98.7 DZFE | The Master's Touch

The atmospheric Las Piñas Church throws open its doors this February welcoming concertgoers to the convergence of early, sacred, and pipe organ music that is the International Bamboo Organ Festival. In the first of a two-program spotlight, MAESTRO FILIPINO with DZFE’s Tiffany features the sounds of last year's milestone Festival, villancicos and a conversation with Ateneo de Manila College Gle...

It's a festival of plucked strings, for the last of our three-part NAMCYA 2025 spotlight! Junior Guitar Category first prize winner Gian Franco Ambrosio shares the inspiration that began his guitar journey this MAESTRO FILIPINO with DZFE's Tiffany, and we take in competition performances by Children's Solo Rondalla Category first prize winner Sophia Ashley Presentacion Asor and the Jun...

It took a detour for violinist Gabriel Domagas to come to terms with his musical calling. Get to know the Senior Strings Category first prize winner on this week's MAESTRO FILIPINO spotlight — Part 2 of a series of three on the 2025  National Music Competitions for Young Artists . Also on the program, performances by the Davao National High School SPA Centennial Choir (Children's Choir Cat...

Each year, and now for over fifty years, the  National Music Competitions for Young Artists  has superintended a hive of activities intended to seek out and nurture musical talent. On MAESTRO FILIPINO, Tiffany is joined by NAMCYA's Artistic and Program Director 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗱𝗼 and by baritone 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 (Senior Voice A Category, first prize) in the first of a three-program spotlight on NAMC...

The Manila Symphony Orchestra’s executive director Jeffrey Solares has a habit of saying "Yes!" to the opportunities Providence sends their way. As a result, the MSO charges out of the gate this new year with two big concerts this January, happening within days of each other — the orchestra's 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕 on January 22, and 𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒄𝒚 on January 25, featuring pianists Carmenci...

Multifaceted American pianist Raffi Kasparian has the head of an engineer and the heart of an artist. The two come together in a program of evolving musical landscapes, 𝑻𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆: 𝑨 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑶𝒅𝒚𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒚, which he performs at various Manila venues this January, on a visit back to the land of his wife's birth. Also a demonstration of musical art and engineering and part of the concert roster...

From the flower markets of Dangwa to the stars: Los Cantantes de Manila is the community choir which in the course of a decade (and a pandemic hiatus) has gone from no note-reading facility or significant exposure to classical repertoire, to a competition juggernaut which this year trod the elite platform of the European Grand Prix for choral singing and took top prizes at the Busan Choral Festiva...

When John Daniel Rotap went in to audition as a piano performance major at the UST Conservatory, he came armed only with a piece of Christian contemporary music he had learned to play by ear. His extant knowledge of and exposure to (or love of!) classical music? Zero. Note reading skills? Also zero. In fact, he had no idea that his life was about to take a completely unexpected turn. In the wake o...

Guitarist Rafael Ronquillo is a storyteller. His recent concert, presented by Double Pentagon Concerts, and called 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑒 𝐺𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎, was an evocative narrative built on 20th and 21st century music. Raffy unpacks his insights and influences in this MAESTRO FILIPINO interview with DZFE's Tiffany.

Why are there twin posters of Poland and the Philippines hanging on the wall in pianist Krzysztof Moskalewicz's London flat? There is more to it than his impending return to Manila to perform ravishing recitals of romantic music on December 5 and 7. DZFE's Tiffany hears more from the Polish pianist in this MAESTRO FILIPINO interview.

The playing field isn't level, so Filipino-American pianist Victor Asuncion established an award to help give emerging classical musicians a fighting chance. Asuncion performs in Manila with cellist Gabriel Martins, one of two awardees this year, as part of the American Recital Debut Award On Tour, on December 3. What does it take for an artist to make a mark? Victor Asuncion gives his reply i...

The current season of Mariel Ilusorio's Sunshine Classics International Series culminates in grand style — with 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑢𝑒𝑡, spotlighting works for harp and piano. Mariel's duet partner is the young harp luminary, Vien Ignacio. In the run-up to the sold-out concert, Mariel looks back over the season and we catch up with Vien, just back from Germany and (amazingly) her first in-person le...

Jonathan Velasco has been making things happen on the choral scene for decades. In the wake of the recent national convention of the Philippine Choral Directors Association and its affectionate recognition of his contributions with a lifetime achievement award, Sir Jojo muses on his choral roots, Philippine choral sound, and much more, in an interview with DZFE’s Tiffany.   #classicalmusic #maestr...

