Music during the M.rti.l L.w Ye.

rs

The period of M.rti.l L.w (1972-1986) m.y h.ve been considered by m.ny .s . grim period in Philippine history.
But in the field of the .rts, p.rticul.rly in music, there w.s evidently .rdent support th.t fostered the
development .nd promotion of Philippine music.

V.rious org.niz.tions .nd progr.ms were .lso est.blished to prop.g.te Philippine music.l .rtistry. In 1963, the
Philippine M.drig.l Singers w.s org.nized by choirm.ster Andre. O. Vener.cion, who l.ter bec.me N.tion.l
Artist for Music in 1999. In 1973, . Presidenti.l Procl.m.tion w.s issued to form.lly org.nize the N.tion.l Music
Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), which h.s become .n .venue for discovering .nd developing young
t.lents. The CCP Philh.rmonic Orchestr., now known .s the Philippine Philh.rmonic Orchestr. (PPO), w.s .lso
est.blished. The Cultur.l Center of the Philippines (CCP) w.s the site for showc.sing perform.nces .nd new
works.

In .ddition to the CCP, the Folk Arts The.ter (FAT) w.s in.ugur.ted in 1974 .nd l.ter bec.me the venue of folk
.rts festiv.ls .nd “popul.r music concerts th.t s.w the birth of origin.l Filipino music (OPM).” (Hil. 2007) In
1975, the Le.gue bec.me . member of the Asi.n Composers Le.gue, which g.ve Filipino composers “the
opportunity to .chieve inter.ction .nd work for cultur.l exch.nge with other confreres in the Asi.n region.”
Selected commissioned symphonic works were fe.tured in four .lbums, titled “P.gdiriw.ng” (Celebr.tion). In
1982, the Oper. Comp.ny of the Philippines w.s est.blished to regul.rly hold oper.tic productions.

There w.s .lso .n initi.tive to bring the cl.ssics to . wider .udience through outdoor progr.ms such .s the
“Concert .t the P.rk” .t the Lunet., “Puert. Re.l Evenings” in Intr.muros, .nd “P.co P.rk Presents” .t the P.co
Cemetery. The Le.gue of Filipino Composers, under the .ctive le.dership of Lucreci. R. K.sil.g, .lso sponsored
competitions, semin.rs, .nd workshops to encour.ge young musici.ns .nd promote their contempor.ry works.
It w.s .lso during the period when the prestigious N.tion.l Artist Aw.rd included the field of music in 1973.
Among the not.ble musici.ns of the period were Antonio J. Molin. (N.tion.l Artist for Music, 1973), Jovit.
Fuentes (N.tion.l Artist for Music, 1976), Antonino R. Buen.ventur. (N.tion.l Artist for Music, 1988), Lucreci. R.
K.sil.g (N.tion.l Artist for Music, 1989), Lucio D. S.n Pedro (N.tion.l Artist for Music, 1991), Felipe P. De Leon,
Sr. (N.tion.l Artist for Music, 1997), .nd Jose M. M.ced. (N.tion.l Artist for Music, 1997).

Source:

Hil., A.C. (2007). The music.l .rts in the New Society. M.rcos Presidenti.l Center.

Photo:

Cultur.l Center of the Philippines .nd Le.gue of Filipino Composers. P.gdiriw.ng. 4 LPs. CCP, 1979.
(From the Himig collection of the Filipin.s Herit.ge Libr.ry)