Dubbed Tutti Harpi, get ready to string your hearts as the FEU (Far Eastern University) Center for the Arts (FCA) continues the 2023-2024 season with an All-Harp Concert featuring twelve (12) Filipino Harpists led by Madeline Jane Banta on October 9, 2023, at 5:00 PM in the FEU Auditorium.
The concert will feature a variety of musical pieces from classical to OPM with the special participation of the FEU Dance Company and the FEU Chorale.
Don’t waste the opportunity to witness and hear the performances of these twelve Filipino harpists in a rare and unique music concert brought to you by the FEU Center for the Arts for free!
This concert is on a first-come, first-served basis. Only 200 seats will be allotted for guests outside the FEU Community.
#Harpediem
#Harptoheart
Far Eastern University
98.7 DZFE-FM | The Master’s Touch
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:
MADELINE JANE BANTA
She is a harpist and pianist. She plays on a concert pedal harp. She has been the harpist in many concerts of Philippine orchestras like the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Manila Symphony Orchestra, Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, UP Symphony Orchestra, and UST Symphony Orchestra. She has performed twice at the Asia Orchestra Festival in Tokyo, Japan with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019 and the Manila Symphony Orchestra in 2022. She has also performed in operas (Turandot, Lucia di Lammermoor, L’ Elisir di Amore) and ballets (Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle).
Jane Banta performed in the FEU Auditorium in 2020 for the FCA’s Tribute to Beethoven’s 250th Birthday (https://youtu.be/-wm0HQ0MApI?si=fcxF7c0yx-eKnNUe) and in 2022 for Minamahal Kita, The Art of the Filipino Love Song and A Tribute to the 2022 National Artists (https://youtu.be/1yUUYLGxnp0?si=ZYChB02hHL1Wnhvj).
ABRAHAM “ABE” ACALA
Abe Acala is a Licensed Professional Teacher, a harp maker, and a student at the Therapy Harp Training Program. Abe is a proud son of Paete, Laguna, the Carving Capital of the Philippines. He studied at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music and became a music teacher. It dawned on him during the lockdown that he could marry his passion for music and his love for woodwork by making harps. His fascination with the instrument led him to explore harp therapy, which fueled his passion even more for his craft. He now exports his harps.
DARREN ANGELO UY
Darren Angelo Uy is a 13-year-old multi-instrumentalist from the Philippine Science High School-Main Campus. He enjoys playing instruments like the piano, ukulele, kalimba, recorder, and harp. He began learning piano at the age of three and started taking harp lessons during the pandemic under the guidance of distinguished harpist, Madeline Jane Banta. In 2022, he was given the opportunity to be part of “Come to the Stable”, an annual Christmas Concert and a charity event of Martin Lopez.
DOREEN ANGELA UY
Doreen Angela Uy is an 11-year-old music enthusiast from the Philippine Science High School – Main Campus. Her love for music is enriched by playing the piano, ukulele, and harp. Her dream of learning to play a unique musical instrument was realized during the pandemic when she started taking harp lessons under the mentorship of her distinguished harp teacher, Madeline Jane Banta. In 2022, she had her first harp performance during the yearly Christmas event of Martin Lopez called “Come to the Stable”. Early this year (2023), she performed in the Diamond Jubilee Concert of her former school, St. Theresa’s College of Quezon City. Doreen is honored and privileged to have such opportunities to perform with seasoned and accomplished harpists today.
CHRISTIAN LORENZO CORDERO CARAGAYAN
Christian is a special adult with autism. He started his harp lessons at twelve years old under Professor Lourdes de Leon-Gregorio, initially at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and eventually at the Music Extension Division Program of the Conservatory of Music of the University of Santo Tomas. Christian had two solo harp recitals in June 2013 and May 2018 at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, where he performed Broadway and classical pieces. He also participated in summer workshops and student recitals organized and presented by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Music School.
In addition, Christian was featured in different TV segments, such as “Extra Extra” of GMA and “Magandang Umaga Pilipinas” of ABS CBN. In 2010, Christian played a harp duet with his teacher, Prof. Gregorio, in the 8th UST Christmas Concert Gala.
ELIZA TABITHA
Eliza is a Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology, Major in Human Settlements Planning student at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. In music, Eliza has training in voice, piano, and harp. She started her private piano lessons in 2010 under Maripaz Audijie, a piano teacher from the UP CMU Extension Program, which she continues up to the present. For harp, Eliza trained at the UST Conservatory of Music Extension Program under Prof. Lourdes de Leon Gregorio from 2017 to 2020.