Job Polvoriza's steps are set toward Germany, where he will embark on further studies in baroque cello—a pioneering decision for a musician from our country, where historically informed performance is a path still barely trodden several decades into the movement. Meet the Baguio cellist, and the baroque cello, on this week's MAESTRO FILIPINO.   #classicalmusic #maestrofilipino #dzfe #Maste...

What goes on in musical studies and what advantages do our musicians gain from pursuing them abroad? Jenna Salliman — a science high school product and Statistics degree holder with undergraduate and master's degrees in music — fell in love with the process and is looking to take her commitment further in doctoral studies. She lifts the lid on the craft in an interview with DZFE’s Tiffany. #cl...

Well-established and loved as a pianist, pedagogue, composer and arranger, Sir Agot has managed to evade much of the limelight that is due him. But on October 16, he makes a rare appearance as a soloist playing a full concert of his own music. 𝑬𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝑬𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒐 is a benefit concert for cancer-stricken missionaries of the Translators Association of the Philippines. Augusto Espino and TAP Executiv...

Behind some of the most remarkable Filipino violinists of the last few decades is the violinist, conductor and teacher Basilio Manalo. Ahead of his centenary in 2027, the Filipino String Teachers Association is mounting a tribute concert set for October 21 at the Metropolitan Theater. Two familiar violinists in the leadership of FSTA, Gina Medina and Bernice Go, join DZFE's Tiffany this MAESTR...

There's no reason to be scared of classical music, and this duo has set out to prove it with a debut offering of Paganini sonatas and other beguiling fare. Violinist Alessio Benvenuti and guitarist Iqui Vinculado, each a familiar figure with a following, are a new violin-and-guitar tandem. They join this MAESTRO FILIPINO to deliver a mini sampling of music from their August debut and to chat w...

"𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔." This Reformation Month, Dr Mikel Del Rosario joins DZFE's Tiffany to explore the historicity of Jesus' divine claims— the subject of his new book, 𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑺𝒂𝒚 𝑯𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑮𝒐𝒅? Dr Mikel Del Rosario is professor of Bible and theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and host of The Apologetics Guy...

The UP Symphony Orchestra opens a new academic year with 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝑲𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒚 on October 3, bringing together an evocative program with visual art for a charitable cause. Orchestra manager Bernice Go and assistant conductor Noemi Binag join DZFE's Tiffany on MAESTRO FILIPINO to muse on the connections between music and image, the orchestra's commitment to new music, and the projects laid out for...

From meme to mortality to music-making: The award-winning male choir ALERON joins DZFE's Tiffany this MAESTRO FILIPINO (Sat 1200, Sun 2400, Thu 2000) to talk about the craft of "giving voice to the human experience" — in particular, for the group's largest project yet, the Oct 3 & 4 concert 𝑨𝒔 𝑰𝒕 𝑾𝒂𝒔 and upcoming workshops to be led by German conductor Jan Schumacher. Guests ar...

There's electricity in the orchestra as the PPO ushers in its 41st season, titled 𝑉𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒. Joining this MAESTRO FILIPINO with DZFE's Tiffany is the artist who has been a major contributor to that, violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr, recently appointed concertmaster of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. 

In a feat of artistic derring do, the vocal ensemble PASIPO launches its most ambitious project yet — a full staging of Mozart's 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑖̀ 𝑓𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑒. Studio performances and an interview grant us a glimpse of the upcoming performances, set to unfold September 6, 10, 12 & 13. PASIPO joins DZFE's Tiffany this MAESTRO FILIPINO.

Tenor Arthur Espiritu's cherished memories in the realm of art song include singing Beethoven for Ernst Haefliger, and coaching with Mitsuko Uchida and Ken Noda. He plumbs these experiences and more to lead a comprehensive four-day art song workshop together with longtime collaborator, pianist Najib Ismail, September 1-4, and culminating in a concert September 5. Join DZFE's Tiffany this M...

Guitar ensembles from all over the country converge at the first Kaliwa’t Kanang Kalabitan (“3Ks”) Guitar Ensemble Festival at St Scholastica’s College August 29 to 31. Festival co-director Monching Carpio hopes to draw both the classical guitar curious and the enthusiast, further strengthening the dynamism the guitar community has cultivated in recent years. Join DZFE’s Tiffany on MAESTRO FILIPIN...