“Strophic” was the first word National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab “taught” his audience at the start of the concert, MaestroClass: The Songs of Ryan Cayabyab, in the newly opened, state-of-the-art Rockwell’s Proscenium Theater.
National Artist Ryan Cayabyab singing some of the well-loved favorites himself
“Mr. C” (as the National Artist is referred to with familiarity on the local music scene) explained that “strophic” is one part of the song structure where all verses are sung to the same music. Then he briefly sang Peter, Paul and Mary’s Where Have All the Flowers Gone. He breezed through other folk songs Pobreng Alindahaw, Leron, Leron Sinta and Sitsiritsit Alibangbang, all with strophic rhythm.
The pillar of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) has staged many concerts through the years that saw him mostly on the piano giving accompaniment to his artists. This time around, Mr. C even sang himself. With touching nostalgia, he crooned a few strains of the Beatles’ classic, Till There Was You, on the Steinway grand which will be permanently housed at Proscenium.
Mr. C apparently wanted a classroom setting onstage. He is, after all, known for having taught Music at the University of the Philippines and at his Ryan Cayabyab Music Studio.
“Most of the time, I see my students and they thanked me,” Mr. C said as he opened the concert. “I also thanked them. Ever since then, they either called me ‘Mr. C’ or Maestro. It is only but fitting that I see all of you here at the Proscenium. Welcome to ‘MaestroClass’.”
In a separate chat with TheDiarist.ph, director Rowell Santiago, who proposed the idea of Maestro Class to Mr. C., recalled, “We wanted it to be intimate like a classroom.”
And indeed it was—cozy, candid, suiting Mr. C’s exceptional ability to have rapport with his audience, like they were his students. With Mr. C as musical director, Santiago’s direction was apt, flawless, easy, nothing contrived. The show’s format and easy flow showed to the max the spontaneity of Mr. C and his guests. The stage was made to look like an intimate music room or den, with giant picture frames that were LED of the performers, and on both sides, were flashed shots of the audience reacting to the performance onstage.
The production used technology to establish rapport and intimacy.
The audience did not only listen, they learned a thing or two about music. MaestroClass is actually the first of a four-part concert series, the second set for February 2026, the third in May and the last in August. Santiago proposed that the series follows this master class central theme.
The next one will have the three Cs—Jose Mari Chan, George Canseco and Willy Cruz.
Mr. C opted for live connection this time for MaestroClass. Instead of an orchestra, he opted for something more organic—a grand piano and a six-piece band—that brought focus to the music and the storytelling.
The Ryan Cayabyab Singers
The seven-member vocal ensemble Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS)—Poppert Bernadas, VJ Caber, Anthony Castillo, Nica Tupas, Celine Fabie, Erwin Lacsa and Kaye Tiuseco—joined Mr. C onstage in a slew of memorable Mr. C ballads, such as Nais Ko, Hibang sa Awit and Limang Dipang Tao. Mr. C and the RCS both recently arrived from the US, where they had a successful and well-received concert tour.
Undoubtedly, most of the songs that 71-year-old Mr. C composed have become national soundtracks of the people’s lives. Since he emerged on the music scene in the late ’70s, Mr. C has become the most accomplished composer and musical director for nearly six decades.
He was only 18, a Business Administration student at the University of the Philippines, when he wrote a song for famous singer and actor Cocoy Laurel—the heartthrob of the ’70s. He was given a scholarship by the Laurel family, so that he was able to pursue studies in Music at UP.
Mr. C’s versatile musical style spans a wide range of genres—from religious to art song, opera, concerto, to classical and to mainstream pop. Mr. C has penned a number of songs that have been reinterpreted across generations.
Through the years, he delivered impressive and memorable works in musical theater, dance for Ballet Philippines (the iconic Rama Hari) and Ballet Manila, and film, like the heart-rending Paraisong Parisukat, sung by Basil Valdez and the movie directed by Elwood Perez.
The newly opened 780-seat Proscenium Theater is getting distinguished for its natural acoustics, and that of the MaestroClass concert was immersive and intimate.
He shared his compositions in the concert, even the memorable commercial jingles—Bawa’t Sandali sung by Nonong Pedero, and Shining Through for Philippine Airlines recorded by Jose Mari Chan.
Lani Misalucha brings the house down.
“Asia’s Nightingale” Lani Misalucha began her much-awaited MaestroClass performance with the famous song from Rama Hari, Magbalik Ka Na Mahal, followed by the ballad from Katy the musical. Then, with the RCS, she performed more tunes for Katy—Entablado, Pahiram ng Isang Kanta and Aba, Aba, Aba Boogie.
Martin Nievera bares emotion in ‘The Best Gift.’
Concert king Martin Nievera crooned a lesser-known but beautiful Mr. C song, The Best Gift, which Martin sang for his late dad, the world-famous crooner Bert Nievera. Mr. C recalled how they had to stop during rehearsals since Martin was in tears as he tried to sing the song.
Martin also did How Can I?, Once Upon a Life, and the very challenging Sometime, Somewhere. Typically Martin—the master of ad libs—cracked one joke after another that left the audience in stitches.
Mr. C shared his romantic compositions written for his wife, Emy Punsalan Cayabyab—Tunay Na Ligaya sung by Martin and Lani, and Araw Gabi, which Lani belted out.
How can the songs of Smokey Mountain, the teenage group who originally recorded Da Coconut Nut, Can This Be Love? and Kailan in a capella, not make it to the line-up? From the early ’90s, the songs were relived in the concert by the The Ryan Cayabyab Singers.
Martin and Lani also interpreted the popular Smokey Mountain songs Paraiso and A Better World, respectively.
The entire ensemble, all dressed in Filipiniana, performed together Mr. C’s first Metropop (1978) award-winning entry, Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika, sung originally by Hajji Alejandro.
After Till There Was You, the RCS did the lively Christmas ditty, Kumukutikutitap, for the encore.
With Lani’s soaring vocals and an incomparable performer like Martin, gifted with both humor and charisma, MaestroClass was an evening of nostalgia, artistry and discovery that left the audience all the more cherishing the songs of the National Artist for Music.
National Artist Ryan Cayabyab at curtain call
The show ran November 15 and 16.
