THE musician’s fingers through the ebony and ivory keyboard of the grand piano fluidly sewing notes to create beautiful music, music by Chopin, Lecuona and Albeniz and Copland.
The virtuoso pianist, Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz, displayed what his early musical education and dedication to his craft has taken him. The former child prodigy began his piano studies at age three with his mother, and by age six, he was invited to give a command performance at the Malacañang Palace.
Today, Cruz has gained international awards from across the globe as a concert pianist. He won the top accolade in the Bergen Philharomonic Solo Competition, the Haddonfield Symphony Solo Competition and the Queens Symphony Soloists Competition; and was a prize winner in several competitions including the Concur Internacional Maria Canals in Barcelona in Spain; the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York, the Rina Sala Gallo International Competition in Milan and the International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Sicily, Italy.
At the ballroom of the Marco Polo Davao, the pianist, who shared the stage with the Agdao Violin Institute’s String Quartet, didn't just play for the audience but for the future of underprivileged children. It was a benefit concert for the Foundation for Development Through Education, Inc. (FDTEI), which was established by the Dominguez family with a vision to uplift the lives of cultural communities in Mindanao through scholarship grants.
FDTEI recently celebrated its 20th year. Since its inception, the foundation has educated 122 underprivileged yet deserving young adults coming from eight provinces in Mindanao. Of these scholars, 101 have graduated by 2017. They enrolled in undergraduate programs in engineering, medicine, nursing, business, accountancy and education, and have found employment after completing their studies.
FDTEI also assisted its graduates in reviewing for qualifying board examinations, and to complement their academic training, the scholars were involved in community projects ranging from health, education and environmental initiatives.
The anniversary fundraising event was a night of beautiful music for a worthwhile cause. And I must commend Marco Polo for an impressive menu.
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For more photos about this feature, visit ofapplesandlemons.com. For travel stories, visit jeepneyjinggoy.com. Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com.