Short Biography of Filipina composer Lucrecia Roces Kasilag

Lucrecia R. Kasilag was born on the 31st of August, 1918 in San Fernando, La Union. She is the third of six children of Marcial Kasilag Sr., a government engineer, and Asuncion Roces, a music teacher, Lucrecia's first musical influence. A little after Kasilag's birth, the family moved to Albay and then to Manila. 

At an early age, Lucrecia learnt to play the guitar. She graduated valedictorian from the Paco Elementary School and from the Philippine Women's University High School. She finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the Philippine Women's University (PWU), after which she took piano lessons from Concha Cuervo, and later, Pura Lacson Villanueva. She obtained her Music Teacher's degree from St. Scholastica's College of Music in 1939. And she was sent on an Asian tour by impresario Alfredo Lozano. She finished her Bachelor of Music degree at the PWU. She obtained her Master of Music degree, major in theory and minor in composition at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester in New York. She was conferred honorary doctorate degrees by the Centro Escolar University, the Philippine Women's University and the St. John University, New York in 1981. 

Lucrecia Kasilag taught at various colleges such as the St. Scholastica's College, Assumption College and the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music. She also did pioneering research in ethnic culture and gained world-wide recognition as the Director of the Bayanihan Philippines Dance Company. She was Dean of the PWU College of Music and Fine Arts. She served as Artistic Director and as president of the Cultural Centre of the Philippines from 1969 until her retirement in 1986. She held so many other posts in many different organizations. She held key positions in national and international music organizations and has been recipient of different grants. In 1971, Lucrecia Kasilag was designated as a Colombo music expert to advise the University of Singapore on the setting up of its music department. She has written several articles and essays on various aspects of humanities and research in Asian music. 

Lucrecia Kasilag began composing during World War II. Her over two hundred and fifty compositions range from folk song arrangements, art songs, solo instruments pieces, chamber and orchestral works. She has done significant pioneering work in combining the resources of occidental and oriental instruments in East and West compositions.

In 1979, Kubing Records recorded some of her works such as "Toccata for Percussion and Winds" (1958), "Divertissement for Piano and Orchestra" (1960), "Legend of Sarimanok" (1963), "Filiasiana", a choral dance kaleidoscope (1964), "Dularawan" (Drama-Tableau) for indigenous instruments and mixed chorus (1969), "Her Son, Jose", an operator (1976) and "Sisa", ballet music (1976).

Lucrecia Kasilag passed away on 16th August, 2008 at the age of 90. 

Note: I have discovered this short biography in one of my college files, and have lost the source of this article. If anyone knows where it's from, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

More about Lucrecia Kasilag here:

Lucrecia Kasilag in Wikipedia

Lucrecia Kasilag in WIkipedia 2

From the Philippines National Commision for Culture and the Arts

Wikipilipinas

The Piano Compositional Style of Lucrecia R. Kasilag

Filipinas Heritage Library