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‘Each time we find joy in music…. let us say a silent prayer for Zenaida R. Tantoco’

‘Her influence was mighty, and she wielded it for good’—artists honor the late woman leader

Filipino artists give an ovation for the late Zenaida ‘Nedy’ Tantoco at the end of July 20 concert.

Rachelle Gerodias and Byeong-in Park with PPO Strings Ensemble under Herminigildo Ranera

Soprano Camille Lopez Molina of the Viva Voce sharing recollections about Nedy Tantoco

THAT musical tribute to Zenaida “Nedy” R. Tantoco Saturday night (July 20) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Tanghalang Ignacio Jimenez (Black Box Theater) had a lot going for it.

For one, it would have been the late honoree’s 78th birthday, and the presence of her family, friends, and supporters, including members of the diplomatic corps, made it doubly memorable.

CCP chair Dr. Jaime C. Laya delivering welcome remarks

In his welcome remarks, CCP chairman Dr. Jaime C. Laya described the birthday honoree as a remarkable woman of many interests.

She was a leader of the Philippine corporate world, a visionary entrepreneur, a compassionate humanitarian, and on a quiet but massive scale, a patron of culture and the arts. She discovered and nurtured Filipino talents, shared time and treasure to present our best performers and instrumentalists through music and opera.  She gave not only of herself but also encouraged others to follow her example.  Many of us have experienced her charm, passion, and formidable fund-raising skills.”

(Later the audience laughed when Nedy, in a video clip from several years ago, quipped,  “If you don’t have friends, don’t try fundraising.”)

Citing Nedy’s role as member of the CCP board of trustees, Laya pointed out how the night’s birthday celebrator helped ensure that the CCP board deliberations were true to the organization’s mission and vision, and paid special attention to the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO). “She saw to it that the PPO had the best instruments. She brought the hundred-strong orchestra to world audiences, notably New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Each time we find joy and fulfillment in music—a symphony or an opera—let us say a silent prayer giving thanks for the enduring legacy of Zenaida R. Tantoco.”

Indeed, the evening tribute was redolent of music and memories.

Pianist and former CCP president Raul Sunico remembered Tantoco as a worthy partner in cultural endeavors. Solemnly, he played a good piano transcription of Liebestod from Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde.

Violinist Diomedes Saraza, Jr.  greeted Nedy with a happy birthday in heaven and went pop with Louie Ocampo’s Kahit Isang Saglit.

Said he: “It was an honor to perform for her. Her life was an inspiration, and everyone who performed last night poured their hearts out. She was generous, kind, and compassionate. She believed in me so much, she wanted what’s best for me. The week she passed away, I was looking forward to seeing her and finally catching up! It was a devastating loss for me.”

‘It was an honor to perform for her. Her life was an inspiration,’ said violinist Diomedes Saraza, Jr.

Soprano Lizzie Bett Estrada with the Pundaquit Virtuosi

CCP scholar Lizzie Bett Estrada recalled a few email exchanges with Tantoco and performed La Vie En Rose in English with the Pundaquit Virtuosi. Hers was a fresh but still raw tessitura in search of a good placement. Moreover, she looked stunning in black in her aria, Ah voi condur volete from Il Signor Bruschino by Rossini.

The Philippine Opera Company under Karla Gutierrez rendered its version of the Filipino harana. The former star of the Repertory version of Les Miserables sounded like a faint version of her former singing persona. She recalled how she hounded Rustan’s with a back page souvenir program ad, and Ms. Tantoco always responding to her SOS.

The night’s memorable warhorses came after a beautiful rendering of Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by the PPO String Ensemble under Herminigildo Ranera.

It was an emotional cellist Renato Lucas before a soulful reading of Romanza credited to “one Father Alejo.” He recalled Nedy’s help even as he noted local PPO soloists didn’t have the attention that foreign soloists got. “But with Nedy around, she made us all feel like VIPs with her attention.”

Meanwhile, Korean baritone Byeong-in Park was a show-stealer with his well-acted Largo al factotum from Rossini’s Barber of Seville.  Rachelle Gerodias relived her Vienna days in Liu’s aria Signore, Ascolta from Turandot. She recalled how Nedy Tantoco helped finance her foreign trips during her audition days in Europe. The couple sang Cuenco’s Gaano Kita Kamahal as a gesture of gratitude.

Tenor Nomher Nival with the PPO Strings Ensemble

The night’s memorable aria was Celeste Aida (from Verdi’s Aida) rendered with vocal elan by tenor Nomher Nival. It was a full, well-nuanced sound and thoroughly magical in the finale. The crowd burst into a chorus of “Bravo!” towards the end.

The Viva Voce at the Tribute for Nedy Tantoco

Viva Voce’s ensemble number, Chi Me Frena in tal momento from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, was no doubt the evening’s piece de resistance. The rendition recalled the glory that was the 2020 production of the Donizetti opera at the CCP just a week before the pandemic.

In terms of ensemble and soloists, production design and direction, Lucia di Lammermoor was the best of all operas mounted by Nedy Tantoco in cooperation with the CCP, the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, and Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Society Inc (PPOSI).

Viva Voce head Camille Lopez Molina also delivered a most articulate recollection of Tantoco’s connection with Filipino artists. Camille reminisced: “As we gather here tonight to honor the life of Ms. Nedy Tantoco, I am reminded of a profound truth from Maya Angelou: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’  From the very beginning of my career as a voice student at UP, through my journey as an emerging classical singer, an adult professional performer, and finally as  voice teacher and artistic director of Viva Voce, Ms. Nedy was a constant presence. Our connection was one I never took for granted, and it is one I will forever treasure.”

