Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz
Encyclopedia
Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz is a classical
pianist
from the Philippines
. He has won several international piano competitions during his competing career and he is in the forefront in a revival of classical music interest in the country.
Lucrecia Kasilag
. His mother, Lourdes Lacson Villanueva-Cruz, is a concert pianist who became frustrated when none of her nine children showed any interest in a musical career, though everyone took piano lessons in their early ages. Ten years after the birth of her ninth child, at 49 years old, Mrs. Cruz gave birth to her tenth and youngest child, Jovianney. This time, she made sure that he is going to be a concert pianist, and finally, the heir to the family's music legacy
.
at age 6, he was invited to give a command performance for the President of the Philippines at Malacañang Palace
. By the age of 10, he made his orchestral debut with the Philippine Youth Orchestra after winning First Prize in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation
. The Young Artists Foundation of the Philippines provided him a grant to pursue scholarships for piano studies abroad.
In 1980, after finishing grade school at Ateneo de Manila University
Grade School, he moved to England to attend the Chetham's School of Music
in Manchester
, a school for gifted young children. The year after, he moved to New York City
where he attended the Manhattan School of Music
where he was a pupil of the eminent piano pedagogue Solomon Mikowsky.
At the Manhattan School of Music, Jovianney was a winner of both the Preparatory and College Divisions Concerto Competitions and a recipient of the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, the Elva Van Gelder, and the Anne-Marie McDermott Memorial Scholarships. In 1989, he received his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees in Piano Performance, and was awarded the Harold Bauer Award, the most coveted award given to a pianist with the highest honors at the school. He completed his Master of Music degree from the same school in 1991.
and 6th prize winner at the Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition in Milan. He won third prizes at the José Iturbi International Piano Competition
in Valencia, María Canals in Barcelona
, Pilar Bayona Piano Competition
in Zaragosa, and the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York. He placed second in the International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Mazara del Vallo
, Sicily
. He won First Prizes at the Bergen Philharmonic Solo Competition, at the Haddonfield Symphony Solo Competition, the Queens Symphony Soloists Competition, the New York State Music Teachers Association, and the Five Towns, Great Neck, and Port Washington Piano Competitions.
, the Manhattan Philharmonia, the Queens Symphony, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
, the Maracaibo Symphony, the Orquesta Municipal de Valencia, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the State of Oradea
, the Uni-Orchester Säarbrucken, the Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife
, the Orquesta Filharmonica de Gran Canaria, the National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia, the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra
, FILharmoniKA
, and numerously with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
. He has also amassed a long string of solo recital
s and chamber music
collaborations, and is consistently requested to conduct master class
es in various parts of the world.
Participation in music festival
s in New York, Germany
, Spain
, and Malaysia, has given Jovianney critical acclaim. Music critics and audiences alike describe his solo recitals as “sublime”, “colourful”, and “fantastic”, and his performance of Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto was praised as “…technically impeccable”. The New Straits Times called his rendition of Mozart at the International Piano Festival in Kuala Lumpur, “…a thrilling performance of an exquisite interpretation…showed his artistry, his finesse, and his sensitivity as a pianist. He made the piano sing from the first note to the last, every nuance and every phrase beautifully executed.”
as an Associate Professor in Piano Performance. He also worked as consultant to other music conservatories in the Philippines like the Philippine Women’s University, St. Paul University, the Center for Applied Music at the Miriam College
, and the University of the City of Manila
. He has produced prize-winning students, most of whom have pursued further studies in other countries.
awareness in the Philippines. Jovianney formed the Camerata dell’Arte Foundation in 1995 to further propagate arts and culture to the people. With him as the artistic director, the foundation established Opusfest in 2006, a biennial music camp where pianists, violinists and cellists from all over the world could perform, as well as participate in master classes given by international artists and pedagogues. Also in 2006, he started the Ultimate Pianist National Competition in Manila to discover and promote the new generation of aspiring pianists in the Philippines, provide them with performing opportunities and assist in enhancing their young careers.
