Japanese cities for performances. She also sang in some cities in the United States. After the outbreak of the Second World War Fuentes returned to the Philippines. She taught at the College of the Holy Spirit, Santa Isabel College and Centro Escolar University. She was also founder of the Jovita Fuentes Cultural Society, the Artists' Guild of the Philippines and she was one of the main lobbyists for the establishment of the Music Promotion Foundation. She was appointed chairman of the Foundation and in that capacity developed various plans to promote music in the Philippines. She also produced the operas Noli Me Tangere, Mapulang Bituin, Hänsel and Gretel, Mariang Makiling, Diego Silang, Madam Butterfly, L'amico Fritz, El Filibusterismo, Aida and Florante at Laura. She was partially responsible for the training of new Filipino talents such as Oscar Yatco, Reynaldo Reyes and Carmencita Lozada.
After her active career as an artist, Fuentes remained active in the Filipino music industry. She was president of many organizations. She was also awarded many times. For example, in 1958 President Carlos Garcia received a Presidential Medal of Merit. In 1976 she was appointed national artist of the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos.
Fuentes died in 1978 at the age of 73. In the same year a biography by Lilia H. Chung was published, Jovita Fuentes: A Lifetime of Music.
Upon returning to the Philippines in 1930 she was received by thousands of compatriots. The government proclaimed the day of her return as a national holiday and Fuentes gave a performance at the Manila Grand Opera House. Shortly thereafter she left for Hong Kong, Shanghai and several Japanese cities for performances. She also sang in some cities in the United States. After the outbreak of the Second World War Fuentes returned to the Philippines. She taught at the College of the Holy Spirit, Santa Isabel College and Centro Escolar University. She was also founder of the Jovita Fuentes Cultural Society, the Artists' Guild of the Philippines and she was one of the main lobbyists for the establishment of the Music Promotion Foundation. She was appointed chairman of the Foundation and in that capacity developed various plans to promote music in the Philippines. She also produced the operas Noli Me Tangere, Mapulang Bituin, Hänsel and Gretel, Mariang Makiling, Diego Silang, Madam Butterfly, L'amico Fritz, El Filibusterismo, Aida and Florante at Laura. She was partially responsible for the training of new Filipino talents such as Oscar Yatco, Reynaldo Reyes and Carmencita Lozada.
After her active career as an artist, Fuentes remained active in the Filipino music industry. She was president of many organizations. She was also awarded many times. For example, in 1958 President Carlos Garcia received a Presidential Medal of Merit. In 1976 she was appointed national artist of the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos.
Fuentes died in 1978 at the age of 73. In the same year a biography by Lilia H. Chung was published, Jovita Fuentes: A Lifetime of Music.
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Jose Maria Contreras (born November 25, 1937, died June 7, 1995) was a Filipino pianist from Capiz, Philippines. His parents were Jose Contreras and Maria Bermejo. He received his first musical training in Roxas City, studied at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City for high school, and at the Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in piano, magna cum laude, at the age of 17.[1]
In Manila, he earned his artist’s diploma in 1957 under a Lucia Francisco scholarship, with Regalado Jose as his mentor.[2] He then won in a piano competition sponsored by the Italian government and was sent to Rome for further studies.[3] He attended the masterclasses of Carlo Zecchi and Renzo Silvestri at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, as well as the masterclasses of Nikita Magaloff.[4] During the first six years of his stay in Europe, Contreras won twice in the Viotti International Piano Competition, fourth place in 1960 and second place in 1962 in the Alfredo Casella International Piano Competition,[5] and third place in the 1963 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (the first place was not awarded).[6] From then on, he became a familiar name in the concert halls on the continent.[7]
