Heavenly voices filled the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza last May 7, as the Klassikal Music Foundation (KMF) held its fundraising concert. Titled as “Songs from a Silver World,” this year’s showcase line-up included popular songs in film.
Staged and directed by baritone Andrew Fernando and choreographed by Richardson Yadao, the repertoire included music from thrillers, James Bond movies, Italian Cinema, Disney, Oscar-winning songs, and other iconic tunes from the silver screen.
“Coming up with the theme for this year’s showcase was an exciting journey because we wanted something that a more diverse audience can relate to. We wanted to introduce our scholars to a larger public,” said Fernando. He added that deciding on film as the theme was a strategic move to bring awareness to a singing style mistaken to only be associated with opera and classical music.
Among the distinguished performers during the event were Ms. Rachelle Gerodias, the country’s Premier Soprano, and Gerphil Flores, a KMF scholar who gave pride to the Philippines after placing 2nd runner-up on Asia’s Got Talent in 2015. Young actor and McDonald’s endorser Alden Richards also graced the stage and performed an inspirational segment to the delight of the KMF scholars and the audience. Dr. George T. Yang, Founder and Chairman of KMF and McDonald’s Philippines, who is also an acclaimed tenor, serenaded the audience with some classics.
“Witnessing the growth of each of our scholars has been amazing and it makes us very proud to have been able to share their talents to more Filipinos. We remain committed to their education and future career advancement in this field,†says Dr. Yang.
To date, Klassikal Music Foundation has supported close to 50 scholars. It continuously aims to help in the development and appreciation of local classical music by giving scholarships to deserving classical music students who otherwise cannot afford to continue their study of the very specialized field of music.
The other members of the artistic staff include Herminigildo Ranera for music direction and John Batalla for light design. Dr. George T. Yang, Dr. Raul Sunico, Ms. Shirley Bangayan, Ms. Rosalinda Orosa, Ms. Lily Monteverde, and Ms. Rachelle Gerodias compose the board members of the foundation. All proceeds of the showcase will go to the scholarship fund.