Four students from the Conservatory of Music earned recognitions in the 2021 New York Young Performers Prize (NYYPP) Competition held on April 18, 2021.
Michael Valenciano, a student in the Bachelor of Music in Performance, major in Piano program, bagged first prize in the Lucy Boyan Balakian Awards category, College division by performing C. Debussy鈥檚 鈥淣o. 5 鈥楲es collines d’Anacapri鈥� from Preludes, Book 1鈥� and Chopin鈥檚 鈥淧olonaise No. 6 in A-flat Major, Op. 53 鈥楬eroic.鈥欌�� He is a student of Assoc. Prof Najib M. Ismail, a renowned pianist and chamber musician.
In another category, Bachelor of Music in Music Theater student Anyah Therese De Guzman received the first prize in the Olly H. Kukepuu Vocal Awards, College 鈥� Musical Theatre division. Her rendition of 鈥淚ch geh枚r nur mir鈥� (from Elisabeth) by Sylvester Levay and 鈥淭hose Palace Walls鈥� (from Aladdin) by Alan Menken earned her the top prize. Voice and Music Theater Department Coordinator Asst. Prof. Randy Gilongo, tenor, is her mentor.
For strings, Violin major Alain de Asis performed Bach鈥檚 鈥淧artita in E major BWV 1006 (Gigue)鈥� and Tchaikovsky鈥檚 鈥淰iolin Concerto in D Major, Op 35 1st Mvt.鈥� This won him the 2nd prize in the Aaron Rosand Memorial Prizes Category, College division.
Fellow Violin major Victor Jan Luigi Torres received the Honorable Mention distinction in the same category for playing Paganini鈥檚 鈥淐aprice 21鈥�, and Prokofiev鈥檚 鈥淐oncerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63, 1st Mvt.鈥� Both de Asis and Torres are under the tutelage of Manila Symphony Orchestra concertmaster-violinist and faculty member, Ms. Melchora Regina Medina-Perez, who also serves as the Conservatory鈥檚 Symphonic Instruments and Performance Department Coordinator.
The NYYPP is an international competition organized by the Associated Music Teachers League (AMTL), founded in New York City in 1925.
The winners earned cash prizes. Their performances can be viewed on NYYPP鈥檚 final round video playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFhROtjuL44gE38rrD0XRk6PDzZ354mGt
