Pundaquit Festival Season 19

The Pundaquit Festival is the community arts program of CASA San Miguel. It is designed to help develop the local fishing community through various programs that include short and long-term residencies for visiting artists and performers. Workshops and exhibits are also organized and held.

Photo courtesy of Pundquit Festival Season 19

The 19th season is entitled "Yaman Dagat: Ugat ng Lahi". The program aims to foster excellence and empowerment through enlightenment and direct mentorship.

The schedule for the Pundaquit Festival is listed below. For more details, please visit the Pundaquit Festival Season 19 website.

FEB 4 18 25 MAR 5-7 17 APR 6 8 21 Exhibit Recital

Neo Nocturne Choir Chorost Pundaquit Virtuosi/Coke Bolipata Chamber Concert 1 Raya Martin The Great Cinema Party David Eggar (with Coke Bolipata & Pundaquit Virtuosi) Mabuhay Singers Good Friday: Seven Last Words Easter Sunday: Brandenburg Concertos Pundaquit Virtuosi/Coke Bolipata Chamber Concert 2 FEB Treasures Of A Hidden Zambales Heritage MAR Leeroy New Psychopom's Reef         Brendale Tadeo/Rolf Campos Prusisyon APR Nico Sepe Nag-iisang Dagat Miguel Estrada (May 5) Yvonne Madarang (May 12) Kianne Estaban / Gab Mendoza (May 19)

2011 Pundaquit Festival Schedule (Season 18)

The Pundaquit Festival is the community arts program of CASA San Miguel designed to develop the local fishing community through various programs including long- and short-term residencies for visiting artists, performances, workshops and exhibits. Now in it's 17th season entitled "r/evolution", the program aims to foster excellence and empowerment through enlightenment and direct mentorship.


Casa San Miguel (Photo by Miel David)

The performance series for Season Eighteen 2011 at the newly-renovated Ramon l. Corpus Hall features a series of intimate chamber music concerts featuring CASA San Miguel founder Coke Bolipata, with the Pundaquit Virtuosi (the chamber group composed of local talents he trains)with guest artists including David Eggar and the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

February 26: BACHBACHAN: Back-to-back Bach
Featuring: Concerto for harpsichord in F Minor with guest pianist Jourdann Petalver, the Concerto for violin and oboe with guest oboist Franz Ramirez, and the Orchestral Suite #1 in C Major.

March 11 & 12
Philippine Madrigal Singers in celebration of CASA San Miguel's 17th Foundation Day

March 27: Drama't Emo
Revives highlights of the romantic period including Dvorak's American String Quartet, Beethoven's String Quartet Op 18, Brahms String Sextet in B-Flat Major and Mendelssohn Octet in E-Flat Major.

April 16
Cellist David Eggar serves his week-long residency culminating with a concert on April 16 with the Pundaquit Virtuosi and Aeta tribes from Botolan. Eggar is a 2011 Grammy-nominated artist for his arrangement of Itsbynne Reel, a track on his Kingston Blues album.

HOLY WEEK ACTIVITIES

April 22, Good Friday
Seven Last Words of Christ by Joseph Haydn

April 24
Light Easter concert featuring the Minstrels of Hope

May 28
SOLOISTS NIGHT with the Pundaquit Virtuosi under the batons of Olga Elloso and Jourdann Petalver featuring:

• 14 year old Miguel Estrada in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E-minor;
• 10 year old Julian Duque in Sarasate's Gypsy Airs;
• 14 year old Yvonne Madarang in Mozart's Violin Concerto in D Major;
• 15 year old Joven Aquisap in Telleman's Viola Concerto;
• 19 year old cellist Nehemiah Lipana in Boccherini's Cello Concerto in G Major.

Concert tickets are priced at P1000 each, and includes entrance to the galleries, cocktails before the show and post concert dinner with featured artists and resident artists of Casa San Miguel. Activities for season seventeen are made possible primarily by Starbucks Coffee and D and L industries with partnerships with Sony, Lyric pianos, Star Philippines, and DZFE-FM. For more information, please call the secretariat at 6818304.

Casa San Miguel Facebook

Manila Bulletin article on Casa San Miguel

This is one my favorite places in Zambales. My sister and youngest brother used to study here.

An art center betwixt the mountains and the seas
By VINCE G. LOPEZ
June 27, 2010, 11:58am
Some tourists travel to the province of Zambales to experience a quick beach getaway, others to get a taste of its bountiful harvest that includes the world’s sweetest mangoes. But for the artistically inclined, they visit the province to indulge in Filipino artistry at its finest.

Casa San Miguel is nestled within the stretch of wonderful beaches and breathtaking mountains.

This oasis for fine arts was built in 1921 by the Corpuz family. The house initially served as the family’s own retreat house by the sea and a place for picnics and numerous musical gatherings.

In 1993, Coke Bolipata, grandson of the original owner Ramon L. Corpuz, designed an Art Center to replace the house that was damaged over time. Since then, Casa San Miguel became a center where Filipino talent is honed and developed.

From being a haven for leisurely picnics and family gatherings, the place became a home for budding artists who wish to develop their skills and learn more about their craft. This center for the arts was built on the belief that art can extend its boundaries to create more awareness for an enriched humanity.

The main house features a distinctively artistic appeal for artists and art lovers. The interiors and accents within the main house instill inspiration and fascination for the arts. Amidst mango trees and lush greeneries are scattered art works including sculptures from Leeroy New. A relaxing ambience fills the air as visitors realize the overflowing creativity that the house has produced over the years.

