Fides Cuyugan-Asensio
Fides Cuyugan-Asensio | |
|---|---|
| Born | Fides Belza Cuyugan August 1, 1931 Order of National Artists of the Philippines |
Fides Belza Cuyugan-Asensio (born August 1, 1931) is a Filipino coloratura soprano, director, librettist, TV host, translator, and teacher.[1]
Biography
Fides Belza Cuyugan is born on August 1, 1931, in
Her graduation recital in 1951 was well-received. It appeared in the front page of
Since 1955, she has become one of the leading performers and producers of opera in the country. She made her operatic debut in 1955 singing as Adele in Strauss' Die Fledermaus. She also performed in many world premiere performances of Filipino operas, like in Rosendo Santos' Mapulang Bituin, Eliseo Pajaro's Binhi ng Kalayaan, Kasilag's Dularawan, and most notably as Sisa in Felipe de Leon's Noli me Tangere in 1957. She has also sung lead roles in Menotti's The Telephone, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Verdi's La Traviata, Britten's Turn of the Screw, and Debussy's L'Enfant Prodigue and many more. She also directed productions of several Filipino and Western operas.
In 1969-1974 she appeared as one of the hosts in the TV show Sunday Sweet Sunday and in 1989-2002 in the TV show A Little Night of Music. She also appeared in four films: in Oro Plata Mata (1982), Niño (2011), Aparisyon (2012), and in Mana (2014).[3]
In 1986, Fides Asensio formed the Music Theater Foundation of the Philippines (MTFP), a non-profit organization dedicated to promote, stage, and give scholarships to young classical performers. In 1988, she was appointed Chairman of Voice and Music Theater Department at the U.P. College of Music, a position she held until she retired in 1997. After her retirement, she was granted the title of Professor Emeritus by the U.P. Board of Regents. She is the artistic director of the Opera Guild of the Philippines and the president of the MTFP since 1987.[1][4][5]
Honors and awards
Asensio is among the people listed in the 1999 book Outstanding Woman of the Philippines by Victoria Paz, She was also awarded the PAMA-AS Gintong Award for the Musical Arts by the NCCA in 2005 and the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining Award in 2015.[1]
She was also recognized as a National Artist for Music in 2022.[6]
Librettos
Fides is also known for writing opera librettos for several Filipino composers. Some of the librettos she wrote are listed here:[1][7]
- Lucrecia Kasilag's Larawan ng kababihan: Maskara at Mukha (1981)
- Lucrecia Kasilag's Why Flowers Bloom in May (2008)
- Francisco Feliciano's La Loba Negra (1984)
- Ryan Cayabyab's Spoliarium (2003)
- Rey Paguio's Mayo - Bisperas ng Liwanag (1997)
- Raymond and Jeannelle Roldan's "Song of Joseph" (2009)
- Raymond and Jeannelle Roldan's "Legend of M: Marya Makiling at ang mga Nuno sa Punso (2013)
References
- ^ a b c d Gatchalian, E., Tan, A. (2019). CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art (Vol. 7: Music). Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines.
- ^ San Diego Jr., Bayani (January 7, 2012). "Yesterday: Diva in residence". Inquirer.
- ^ "Fides Cuyugan-Asensio". IMDB.
- ^ Guerrero, Amadís Ma. (July 6, 2013). "Fides Cuyugan Asensio–grand dame of the Philippine stage". Inquirer.
- ^ Ross, Craig. "Fides Asensio".
- ^ "Nora Aunor, seven others named new National Artists". MSN.
- ^ Ang, Walter (August 1, 2011). "45-year-old virgin opera; tribute to Fides Cuyugan Asensio". Inquirer.
