A send-off concert for Cebuana harpists

Three young Cebuana harpists will be flying to Singapore to perform in the prestigious Esplanade Recital Hall on September 5 as part of the Singapore Harp Festival.

But before taking the international stage, the trio will first share their musical talent to their kababayans through “Versatile: A Send-off Concert” on Monday, August 19, 7:30 p.m. at the Bhodivasta Hall, Guang Ming Institute of Performing Arts, Cebu City.

Organized by Harp Room, the concert will enable Filipinos to partake in the dream and musical journey of Angel Abellana, Mayeh Echavez and Micah Luy.

The invitation to perform during the Singapore Harp Festival came after the trio won third place in the recently concluded 2019 Rave Harps Prestige Award Chamber Competition, an event organized by Rave Harps, the premier institution for harp in the Singapore-Malaysia region.

Joining for the first time, Angel, Mayeh, and Micah impressed the international jury composed of Katryna Tan (founder of Rave Harps), Gabriella Dall’Olio (professor of Trinity Laban Conservatoire in the United Kingdom) and Mieko Inoue (principal harpist of Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, harp professor of Toho School of Music and Ueno Gakuen Music School and vice president of World Harp Congress). They are the very first Filipinos to win in the competition.

Winners of the competition will be awarded during the festival in September. They will also be recorded in the yearly Prestige Harp Award Honors List.

Angel and Mayeh both come from Cebu City, while Micah is from Cagayan de Oro City. The trio is currently taking harp lessons at Harp Room, the first private music school in the Philippines specializing in harp, founded by Jo-Anne Cerdenia.

Cerdenia shared that it was the three who volunteered to represent the Philippines in the 2019 Rave Harps Prestige Award Chamber Competition. They each had to fly and stay in Manila for intensive lessons and practices. Prior to their entry to the competition, the three were strangers to each other but they were able to learn and harmonize beautifully during their journey.

The send-off concert on Aug. 19 will feature their trio and solo pieces on the harp alongside their first instruments. Guest performers include Rey Abellana for Violin (Music Director at Cebu Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra); Aldine Abellana for Flute; and Jo-Anne Cerdenia for Harp (founder, The Harp Room).

For ticket reservations and more information about “Versatile: A Send-off Concert,” call or text 09777506976. You may visit Harp Room’s Facebook page for more information.