Nilo Alcala
| Nilo Alcala | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Nilo Belarmino Alcala II |
| Origin | Lucena City, Philippines |
| Genres | classical |
| Occupation(s) | composer, arranger, singer, conductor |
| Instruments | voice, piano |
| Associated acts |
Los Angeles Master Chorale Philippine Madrigal Singers Metro Manila Concert Orchestra |
| Website | http://niloalcala.com/ |
Nilo Alcala is a Filipino composer, arranger, and vocalist. He is the first Philippine-born composer to be commissioned by the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale, and also to receive the Aaron Copland House Residency Award.
Biography
Alcala has received a number of recognitions, including the 2009 POLYPHONOS Young Composer Award[1] given by the Seattle-based vocal ensemble, The Esoterics. He also received a Young Composer Award from the Asian Composers League,[2] in cooperation with the Israel Composers' League in 2004. He won Best Movie Theme Song[3] and was also nominated for Best Film Score at the 34th Metro Manila Film Festival for his music in the movie "Homecoming" by renowned Filipino director Gil Portes. For the same movie, Alcala also received nominations from the Golden Screen Awards of the Entertainment Press Society and the Star Awards for Movies of the Philippine Movie Press Club.
Alcala is the first ever Filipino to be commissioned by the Los Angeles Master Chorale. His work Mangá Pakalagián[4] was premiered at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on November 15, 2016.
As an arranger, his work in the Sony BMG released Album Acclamation of the renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers was nominated for Best Vocal Arrangement at the 20th Awit Awards organized by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry or PARI.
Alcala was member/soloist and resident composer/arranger of the two-time European Choral Grand Prix winner and UNESCO Artist for Peace Philippine Madrigal Singers. The group has premiered Alcala's compositions in prestigious international festivals and competitions, including the Florilege Vocal de Tours in France, and the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Arezzo, Italy.[5]
Alcala graduated BS Development Communication from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (BSDC 1999) prior to his admission in 2001 to the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Music. Upon graduating Bachelor of Music in Composition Magna cum laude in 2007, Alcala received the Gawad Chanselor Natatanging Mag-aara[6] l (Chancellor's Outstanding Student Award), an award conferred by University of the Philippines to students with outstanding academic and non-academic achievements. Alcala became full scholar under the Billy Joel Fellowship [7] at Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts in upstate New York where he finished Masters in Music Composition and received the Irene Crooker Excellence in Music Award in 2009.
Alcala's teachers include Prof. Josefino Chino Toledo, Dr. Jonas Baes, Dr. Christine Muyco, Dr. Ramon P. Santos, Dr. Nicolas Scherzinger, Dr. Gregory Mertl, Dr. Daniel S. Godfrey. He also had master classes with Judith Weir.
Accomplishments
Awards/nominations
- 2016-2017 Copland House Residency Award
- 2009 POLYPHONOS Young Composer Award (Seattle, USA)
- 2007 Gawad Tsanselor Natatanging Mag-aaral (Outstanding Student Award), University of the Philippines
- 2006 Prix pour une ouvre de creation, Finalist, Florilege Vocal de Tours, France
- 2004 Asian Composers League Young Composer Award, 2nd Prize (Jerusalem, Israel)[8]
- Ani ng Dangal Award – given by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
- Best Sound Design/Music Score for "Flower Trail" – INDEO Awards
- Irene Crocker Music Award – Syracuse University
- Awiting Bayan para sa Korong Pilipino (Choral Writing Competition) – "Kaisa-isa Niyan" (2006) winner in the Mga Awiting Bayan Para sa Korong Pilipino Choral Writing Competition and chosen for publication by the National Committee on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA)– Cultural Center of the Philippines, 2007.
- 24th Metro Manila Film Festival, Best Movie Theme Song
- 24th Metro Manila Film Festival, Best FIlm Score, nominee
- Star Awards, Original Theme Song of the Year, nominee
- Golden Screen Awards, Movie Theme Song of the Year, nominee
- 20th Awit Awards, Best Vocal Arrangement (Acclamation), nominee
Fellowships/grants
- Billy Joel Fellowship (Syracuse University)
- National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
- Asian Cultural Council
Commissions
- The Los Angeles Master Chorale
- The Esoterics (Seattle, WA) – for the MYSTERIUM concert series, October 2009
- National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) – Bagong Umaga (2005) – was official contest piece for the NAMCYA youth choir category, Folk Arts Theater, 2005
- Children's Museum and Library, Inc. – "Bagbagto" was official contest piece for the VOICES IN HARMONY youth choral competition finals, Manila 2008
- St. Stephen High School (Manila, Philippines) – "Miracles of Jesus" – a mini-musical
- Anglo-Chinese Junior College Choir (Singapore) – "Papanok a Lakitan" premiered at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, 2009
- Long Island Children's Choir (New York) – "Silly Syllables" performed at Merkin Hall, New York City, 2008
- Bangkok Voices – "Song of Dawn" (2006) – commissioned by the Bangkok Voices in Thailand for the World Choir Games Musica Contemporanea Category held in Xiamen, China, 2006.