Casa San Miguel complements the scenery by housing indoor concerts for the public. The Ramon Corpuz Hall is designed for concerts that can accommodate a chamber orchestra, theater plays, operettas and even ballet productions. Outside the hall is an outdoor circular theater that serves as an alternative venue where guests can enjoy concerts and performances with nature as its backdrop.

Pundaquit Festival Season 17 Calendar of Activities

For more details, visit the Pundaquit Festival blog.

The Seventeenth Season of the Pundaquit Festival is made possible by support from Starbucks Coffee, D&L Industries and Lyrics Pianos with additional contributions from generous individuals.

Interested sponsors can call 632-6818304 or e-mail pundaquitfestival@gmail.com for details regarding support.

Holy Week events at the Casa San Miguel

It's the 17th season of the Pundaquit Festival. On Friday, April 2, 2010, the Pundaquit Virtuosi will perform Haydn's "Seven Last Words." This performance is a yearly event conducted by the group as part of the Pundaquit Festival as well as the celebration of the Holy Week.

Haydn was commissioned by the Cathedral of Cádiz in 1785 to write seven orchestral interludes to be performed alongside the recitation of Jesus' seven last words, including an introduction and an epilogue.

On Sunday, April 4, 2010, the Pundaquit Virtuosi will perform Handel's "Messiah," an English oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel.

These events are open to everyone and admission is free.

For more details, visit the Pundaquit Festival blog.

I was able to see this about two years ago. You must give this a try at least once. The Pundaquit Virtuosi is a very talented group of kids and young adults, led by Coke Bolipata.

The sights & sounds of San Antonio, Zambales

This recently came into my mail via Google Alerts, a Channel News Asia Article about San Antonio, Zambales. Below is an excerpt from the article.

The music is thanks to Casa San Miguel, a community-based arts centre that nurtures the talents of local children in various disciplines. The centre is run by music director Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, an alumnus of the Julliard School of Music in New York and the University of Indiana.

Coke, who heads the arts centre cum school, had quit his job as a professional musician in New York to set up the centre. It was his way of giving back to the community.

Situated on his family’s mango orchard, Casa San Miguel has a two-storey visual arts gallery, residences for artists, a hall that can accommodate chamber orchestra concerts and a 1,000-seat circular outdoor theatre set amid the cool shades of the mango trees.


Casa San Miguel, 2005 (Photo by: Kat Sales)

The centre is where the young of San Miguel can get a quality education in the arts, be it visual arts, photography or music. Most of the students are children of fishermen and farmers from the village, but some hail from affluent neighbourhoods in Manila. Classes and workshops are conducted by Coke and volunteer Filipino artists.

The school’s alumni have gone on to win prizes in the Philippines as well as been talent spotted by agents from the Julliard School of Music whom Coke invites to the village’s annual showcase of artistry.

Indeed, the opening night of the 16th Pundaquit Festival of Music and the Arts on March 28 saw the Pundaquit Virtuosi — a string orchestra featuring gifted children from five to 15 — giving a stunning performance that would not be out of place at the best concert halls in the world.

For the complete article about San Antonio, Zambales, please visit this link.

I also added some pictures of Casa San Miguel to the photo album. These were taken during a trip there back in 2005. So many things have changed already, which I hope to see soon.

Zambales Road Trip

My family and I took a trip to SBMA today. From Candelaria, the journey would take about two hours, about three if you take the Victory Liner. It was a pretty good trip, and it made me appreciate our lovely province more.

It's kind of sad to see that many modern houses are replacing the old ones. I wonder if there are any families who still have their ancestral homes and would consider restoring it instead of tearing it down for a fancier home. I know that many people consider such houses a sign of wealth, but it's sad that we're losing them.

There are also many interesting places to visit around Zambales. Casa San Miguel is among them, and many of the beaches in the surrounding area is fast becoming the place to visit for the summer. Last year, many of my friends visited Anawangin and Capones. Some even made it to Potipot Island here in our town. Granted facilities are sadly lacking, but if you want the ultimate in solitude, these are the places you must visit.

We shopped around the duty free stores (there were alot of people in Royal Duty Free), picking up chocolates that aren't easily available in department stores in Manila, and picking up things we need at home.

On our way back, I saw Mt. Tapulao and vowed that someday soon (maybe even next year?) I'd go and visit.

Cinemalaya presents BOSES

This year's Cinemalaya has an entry titled, "BOSES" (Voice). It's the story of a musician, who regains back his humanity by giving violin lessons to a child of the slums. In turn, the child, through the instrument, is able to get back his voice from a muted, abused and desensitized existence. This is a story of a friendship founded on the sublime beauty of music. (blurb from Yoopee)

It stars Ricky Davao, Meryll Soriano, and Ms. Cherry Pie. The interesting part here is the child actor is none other than Casa San Miguel student Julian Duque. Coke Bolipata is also in the movie as the reclusive musician, and I believe it was shot in Casa San Miguel. He also is the movie's musical director, and you'll see him play several times in the movie. Prepare to be amazed.

I met Julian, or Ambo as he's more known, two years ago, during their performance at the Light in a Million Mornings in PICC. He was only six or seven years old then, and the youngest of all the musicians. My younger sister and brother were also playing, and they were all students of Sir Coke. Ambo's violin is really small but he plays it so well.

Here's another chance for Zambales to be in the spotlight! I hope those who are in Manila can take the time to watch this. The movie has a very wonderful message, and is also a vehicle for campaign against child abuse.

For schedules: CINEMALAYA GOES UP 2008 schedule

Related news: Cinemalaya's Boses offers hope, music for kids