The soprano pointed out she had countless memories of Tantoco, each one more meaningful than the last. “If you ask me to share a specific anecdote, I realized that the most impactful thing I can convey is how she made me—and all of us at Viva Voce—feel. Ms. Nedy was more than an individual of generous means. She was a woman of authority and conviction. She was serious but warm, demanding yet supportive, direct but sympathetic. She did not pretend to be an expert on opera, but she knew what she liked and what touched her. She did not suffer fools, but she was kind. She appreciated sincerity, honesty, and excellence, and perhaps she saw all those in our work at Viva Voce. She never micromanaged the support she extended, nor indeed asked what she would receive in return. Her attention was always focused on what was specifically required in a particular situation or what needed to be imminently done. She highlighted the importance of putting one’s best foot forward. She took a personal interest in the people she worked with and always made each and every one of us feel seen, valued, and understood.

‘She never micromanaged the support she extended, nor indeed asked what she would receive in return,’ said Viva Voce’s Camille Lopez Molina

“Ms. Nedy’s love of music and concern for artists’ welfare were genuine. She literally saved performances. On more than one occasion, when a production found itself in dire straits, potentially unable to fulfill its obligation due to one bureaucratic snafu or another, she stepped in. In situations where it seemed as though artists were to be dealt the short end of the stick, Ms. Nedy helped them out of those tight spots. Her influence was mighty, and she wielded it for good. She has always championed artists and their welfare and that made her not only a blessing, but a heroine. In every interaction, she exuded a sense of purpose and care. She has left an indelible mark on my heart, on Viva Voce, and on the hearts of the many artists and musicians with whom she generously shared her time and resources. It is this feeling of being uplifted and inspired by her presence that we will carry with us always.”

Tantoco served on the CCP board from 2002 to 2021 and was responsible for the revival of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Society, Inc. (PPOSI), the support arm of the national orchestra.

PPOSI interim president Margie Moran Floirendo said the 19 years of Tantoco as a CCP trustee defined her unwavering love for arts and culture. With Rustan’s Group of Companies, Tantoco worked with CCP in several fundraising ventures to help promising artists starting out in their careers. For the PPO, she raised funds for the purchase of musical instruments and for the repair of old ones.

Through her sponsorship, the PPO participated in 2002 in Asia Orchestra Week in Tokyo, Japan, and in 2018, and the goodwill concert in Beijing, China, in 2011. In 2002, Tantoco helped organize the New York Philharmonic Manila engagement for the CCP’s Arts for the People Program, and in 2012, undertook the renovation of the Silangan reception area at the CCP main building.

At the height of the pandemic, Tantoco spearheaded an online Cecile Licad recital Amore to finance more projects of the PPOSI. Earlier, in 2018, she also produced another fundraising event—the Cecile Licad: I Love Chopin piano recital at Manila Polo Club.

During her term as president, the PPOSI granted retirement benefits to 22 orchestra musicians

The arts partnership between Tantoco and CCP went a long way. During her term as president, the PPOSI granted retirement benefits to 22 orchestra musicians and provided grants for PPO members studying abroad or joining music conferences, master classes and workshops. The PPOSI also donated a timpani set to the PPO in 2021.

Floirendo, the new PPOSI head, said: “As I now step into her shoes on an interim basis, the board is gearing up for its annual fundraiser on Nov. 22, 2024 at the Samsung Theater in Makati Circuit. Nedy’s legacy of supporting the arts will undoubtedly continue to inspire us as we carry on her work.”

In cooperation with CCP and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Tantoco and Sen. Loren Legarda also spearheaded the Women’s Month concert at the Met featuring Cecile Licad and the PPO on March 19, 2024.

Anton Tantoco Huang (center) with PPOSI interim president Margie Moran Floirendo, PPOSI vice president Nestor Jardin (far left) and sculptor Ramon Orlina (far right), showing the glass sculpture created by Orlina for Nedy Tantoco

That evening in March, shortly after her passing, it was an emotional moment for son Anton Tantoco Huang when Licad dedicated Schumann’s Widmung (Dedication) to his mom as one of the encore numbers in the PPO-Licad Met concert. Said Huang, “Of course I feel sad that it was actually my mom’s last concert. But in her memory, I will continue to support whatever Mom has started.”

Huang thanked leading sculptor Ramon Orlina for the friendship he shared with his mother and for the beautiful sculpture he created in her mother’s honor. He addressed Orlina: “Your artistic gift not only commemorates her legacy but also symbolizes the deep bond and mutual respect you both shared. Your contribution adds a poignant and lasting touch to this tribute and for that, we are deeply grateful.”

Rustan’s president and CEO Anton Tantoco Huang with baritone Byeong-in Park

Huang ended the night acknowledging the help of the CCP, the PPOSI, and the PPO. The Rustan’s CEO said the night was a fitting tribute to his mom, whom he considered “a truly extraordinary woman.”

Jullie Yap Daza with the author at the Tribute for Nedy Tantoco

About author

Articles

He’s a freelance journalist who loves film, theater and classical music. Known as the Bard of Facebook for his poems that have gone viral on the internet, he is author of a first book of poetry, Love, Life and Loss – Poems During the Pandemic and was one of 160 Asian poets in the Singapore-published anthology, The Best Asian Poetry 2021-22. An impresario on the side, he is one of the Salute awardees of Philippines Graphic Magazine during this year’s Nick Joaquin Literary Awards. His poem, Ode to Frontliners, is now a marker at Plaza Familia in Pasig City unveiled by Mayor Vico Sotto December 30, 2020.

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