Once again, music was proven to be a universal language through the mounting of Cantares, the latest musical production presented by Philippine Pearl, a New York-based event production company.
The event, held last Saturday, September 28 at the Philippine Center New York’s Kalayaan Hall, provided an evening of universally diversified culture unified through music. Cantares effortlessly bridged the vast distance among countries, gathered them together on one stage, and distinctly recognized their outstanding musical pieces in breath-taking vocal renditions. Despite differences in color, culture and creed, the power of music harmoniously bonded everything in unison.
Cantares was more than just the standard classical showcase and also a relaxing journey that crossed borders and seas, relived histories, and introduced varied cultures. Rarely one attends or much less appreciate classical music presentations unless performed by world-renowned tenors and sopranos. But Cantares made a difference. Top-billed merely by a singular international figure with potential talents as support, people behind Cantares rocked their brains, stayed in the zone, and successfully pulled all possible resources together to ensure a knock-down show.
Getting to know the Performing artists: Armela Fortuna, soprano
Batangas City-born Armela’s foray into the music scene began after her studies at the University of Santo Tomas under the tutelage of Prof. Gloria Coronel. After she obtained her Bachelor of Music Degree major in Voice (cum laude) and Teacher’s Diploma, she pursued further studies at the Hong-Kong Academy of Performing Arts where she received her Professional Diploma (with distinction) in Opera studies under Kevin Miller.
To hone her talent to perfection, Armela went to the Conservatoire a Rayonnement Departemental de Colmar in France where she received her Diplome d’Etudes Musicales under French baritone professor Francis Jeser.
Confidently armed with the necessary “tools,” Armela gallantly invaded the classical stage, easily stamped her mark, and successfully reigned supreme. What with her flexibility and agility in singing cadenzas and rapid successions of notes with such ease?
Among the operatic roles she has performed both in Asia and in Europe are: as Sylvia Varescu from “Die Csardasfurstin” by Kalman; as Rosalinda from “Die Fledermaus” by J. Strauss; as Micaela from “Carmen” by Bizet; as the Countess from “Le Nozze di Figaro” by Mozart; as Madame Silberklang from “Der Schauspieldirektor” by Mozart; as Totina from “Prima la Musica” by Salieri; as Adina from “L’elisir D’amore” by Donezetti; as Rosina from “Il Barbiere de Seviglia” by Rossini; as Fiordiligi from “Cosi Fan Tutte” by Mozart; and as Eurydice from “Orphee aux enfers” by Offenbach.
Armela has also participated in master classes of noted musicians Francois Le roux and Italian opera coach Enza Ferrari and voice professor Lorraine Nubar.
Her other mentors include Anne-Marie Burkhard from Basel, Robert Dume from Paris, and Vienna-based Filipino tenor Abdul Candao.
It’s also worth-mentioning that Armela was once a voice faculty in UST for a couple of years and has been a featured soloist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. While in Manila, she participated in various CCP productions with Tanghalang Pilipino, the stage works and music of Ryan Cayabyab, and has appeared in Concert at the Park and Paco Park Presents. She was also a member of Irma Potenciano’s Vocal Ensemble Philippines which toured Spain, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.
Prior her New York City stint, Armela’s recent performances include: as the soprano solo of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and a lieder recital of songs by Clara Schumann in France and the Operetta Tour of “Die Csardasfurstin” (The Gypsy Princess) where she sung the title role in different theaters in Europe.
Armela has considered France her second home while currently pursuing a Certificate of Advance Studies at the Basel Musikhochschule in Switzerland. She feels fulfilled after having recorded her first solo CD album aptly titled “Cantares,” a collection of songs.
Jellyn Anne Echon, beauty queen-singer
Singapore-born eighteener Jellyn Anne Echon, petite daughter of Joseph and Lyza, has been a consistent performer since she was two and grew up to prove her worth where she truly excels—in musical performance. Having toured 42 US cities courtesy of her being part of the cast of the national Broadway tour of The King and I, Jellyn has inevitably accumulated sufficient acting and singing experiences that undoubtedly honed her skills.
