Felipe Padilla de Leon
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Felipe Padilla de Leon on a 2012 stamp
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| Born | May 1, 1912[1] General Tinio, the Philippines[2] |
| Died | December 5, 1992 (aged 80)[1] |
| Occupation | Composer and conductor of classical music |
Felipe Padilla de Leon (May 1, 1912 – December 5, 1992) was a Filipino classical music composer, conductor, and scholar. He received the Republic Cultural Heritage Award, Rizal Pro-Patria Award, Presidential Award of Merit and Patnubay ng Kalinangan Award, among others. He was named Composer of the Year in 1949, Musician of the Year in Manila in 1958, and a National Artists of the Philippines in 1997.[1][2]
De Leon was the third of four children by the second marriage of his mother Natalia Padilla to Juan de Leon. His father died when he was three years old, and he was raised by his mother and his elder half-brother, Pedro P. San Diego. Before becoming a musician he took various odd jobs to support his family, such as a shoe polisher, carabao herder, carriage driver, and vendor of various items. In 1927, he took up Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines, but he had to abandon his studies to make a living. He played the trombone in cabarets and circuses, and later worked as an assistant conductor of the Nueva Ecija High School Orchestra, where he started composing music. To improve his composing skills he again enrolled to the University of the Philippines, and graduated in 1939 with a diploma of music teacher and conductor. Much later, he continued his studies under Vittorio Giannini at the Juilliard School in New York, U.S.[2]
De Lean married pianist Iluminada Mendoza with whom he had six children, including Bayani, a prominent composer, and Felipe Jr., a writer.[2]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Felipe Padilla de Leon. |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Felipe Padilla de Leon. ncca.gov.ph
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Short Biography of Felipe Padilla de Leon. (November 29, 2013)