Currently, she takes private lessons with the Harp Room under the tutelage of Jo-ann Cerdenia.
JAMES AJOC
James graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Adventist University of the Philippines in May 2019.
Playing the harp is a part of his childhood dream. He did not pursue it in college as he took the piano as his Major instrument. However, when Madeline Jane Banta, a renowned Filipino harpist, gave a lecture recital at the Adventist University of the Philippines in 2018, his dream of taking harp lessons got re-ignited. After his graduation in June 2023, he took the opportunity to make his dream come true and started his lessons with Ms. Banta.
KAREN AGABIN
Karen works in the non-profit development sector and manages a corporate foundation full-time. She started playing the lever harp in 2008 and learned the pedal harp a few years later. She learned from private lessons with professional harpists and some local and international masterclasses.
MICAH LUY
Micah Luy is a 1st year music major at the UST Conservatory of Music majoring in Violin Performance. Aside from the violin, Micah also plays the piano and the harp. Micah started playing the harp in 2018 under the mentorship of Joanne Cerdenia of the Harp Room and Lisa Supadi of Indonesia. She has performed in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and different parts of the Philippines, both as a violinist and harpist. In Cagayan de Oro, where she is originally from, Micah is professionally known as the CDO Harpist.
Micah is the resident guest harpist for the Classic Youth Orchestra and the Cebu Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Currently, she is studying under the tutelage of Madeline Jane Banta.
PAOLA ESPELETA-DE LEON
Paola is a Data Engineer by profession. During her school days at St. Scholastica’s College Manila, she discovered her love for music by learning the piano and violin. In March 2021, amidst the pandemic, Paola embarked on a new musical adventure under the guidance of the talented harpist Madeline Jane Banta. This instrument has become her source of solace and inspiration during challenging times.
RYAN VILLAMOR
Ryan Villamor is a Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioner, jazz pianist, composer, and music instructor. In 2020, he earned his certification at the International Harp Therapy Program in San Diego, California, and his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education with a major in Piano and a minor in Percussion from the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music in 2007. In 2013, Ryan served as a music teacher at Acacia Waldorf School in Santa Rosa, Laguna, where he studied the works of Rudolf Steiner.
In 2015, Ryan completed an internship at the Adventist Medical Centre Manila, where he first offered therapeutic harp music to cancer patients in the Intensive Care Unit. In 2018, Ryan presented his experiences and knowledge of bedside therapeutic harp music at the Southeast Asia Music Therapy Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 2019, he received recognition from the Golden Globe Annual Awards for Filipino Achievers for Excellence and Noteworthy Achievement in the Field of Classical and Jazz Music Artistry.
Furthermore, Ryan has also collaborated with Manila’s leading ensembles, including the Manila String Machine, the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra Jazz Band, The Peninsula Manila Jazz Quintet, and the Tago Jazz Collective. He has also performed his original compositions as bandleader for the Ryan Villamor Trio, which has played at notable music venues such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Ayala Museum, and Tiu Theatre. In 2021, he performed as a keyboardist on the last episode of the “Still” musical series at Viu Originals, a video streaming platform like Netflix.
Currently, Ryan works as a full-time artist-musician at Ryan Villamor Entertainment Services, providing live music for weddings and special events, and teaches piano and harp online via Zoom. His goal is to be a pioneer in bringing therapeutic harp music to Philippine hospitals, hospices, and palliative care to give comfort and care to those individuals who are in pain and dying.
VIEN IGNACIO
Vien is an 11-year-old classically trained pedal harpist under the tutelage of renowned harpist and pedagogue Ms. Olga Shevelevich. She started playing the harp out of curiosity when she was only 3.5 years old with her first harp teacher, Ms. Rita Sari of Singapore Raveharps Academy. She has won numerous international music competitions, two of which were the 2021 Vienna Virtuoso Music Competition and the 2022 Singapore Harpfest. She has performed in notable international concert venues such as the Hong Kong Performing Arts Center for the 13th World Harp Congress and Singapore’s Esplanade, Victoria Concert Hall, and Gardens by the Bay for various harp events.
Last year (2022), she had her first solo harp recital with collaborating pianist Madeline Jane Banta in the Manila Pianos Artist Series, her first orchestra performance with the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra’s Children of Christmas, and was one of the performers in Martin Lopez’ annual Christmas Concert and Charity event called “Come to the Stable”. This year (2023), Vien performed in the National Museum Gala of the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (FCCP) called “Ilustrado”. In December, she will have her second solo harp recital in Manila Pianos.