With prolific talent that spanned various avenues, Jellyn is a proud winner of Kidz Bop Talent Search Champion at Madison Square Garden where she performed at the Knicks games. In addition, she’s both a Pop Star Kids East Coast and Pop Star Kids USA Grand Champion. The Philippine entertainment arena has also taken a share of Jellyn’s enviable aesthetic capability after having appeared in popular TV shows such as Mel & Joey, SIS, SOP and Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman. Aside from her recording original tracks and continuously achieving various accomplishments, her convincing portrayal of Mimi Marquez’s role in her school’s Spring Production of RENT: School Edition earned for her a nomination for “Outstanding Duet” at the Metropolitan High School Theater Awards in New York.
Other than performing, her love of pageantry was like a rekindled ember after being a finalist in the Miss Teen Philippines 2010 that eventually won her the title Miss Teen Philippines-USA 2011 3rd Runner-up. Just recently, she was crowned 2013 Miss Philippine Fiesta during its 15th annual fiesta celebration last August.
A consistent honor student despite her seemingly unbearable extra-curricular load, Jellyn still finds time to accommodate a membership from the Tri-M Music Honor Society at Hackensack High School, her recent Alma Mater. Eying Montclair State University in the Fall for a degree in Business Administration, Jellyn aims to follow her mother’s footsteps of running a business of her own like her mom’s Lyza’s Designer Collections in Bergenfield, New Jersey while pursuing a career in performing arts.
Jared Martin, promising tenor
Upcoming tenor Jared Martin Babuschak, more aptly billed simply as Jared Martin, is a young Martin Nievera dead-ringer with a firm determination to succeed basically capitalizing on his God-given singing voice and his innate inclination to music.
Jared’s love of music and inspiration to perform began with the East Side Dance Company where he studied tap dance and jazz and won both individual and group awards in competitions.
While at St Joseph Grade School (SJGS), he performed simultaneously in Monsignor Donovan High Scholl (MDHS) musicals. His maiden appearance on stage was in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” where he was a member of the children’s choir.
Jared’s first lead role was as the young Prince Chulalongkorn in “The King and I” followed by equally significant main characters as the sergeant Bobby in “The Pirates of Penzance”, as Perchik in “The Fiddler On The Roof”, as King Arthur in “Camelot”, and as Sid Sorokin in “The pajama Game.”
While in both grade school and high school, Jared attended Filipino-American Cultural Enrichment School (FACES) of Ocean County in Toms River, New Jersey where he learned and performed the basic foundations and fundamentals of Filipino cultural dances and songs.
During the summer months, Jared would perform with the Brick Community Children’s Theater (BCCT) gaining more prominence in his chosen field. His roles included Monsieur D’Arque in “The Beauty and The Beast”, as John the Baptist in “Godspell”, as Horton, the Elephant in “Seussical,” as the Tinman in “The Wizzard of Oz,” and as Ito in the Strand Theater’s production of “Mame”.
His senior year offered him a significant event in life when he was chosen to perform in the Jazz State Choir and met a friend and mentor, Justin Binek, head of the Vocal Jazz Department at the University of the Arts School of Music.
He played trombone in his High School Pep Band and for all home football games. Jared’s performances in jazz and classical competitions like his solo in “Shenandoah” justifiably won for him a Maestro Award
Destined to succeed, Jared won a Presidential Scholarship from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia upon graduation from MDHS after he auditioned and was accepted to the Vocal Performance Degree Program where he’s currently majoring in Vocal Performance and Music education.
Jared has performed in the past ensembles at UArt’s including Men’s Choir, Opera Choir, Jazz Choir, Musical Theater Ensemble and Classical Choir. Currently an active member of OcToncs, Salsa Ensemble, Vox, Opera / Oratorio Ensemble, and Handbell Ensemble.
