Heavenly voices filled the Carlos
P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza last May 7, as the Klassikal Music
Foundation (KMF) held its fundraising concert. Titled as "Songs from a
Silver World," this year's showcase line-up included popular songs in
film.
Staged and directed by baritone
Andrew Fernando and choreographed by Richardson Yadao, the repertoire included
music from thrillers, James Bond movies, Italian Cinema, Disney, Oscar-winning
songs, and other iconic tunes from the silver screen.
"Coming up with the theme for
this year's showcase was an exciting journey because we wanted something that a
more diverse audience can relate to. We wanted to introduce our scholars to a larger
public," said Fernando. He added that deciding on film as the theme was a
strategic move to bring awareness to a singing style mistaken to only be
associated with opera and classical music.
Among the distinguished performers
during the event were Ms. Rachelle Gerodias, the country's Premier Soprano, and
Gerphil Flores, a KMF scholar who gave pride to the Philippines after placing 2nd
runner-up on Asia's Got Talent in 2015. Young actor and McDonald's endorser
Alden Richards also graced the stage and performed an inspirational segment to
the delight of the KMF scholars and the audience. Dr. George T. Yang, Founder
and Chairman of KMF and McDonald’s Philippines, who is also an acclaimed tenor,
serenaded the audience with some classics.
“Witnessing the growth of each of
our scholars has been amazing and it makes us very proud to have been able to
share their talents to more Filipinos. We remain committed to their education
and future career advancement in this field,” says Dr. Yang.
To date, Klassikal Music
Foundation has supported close to 50 scholars. It continuously aims to help in
the development and appreciation of local classical music by giving
scholarships to deserving classical music students who otherwise cannot afford
to continue their study of the very specialized field of music.
The other members of the artistic
staff include Herminigildo Ranera for music direction and John Batalla for
light design. Dr. George T. Yang, Dr. Raul Sunico, Ms. Shirley Bangayan, Ms.
Rosalinda Orosa, Ms. Lily Monteverde, and Ms. Rachelle Gerodias compose the
board members of the foundation. All proceeds of the showcase will go to the
scholarship fund.
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