Composer/arranger residencies
- Philippine Madrigal Singers
- Inspirare Vocal Ensemble
- Sole Voce Los Angeles
Performances
- Metro Manila Community Orchestra (now Metro Manila Concert Orchestra)- his works "Diary of a Synaesthete[9]" and "Speak to me my love/You are the evening cloud[10]" were chosen for premiere during the Music UnderKonstruction concerts at Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
- Syracuse University Singers
- Taipei Philharmonic Youth Choir
- University of the Philippines Los Banos Choral Ensemble
- various choirs from the Philippines, in Asia and the USA
Readings
- Cassat String Quartet
- daCapo Chamber Ensemble
Honor societies
- Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Students
- Phi Kappa Phi
- Pi Kappa Lambda (music honor society)
Selected works
Choral
- Pater Noster (treble choir) 2003
- Dayo Dayo Kupita (mixed choir) 2005
- Song of Dawn (mixed choir) 2006
- Kaisa-isa Niyan (mixed choir) 2006
- La Noche De Mil Noches (mixed choir) 2007
- Silly Syllables (children’s choir, 2 violins, piano) 2008
- Bagbagto (mixed choir, also in treble and male choir version, with optional wood percussion) 2009
- Papanok A Lakitan (mixed choir, optional wood percussion) 2009
- Song of the Night (mixed choir) 2009
Vocal
- Then Finish The Last Song (soprano, piano) 2008
- Tell Me If All This Be True (soprano, piano) 2009
- A Day Like This (tenor, piano) 2009
- The Sick Rose (soprano, piano) 2009
- A Burning (tenor, mezzo-soprano, piano) 2009
- Tell Me If All This Be True (soprano, piano) 2009
Orchestral
- Diary of a Synaesthete (orchestra) 2005
- Speak To Me My Love/You Are The Evening Cloud (soprano, tenor, orchestra) 2007
Chamber/solo instrumental
- Freudian Id (string quartet) 2003
- chuck d’ cheeky chat (instrumental chamber ensemble) 2004
- Dancing Delusions (instrumental chamber ensemble) 2005
- Stream of Consciousness (instrumental chamber ensemble) 2008
- The Tyranny of Distractions (cello) 2009
Musical theater
- Miracles of Jesus (children’s choir, soloists, rock band) 2007
Film/animation
- Motion picture soundtrack for “Homecoming” (directed by Gil Portes) 2003
- Animation soundtrack for “Flower Trail” 2004
References
- ↑ "2009 Winners - The Esoterics". The Esoterics. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ↑ Taiwan. "Awards". asiancomposersleague.com. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ↑ "The Philippine Star | Entertainment | 234351 | philstar.com". philstar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ↑ "2015 | 2016 Performances | Made in L.A. | Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 7 pm | Los Angeles Master Chorale | Walt Disney Concert Hall". www.lamc.org. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ↑ "A Cappella News: Madrigal Singers win European Grand Prix for the second time". www.acappellanews.com. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ↑ "aproct07 UPdate". www.upd.edu.ph. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ↑ "Billy Joel replies to my invite!". nilo alcala - composer. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ↑ "Playing a silver tune | Starweek Magazine, Other STAR Sections, The Philippine Star | philstar.com". www.philstar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "MMCO, CCP, NCCA team up for new orchestra works". philstar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ↑ "New music, Flamenco". philstar.com. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- http://entertainment.inquirer.net/181591/grammy-nominated-chorale-to-premiere-up-alumnuscomposition#art_disc
- http://www.cciarts.org/cgi/page.cgi/_article.html/Peer_to_Peer_Articles/Nilo_Alcala_Every_Step_of_the_Journey
- http://www.lamc.org/performances/2015-11-15-made-in-la
- http://www.lamc.org/performances/bios/2015-11-15-made-in-la#bio-alcala-nilo
- Alcala, Nilo. Dayo Dayo Kupita. All Together Now! Inc., 2006.
- Alcala, Nilo. Kaisa-isa Niyan. Mga Awiting Bayan Para sa Korong Pilipino. National Commission on Culture and the Arts and National Music Competitions for young Artists, 2007.
- Alcala, Nilo. Dancing Delusions. I’mPulse 1st Asia-Europe Music Camp. DVD and CD. Conducted by Josefino Chino Toledo. Asia-Europe Foundation, 2005.
- Asian Composers League. “Winners of ACL Young Composers Awards.” Asian Composers League. http://www.asiancomposersleague.com/ACLawards.html
- European Grand Prix for Choral Singing Association. http://www.gpeuropa.com/gpe/gpe2007/gpe2007_sound.htm
- Kasilag, Lucresia. “Santos, Ramon Pagayon.” Grove Music Online, http://www.grovemusic.com/shared/views/article.html?section=music.24558>
- Philippine Madrigal Singers. “The Philippine Madrigal Singers…Now.” Google.com. http://www.thephilippinemadrigalsingers.blogspot.com
- Santos, Ramon. “Toledo, Josefino Chino.” Grove Music Online, http://www.grovemusic.com/shared/views/article.html?section=music.49223