Two years under Justin Binek studying jazz vocalization and classical training under Paul Spencer Adkins, one of the most prestigious and celebrated opera tenors in the world, duly gave Jared the much-needed knowledge he truly wanted to gain for the realization of his ultimate dream, that is to be a world-renowned tenor.
Possessing a fully resonant voice with appropriate, unambiguous, and distinctive range of dynamics, Jared’s velvety vocal sounds are the result of painstaking perseverance and determination. Every day, upon waking up, he practices his messa di voce (the crescendo and decrescendo) so as to maintain that level of vocal range.
Maximillian Antig, seasoned pianist
Maximillian studied at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music with Stella Goldenberg-Brimo where he obtained his Bachelor of Music, at the University of Northern Iowa under Howard Aibel for his Master of Music, and SUNY Stony Brook under Martin Canin for his Doctor of Musical Arts Program.
Max has appeared as a soloist with the Fort Collins, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Wartburg Symphony Orchestras as well as the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestras. He has played in master classes of world-renowned artists like Arkady Aronov, John Browning, Leonard Shure, Nina Svetlanova, Alexander Toradze, and Earl Wilde.
He has also performed at the Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center, CAMI Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Steinway Hall.
Among his numerous recognitions and awards are first prizes at piano competitions of the Music Teachers’ National Association (USA) Midwest Regionals, Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, Wartburg Symphony Orchestra Concerto, Schubert Club, J. Earl Lee Piano, Jacksonville-McMurray Young Artists Competition, and the Piano Teachers Guild of the Philippines Concerto.
Currently, Max is the Music Director at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and St. Philip’s Church in NYC where he also teaches piano.
Cantares, the stage production
Fresh from the Stockholm stage and enthusiastic over her maiden New York City performance, Soprano Amelia Fortuna was bursting with energy and exuded an electrifying aura when she appeared on stage the first time. Armed with unabated confidence and a voice type with a range that could reach way beyond High C, Armela’s initial numbers were undoubtedly astonishing.
The French art song, “A Chloris” by Reynaldo Hahn, is normally sung in intimate gathering or in a salon, she said, where there’s a close rapport between the soloist and the pianist… also between the soloist and the audience.
For her second number, Armela took us to Germany via “Widmung” by Robert Schumann who wrote the piece as a love offering to his ladylove, Clara.
Armela’s rendition of Sergie Rachmaninoff’s “Spring Waters” made us felt the cold air of the melting snow after winter along the countryside of Russia. Her powerful voice soared even higher with solidified intensity when she sang Joaquin Turina’s “Cantares” as if strongly stressing that distinct Spanish influence among us.
Her most-awaited arias came in time when the audience’s auditory nerves were already conditioned to high octave notes and prepared for the grand moment.
Mounted on stage in an all black sleeveless silk gown and face covered with a black lace veil, her costume effectively added more drama to her rendition of George Frideric Handel’s Piangero la sorte mia, “Giulo Cesare” where she poured out her emotions as she bemoaned her loss in battle and the death of Julius Ceasar.
In the Italian opera Quando M’envo, “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini, Armela topped her gown with a luxurious white fur coat embellished with a red feather scarf as she enacted convincingly the role of the seductive singer, Musetta.
One of the most famous ever-written jazz standards by George Gershwin, Summertime, came next with a dummy baby in Armela’s arms. The popular lullaby was met with astounding thunderous applause due to her very own interpretation of the song and partly because the audience was familiar with the melody. This Gershwin’s aria from “Porgy and Bess” virtually brought the audience to the deep waterfronts of Charleston, South Carolina.
In her final aria, Armela delineated the role of Silva, a successful cabaret performer who fell in love with a nobleman. As a Gypsy Princess from the Hungarian operetta “Die Csardasfurstin” by Emmerich Kalman, the soprano danced, swayed, and strutted across the stage mightily delivered an acclaimed performance to the hilt.
As if her crystal-bursting high-pitched pieces weren’t enough to convince her audience of her versatility, Armela segued to Kundiman, which accorded every home-sick Pinoy a chance to travel back in time in nostalgic journey.
