Catch Cecile Licad in virtual post-Valentine concert at New York’s historic Lotos Club on Feb. 22
By Pablo Tariman
Internationally acclaimed Filipino pianist Cecile Licad is all set for a post-Valentine virtual concert on Feb, 22, a Tuesday, at 5 p.m.
A fund-raising concert for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Society, Inc. (PPOSI), the virtual solo recital called Amore is set at the historic Lotos Club in New York.
One of the oldest literary clubs in the US, Lotos Club was founded on March 15, 1870 by a group of young writers, including Mark Twain. The name, which comes from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, The Lotos Eaters, is meant to convey the idea of “rest and harmony.”
Mark Twain described it as “The Ace of Clubs.” The club’s objectives, then and today, have a literary and artistic focus.
The Licad recital program at the Lotos Club includes Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” Samuel Barber’s “Souvenirs Op. 28,” Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Four Preludes,” Frédéric Chopin’s “Scherzo No. 2 in B Flat Minor, Op. 31” and “Ballade No. 1 in G Minor,” and F. Buencamino Sr.’s “My Soul’s Lament.”
The recital was videographed by Scott Steiner with whom the pianist has worked with in the filming of the Louis Armstrong story, where she provided the live music along with trumpet icon Wynton Marsalis and his ensemble.
“Scott (Steiner) is a very cool guy and a man who has good creative ideas,” Licad told this writer. “I am usually very picky about a hall’s acoustics. But because of the wooden floors of the place, my instinct tells me it would sound really good.”
The Licad recital program at the Lotos Club includes Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata,’ Barber’s ‘Souvenirs Op. 28,’ Rachmaninoff’s ‘Four Preludes,’ Chopin’s ‘Scherzo No. 2 in B Flat Minor, Op. 31’ and ‘Ballade No. 1 in G Minor,’ and Buencamino’s ‘My Soul’s Lament.’
The Feb. 22, 2022 Cecile Licad recital is presented by Megaworld and Rustan's for the benefit of the PPOSI. Sponsors are SSI Group Inc., Starbucks, San Miguel Corporation, Bank of the Philippine Islands, and Mr. Danny Dolor. Ticket price at ₱1500. Call or text 0917 5708 301.