IN a visit to Cebu last year, concert pianist Dr. Ingrid Sala Santamaria remarked to some CYSO (Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra) alumni that it was time she stopped playing concerts “before arthritis or Alzheimer’s sets in.” She was turning 77 years old.
The remark triggered an idea in the minds of the Magdadaro sisters—Hannah M. Go and Hazel M. Sanchez—to have a reunion concert by CYSO alumni and members of Peace Philharmonic Philippines on Santamaria’s birthday, Feb. 25, 2017.
After a lot of phone calls, emails and text messages, the sisters—with the help of their parents Greg and Louella—and their respective spouses, were assured that they would have a fitting finale concert for their Madame Ingrid in Cebu. And so it came to be, Ingrid’s grand finale concert at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino grand ballroom on her birthday, a tribute from the CYSO alumni to their mentor.
The concert started with the invocation How Great Thou Art followed by the Philippine National Anthem by six chorale groups (Los Cantantes Cebu, Celestial Voices Chorale, Pagdayeg Music Ministry, Kanta Sugbo, Mandaue Children’s Choir and Christian Voices Chorale) accompanied by the CYSO-PPP orchestra under the baton of US-based Prof. Rodelio Flores, CYSO’s first violin teacher.
Then with Pomp and Circumstance being played by the orchestra, Madame Ingrid was made to walk from the entrance to center stage by the organizers, and, along the way, She received 77 long-stemmed red roses. A huge cake was then brought in decorated by a mini-replica of a grand piano while everyone sang Happy Birthday.
The concert began with pieces the orchestra members played while they were learning how to play music with their chosen instruments during the CYSO 10-year development program of the Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation Inc. (spearheaded by Santamaria and by the foundation president, Susan Sala): the Nobucco Overture, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, Valse Triste, Finlandia, Mga Katutubong Awitin, Sa Kabukiran and Philippine Folk Songs by Green.
Finally, there was the most awaited part of the program: Santamaria on the piano with the orchestra she nurtured accompanying her in Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor. It was a magnificent, flawless performance that showed Santamaria should not retire, not just yet. After an encore performance by the pianist, the evening ended on a high note with the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah, with everyone standing up according to musical tradition.
The Magdadaro sisters say no one was paid for their performance or for their trips, starting with Professor Flores, who came from the U.S. to conduct the group. Others who joined the Cebu-based group were Rey Lecciones from Australia, Masatomo Toyoda, Misue Hoshi and Ai Iwamoto from Japan, and from Manila: Prof. Jeffrey Solares, Prof. Ariel Perez and CYSO alumni Sara Maria Gonzales, Princess Christine Ybañez, Brian Joseph Cimafranca and Arnold Josue. All came together to give tribute to Santamaria who has changed the classical music landscape of Cebu for which the city is surely grateful.