What could be a most appropriate way to promote the Kundiman than be donned in the traditional Filipina costume and Armela did just that. Clad in a flaming red beaded flowing terno, she opened her Kundiman repertoire with Constancio de Guzman’s “Pamaypay Ng Maynila.” With the aid of a folding fan Armida demonstrated how to convey or express a woman’s different moods and feelings.
In another kundiman number, Armela added a dash of comic relief when she rendered Francisco Santiago’s “Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran?” In one portion, she did the laundry on stage while singing complete with a traditional basin with a mountain of suds. The audience burst into laughter when she lifted what she was washing a pair white cotton boxers.
As a bride in the same red gown, this time a red veil was added, Soprano Armela delivered the most plaintive and popular Filipino aria, Nicanor Abelardo’s “Mutya Ng Pasig.” A fitting finale for her aria repertoire, “Mutya Ng Pasig” clearly attested to Armela’s status as an accomplished soprano.
Bound by the immense intensity of the poignant message brought about by each and every note, the Kundiman selection inevitably induced the dormant spirit of romance long embedded within every heart, just waiting to be moved by an incredibly significant performance only a diva like Armela Fortuna could aptly deliver.
Other Filipino Songs were featured in the almost two-hour musical event. Armela, together with Jared Martin and Jellyn Anne Echon, did their own vocal interpretation of Lucio San Pedro’s “Sa Ugoy Ng Duyan” with sentimentally laden emotion and perfectly harmonized melody.
The ultimate pun was saved for last. Armela gamely asked the crowd to help her gather props: a borrowed Gucci bag, a pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses, and a Burberry and printed Pashmina scarves, to be able to effectively come up with Ernani Cuenco and Levi Celerio’s “Balikbayan,” a parody about a “probinsyana” (barrio lash) who was instantly westernized after only a brief stint in America. Armela’s comic interpretation won for her plaudits and enormous applause from the audience especially when she delivered Tagalog lines with American twang.
Broadway wasn’t at all ignored for a number of popular numbers from immortal Great White Way musicals were equally highlighted. With the appealing stage presence of young and promising artists Jared Martin and Jellyn Anne Echon, the duo vigorously injected the much-needed effervescent energy that broke the trending (classic) theme of the musical show.
Potential world-class tenor Jared Martin passed his acid test via his convincing portrayal of a Kurt Weill character from “Street Scene” by singing “Lonely House” while Jellyn Anne Echon effectively reprised the role of Dorothy by singing “Over the Rainbow” from Harold Arlen’s 1939 hit, “Wizard of Oz.”
The promising tandem went on to prove their worth as featured artists when they did Leonard Bernstein’s “Tonight” from the “West Side Story” and “Tomorrow” from Charles Strouse’s “Annie.”
Even younger but already promising talents like Kamille Austria, Katrina Duran, Kirsten Locsin, Sophia LoPinto, and Francesca Manligoy, were cast with Jared and Jellyn to take part in the Broadway smash-up of “Seasons of Love” from Jonathan Larson’s “Rent.”
The audience, initially impressed by Maximillian’s pulsating piano accompaniment, was treated to a full dose of his music when he rendered a piano solo of Frederic Chopin’s “Nocturne in Db, Op 27, No. 2” and Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s “Manchega, Op.38.”
In a nutshell, Cantares is a fulfilling and rewarding experience. It proved that Filipinos are innately amazing singers and their God-given talent stands at par with any world-class performers. Certainly, time will lapse long enough before another show like Cantares will be mounted on this stage again.
Congratulations to Soprano Armela Fortuna for a very entertaining performance. Kudos to Kimberly Mende Itskov, Philippine Pearl’s Founder and Executive Director; to Paul Policarpio, Philippine Pearl President-Producer, and to Cicero Oca, Cantares producer. Congratulations and a big handclasp to Cantares director, J. William Herbert Sigmund Go, for being at the helm of a great show.
Bravo, Armela! Bravo, Cantares!
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