Tan-áw
TAN-ÁW
Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Cebuano
(v. to see, to look at, to view, to mind, to contemplate, to be vigilant)
“Con el recuerdo del pasado, entro en el porvenir.”
“ I enter the future with a memory of the past”
- Dr. Jose Rizal
TAN-ÁW, is an appeal for all of us to look deeper into ourselves and find our inner purpose. Easily eclipsed by the noise of voices in and out of our heads, it is challenging to see clearly and be illuminated by our verity. But as the Persian poet Rumi says, “What you seek is seeking you,” may we remember to find solace within ourselves, yet learn from our past, and gain the strength and courage to pave a better future not just for ourselves, but for humanity.
The pieces in the recital program are written and derived from various languages: Cebuano, Ilocano, Ibaloi, Kalanguya, T’boli, and Tagalog as part of the WIKÁWIT initiative of revitalizing Filipino languages through music.
Full program notes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hMtbLj79ZR3RQ-cUjNghhvUfoXiNskbm/view?usp=sharing
TAN-ÁW
Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Cebuano
(v. to see, to look at, to view, to mind, to contemplate, to be vigilant)
“Con el recuerdo del pasado, entro en el porvenir.”
“ I enter the future with a memory of the past”
- Dr. Jose Rizal
TAN-ÁW, is an appeal for all of us to look deeper into ourselves and find our inner purpose. Easily eclipsed by the noise of voices in and out of our heads, it is challenging to see clearly and be illuminated by our verity. But as the Persian poet Rumi says, “What you seek is seeking you,” may we remember to find solace within ourselves, yet learn from our past, and gain the strength and courage to pave a better future not just for ourselves, but for humanity.
The pieces in the recital program are written and derived from various languages: Cebuano, Ilocano, Ibaloi, Kalanguya, T’boli, and Tagalog as part of the WIKÁWIT initiative of revitalizing Filipino languages through music.
Full program notes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hMtbLj79ZR3RQ-cUjNghhvUfoXiNskbm/view?usp=sharing
Dryad
The concert was an exploration of settings of striking 20th century poetry, set for one to three voices. It featured Kaija Saariaho's From the Grammar of Dreams (1988) for two female voices to words from Sylvia Plath's Bell Jar, the first movement of George Crumb's iconic Madrigals with poems by Lorca, and Hans Werner Henze's moving Three Auden Songs (1984) for tenor and piano.
Another special work is Grete von Zieritz's Stimmen im Walde (1993) for coloratura soprano and flute, in its U.S. Premiere.
The second half of the program is devoted to the world premiere of Alex Taylor's Dryad, a 30 minute piece commissioned by the kallisti ensemble for coloratura soprano, lyric soprano, tenor, piano, flute, harp and percussion, with texts by H.D., Ezra Pound, Bryher and Frances Gregg.
The singers are Stefanie Quintin-Avila, Mariana Flores, and Miguel Zazueta. They are joined by Rebecca Lloyd Jones, percussion, Alex Ishov, flute, Tasha Smith Godinez, harp, Kyle Adam Blair, piano with the assistance of conductor Yifan Guo.
Another special work is Grete von Zieritz's Stimmen im Walde (1993) for coloratura soprano and flute, in its U.S. Premiere.
The second half of the program is devoted to the world premiere of Alex Taylor's Dryad, a 30 minute piece commissioned by the kallisti ensemble for coloratura soprano, lyric soprano, tenor, piano, flute, harp and percussion, with texts by H.D., Ezra Pound, Bryher and Frances Gregg.
The singers are Stefanie Quintin-Avila, Mariana Flores, and Miguel Zazueta. They are joined by Rebecca Lloyd Jones, percussion, Alex Ishov, flute, Tasha Smith Godinez, harp, Kyle Adam Blair, piano with the assistance of conductor Yifan Guo.
Pagtanaw
In partnership with the Goethe Institut Philippines and Manila Composers Lab, the Ripieno Ensemble PH launched a concert series which reexamines the Filipino identity through the ‘Kundiman’ - a song form embedded with Filipino values of devotion, unity, and patriotism. Inspired by Johannes Schoellhorn’s notion of trans-composition, the Ripieno Ensemble PH envisions these songs into modern arrangements which incorporates the aesthetics of contemporary music yet uncompromising its core.
Link to concert series playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMxAqxcIRsmEjhA0ies_tnf1oYaMM1Vlp
Link to concert series playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMxAqxcIRsmEjhA0ies_tnf1oYaMM1Vlp
Tao Po
"Tao po" is a formal expression used by Filipinos to ask permission to enter a person's home, showing utmost respect to the physical boundaries and privacy of the homeowner.
At the height of the Philippine "War on Drugs," the police force was tasked to look for the homes of drug users, pushers and syndicates. The "Operation Tokhang" (tokhang = "knock" and "convince") was intended to make drug suspects to rehabilitate and change their ways. As the operations began, a bloody war ensued. Some suspects were taken out of their homes by force, and some "alleged" suspects resisted and fought for their rights. Some were lucky, while the others perished in the hands of those who swore an oath to protect people. "Tao po" is a plea from the children of those who were slain, gently knocking on heaven's doors to bring justice on earth.
Music: Stefanie Quintin-Avila & Vahid Jahandari
Text: Stefanie Quintin-Avila
Audio Mixing: Vahid Jahandari
Videography: Stefanie Quintin-Avila
Cinematography: Vahid Jahandari
At the height of the Philippine "War on Drugs," the police force was tasked to look for the homes of drug users, pushers and syndicates. The "Operation Tokhang" (tokhang = "knock" and "convince") was intended to make drug suspects to rehabilitate and change their ways. As the operations began, a bloody war ensued. Some suspects were taken out of their homes by force, and some "alleged" suspects resisted and fought for their rights. Some were lucky, while the others perished in the hands of those who swore an oath to protect people. "Tao po" is a plea from the children of those who were slain, gently knocking on heaven's doors to bring justice on earth.
Music: Stefanie Quintin-Avila & Vahid Jahandari
Text: Stefanie Quintin-Avila
Audio Mixing: Vahid Jahandari
Videography: Stefanie Quintin-Avila
Cinematography: Vahid Jahandari
Alexithymia
Composer Ni Zheng's "Alexithymia" is a piece that explores the inability to express oneself, unwillingly blind towards one's emotions. The primary materials were derived from improvised vocal experiments, and then defined, varied, and de/constructed compositionally.