From 1963 to 1966, he studied with Rosina Lhévinne at the Juilliard School of Music and earned his Diploma in Piano (1965) and a Master of Science in Piano (1966).[8] In 1966, he participated as a semi-finalist in the Leeds International Piano Competition.[9]
Returning to Europe from New York, Contreras resumed his concertizing as a soloist with the Orchestra dell’ Accademia di Santa Cecilia at the Auditorium in Via Conciliazione and at the Basilica di Massenzio, as well as with the orchestras of Teatro San Carlos in Naples; AIDEM Orchestra of Florence, Symphony Orchestra of Verona; Comunale Orchestra of Bologna; Sicilian Symphony Orchestra of Palermo; Wiener Kamerorchester of Vienna; Italian Radio Orchestras of Rome, Naples, Milano, and Torino; Irish Radio and Television Orchestra of Dublin, Romanian Radio and Television Orchestra of Bucharest; the Philharmonia Orchestra of Sofia in Bulgaria, Bratislava in Czechoslovakia, and Zagreb in Yugoslavia.[10] He performed in Italy, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland, France, and Greece.[11] He also performed in the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, New York.[12]
He returned to the Philippines and served as an artist-in-residence at St. Scholastica's College. He also taught at the University of the Philippines College of Music and among his students there include internationally renowned choral conductor Jonathan Velasco and esteemed musicologist Jose Buenconsejo.
References
In Manila, he earned his artist’s diploma in 1957 under a Lucia Francisco scholarship, with Regalado Jose as his mentor.[2] He then won in a piano competition sponsored by the Italian government and was sent to Rome for further studies.[3] He attended the masterclasses of Carlo Zecchi and Renzo Silvestri at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, as well as the masterclasses of Nikita Magaloff.[4] During the first six years of his stay in Europe, Contreras won twice in the Viotti International Piano Competition, fourth place in 1960 and second place in 1962 in the Alfredo Casella International Piano Competition,[5] and third place in the 1963 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition (the first place was not awarded).[6] From then on, he became a familiar name in the concert halls on the continent.[7]
From 1963 to 1966, he studied with Rosina Lhévinne at the Juilliard School of Music and earned his Diploma in Piano (1965) and a Master of Science in Piano (1966).[8] In 1966, he participated as a semi-finalist in the Leeds International Piano Competition.[9]
Returning to Europe from New York, Contreras resumed his concertizing as a soloist with the Orchestra dell’ Accademia di Santa Cecilia at the Auditorium in Via Conciliazione and at the Basilica di Massenzio, as well as with the orchestras of Teatro San Carlos in Naples; AIDEM Orchestra of Florence, Symphony Orchestra of Verona; Comunale Orchestra of Bologna; Sicilian Symphony Orchestra of Palermo; Wiener Kamerorchester of Vienna; Italian Radio Orchestras of Rome, Naples, Milano, and Torino; Irish Radio and Television Orchestra of Dublin, Romanian Radio and Television Orchestra of Bucharest; the Philharmonia Orchestra of Sofia in Bulgaria, Bratislava in Czechoslovakia, and Zagreb in Yugoslavia.[10] He performed in Italy, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland, France, and Greece.[11] He also performed in the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, New York.[12]
He returned to the Philippines and served as an artist-in-residence at St. Scholastica's College. He also taught at the University of the Philippines College of Music and among his students there include internationally renowned choral conductor Jonathan Velasco and esteemed musicologist Jose Buenconsejo.
References
- Cultural Center of the Philippines, CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art: Philippine Music (Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1994), 304.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- "Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferruccio_Busoni_International_Piano_Competition, (February 1, 2019).
- Ibid.
- Zachary Green (Alumni Relations Associate, The Juilliard School), interviewed by Clement Acevedo via email, December 3, 2018.
- Wendy Thompson, and Fanny Waterman, Piano Competition: The Story of the Leeds (London: Faber & Faber, 1990), 40.
- Cultural Center of the Philippines, CCP Encyclopedia, 304.
- Ibid.
- “Events Today,” The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/1975/05/10/archives/events-today.html, (February 1, 2019).