maceda100 Closing Concert

There was anticipation in the air last January 31 at the U.P College of Music Abelardo Hall as
the closing activities of the year- long celebration of Dr. Jose Maceda’s birthday was celebrated
with a concert titled Maceda Retrospective 1952∙1981∙2003. It was a night that ended with a
mix of gratification and upsurge of renewed interest in the life and works of the celebrated
national artist. A diverse audience gathered to listen to three pieces that represent different points
in Dr. Maceda’s life- Scherzino, Aroding and Nanguan. The chosen pieces for the final concert
exemplified his vision of integration among opposing musical idioms. Continually reshaping
sonic conventions even after his death, Dr. Maceda’s influence as a researcher, philosopher,
artist, composer, and ethnomusicologist is still preeminent in those lives he touched.

From January 31, 2017 to January 31, 2018, the U.P Center for Ethnomusicology, with the
leadership of its director, Dr. Verne de la Peña, mounted events to pay homage to a man whose
scope of impact on Philippine musical and cultural life was unparalleled. The closing activities
commenced with pre-concert presentation led by Dr. Ramon Santos and Dr. Jonas Baes, who
provided elucidating discussions of Dr. Maceda’s works. The overwhelming attendance was a
testament of how people are equally interested in the performance of Dr. Maceda’s music as to
knowing the inner workings of his compositional life. The Q&A at the end of the presentation
facilitated discourse that examines new questions and readings of Dr. Maceda’s works.

The Pre-Concert Lecture was preceded by Maceda Retrospective 1952∙1981∙2003. The first
piece of the concert was Scherzino. Performed by members of Ripieno Ensemble, this 2-
movement piece was composed in 1952 for bassoon, piano and clarinet. Modest in length and
instrumentation, this seminal work embodies Dr. Maceda’s creative beginnings. The second
piece, Aroding for 40 mouth harps, 3 whistle flutes and 5 male voices was composed in 1981.
Performed by students and faculty from the U.P College of Music and conducted by Prof.
Josefino Toledo, the piece produced envelops of sound that created various geometrical shapes,
colors and densities. The final piece was Nanguan, Music for South Chinese Music
Instruments performed by the Guangxi Arts University Traditional Orchestra under the baton of
Dr. Cai Yang. Composed in 2003, Nanguan was one of Dr. Maceda’s last works. He utilized the
Nan-Guan or Nanyi ensemble of South China to produce a contemporary composition that
deconstructs the sonic structures of traditional Chinese classical music. It was the premier
performance of the piece in the Philippines.

The following day, a lecture-demo was held at the Abelardo Hall stage followed by instrumental
master classes. The lecture-demo enabled an intimate encounter with traditional Chinese music
for partipants, as faculty members from the Guangxi Arts University provided short
performances on the erhu, pipa, gu zheng, and yang qin among many others. Dr. Cai Yang and
Zhong Juncheng’s lectures provided historical and social context making it a well-rounded
educational experience. Afterwards, a special concert titled Guangxi (Connections) Special
Ethnic Chamber Concert was held on the same venue. The Guangxi Arts University
Traditional Orchestra’s repertoire was a mix of classical and modern Chinese pieces. With their
virtuosic performance, the audience was left enthralled and clamouring for more.

Organizing both concerts was an enormous feat; efforts included gathering more than 80
performers from the U.P College of Music and inviting a traditional Chinese orchestra from
Guangxi Arts University. It was, however, unitive and encompassing- as people from different
backgrounds, nationalities and sensibilities gathered as performers, audience, teachers, and
learners. Forming a community, they shared codes of expressions while rediscovering
confluences in each one’s history and tradition.

Dr. Jose Maceda’s birth centenary concludes with a realization of his continued influence on the
lives of succeeding generations. His compositions, extensive research work around the
Philippines and other parts of Asia, theories and writings, and an examination of his life continue
to bring forth in us a consciousness and rootedness in our own tradition.