Filipina Composers (Filipino Women Composers)

    I believe Filipina women today in the field of the arts are equally given opportunities in teaching, performance, and in education. Filipina musicians like Cecile Licad, Ernestina Crisologo, Jovita Fuentes, Camille Lopez-Molina, Carmencita Sipin-Aspiras, Carmencita Lozada, Ingrid Santamaria and many many others are widely celebrated locally and internationally. 

    However, Filipina composers seem to be an unpopular choice during those days. Though today there are now a lot more Filipina composers, in the 19th and 20th centuries there are very few who reached prominence. Here are some of them:

Rosalina Abejo's Guerrilla Symphony

 

Rosalina Abejo conducting an Orchestra

    Rosalina Abejo, a Filipino composer and a nun, was one of the more forgotten Philippine composers today. Her music aren't played by any orchestra or musicians ever since her death - I have no knowledge of any of her works being played in the country in the past few decades, except probably a few performances of her Tartanilla Race for solo piano in private concerts or recitals. Perhaps this is partly because of her political affiliations and connections. Fortunately for us, Abejo was one of the very few classical Filipino composers whose works are commercially recorded and preserved. About three LPs of a few of her large scale works were made, as well as a song from the 1979 LP album Pagdiriwang.