In 2008, the Filfest Cultural Foundation was launched with Jovianney Cruz as a founding trustee and the artistic director. The foundation produced Filfest 2008: A Celebration of Music and Dance, a 12-day series of recitals and performances at the Insular Life Theater, the newly established cultural center south of Metro Manila.
and twice the adjudicator
in the Hong Kong School of Music Festival’s several years of existence. In 1996, President Fidel V. Ramos
conferred on Mr. Cruz The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Music, for his contribution to the Arts. The Philippine Daily Inquirer
has dubbed Mr. Cruz as “…one of the greatest pianists the country has ever produced!”
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He has won several international piano competitions during his competing career and he is in the forefront in a revival of classical music interest in the country.
Biography
Jovianney Cruz was born from a generation of musicians. His grandmother, Pura Lacson-Villanueva, was a pianist and the first female conductor in the Philippines. She was also the piano teacher of National ArtistNational Artist of the Philippines
A National Artist of the Philippines is a title given to a Filipino who has been given the highest recognition for having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts...
Lucrecia Kasilag
Lucrecia Kasilag
Lucrecia Kasilag was a Filipino composer, music educator, and National Artist for Music.She studied composition with Wayne Barlow....
. His mother, Lourdes Lacson Villanueva-Cruz, is a concert pianist who became frustrated when none of her nine children showed any interest in a musical career, though everyone took piano lessons in their early ages. Ten years after the birth of her ninth child, at 49 years old, Mrs. Cruz gave birth to her tenth and youngest child, Jovianney. This time, she made sure that he is going to be a concert pianist, and finally, the heir to the family's music legacy
Legacy
-Comics:* Legacy , an alias used by Genis-Vell, better known as Captain Marvel* "Batman: Legacy", a 1996 Batman storyline* Star Wars: Legacy, a 2006 series from Dark Horse* X-Men: Legacy, a 1991 series from Marvel Comics...
.
Education
Mr. Cruz began his piano studies at the age of three from his mother, Lourdes. As a child prodigyChild prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
at age 6, he was invited to give a command performance for the President of the Philippines at Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace
The Malacañan Palace, commonly known simply as Malacañang, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. Located at 1000 J. P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila, the house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. It has been the residence of every...
. By the age of 10, he made his orchestral debut with the Philippine Youth Orchestra after winning First Prize in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation
National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation
The National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation or NAMCYA was founded in the Philippines in 1973. It was created by virtue of President Ferdinand Marcos' Presidential Proclamation No...
. The Young Artists Foundation of the Philippines provided him a grant to pursue scholarships for piano studies abroad.
In 1980, after finishing grade school at Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
Grade School, he moved to England to attend the Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music , familiarly known as "Chets", is a specialist independent co-educational music school, situated in Manchester city centre, in North West England. It was established in 1969, incorporating Chetham's Hospital School, founded as a charity school by Humphrey Chetham in 1653...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, a school for gifted young children. The year after, he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he attended the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
where he was a pupil of the eminent piano pedagogue Solomon Mikowsky.
At the Manhattan School of Music, Jovianney was a winner of both the Preparatory and College Divisions Concerto Competitions and a recipient of the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, the Elva Van Gelder, and the Anne-Marie McDermott Memorial Scholarships. In 1989, he received his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees in Piano Performance, and was awarded the Harold Bauer Award, the most coveted award given to a pianist with the highest honors at the school. He completed his Master of Music degree from the same school in 1991.
Competitions
Between 1984 and 1994, Jovianney competed in various international piano competitions around the world. He was a finalist at the Jaen International Piano Competition in JaenJaén, Spain
Jaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
and 6th prize winner at the Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition in Milan. He won third prizes at the José Iturbi International Piano Competition
José Iturbi International Piano Competition
The José Iturbi Competition is an international piano competition named after the famed Spanish virtuoso José Iturbi, who later became a famous Hollywood actor. Created in 1981, it has been held ever since in the month of September and is part of the World Federation of International Music...
in Valencia, María Canals in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Pilar Bayona Piano Competition
Pilar Bayona Piano Competition
The Pilar Bayona Piano Competition was a piano competition held in Zaragoza in memory of pianist Pilar Bayona . It was dissolved in 2004 and converted into a series of grants for Aragonese musicians...
in Zaragosa, and the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York. He placed second in the International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Mazara del Vallo
Mazara del Vallo
Mazara del Vallo is a town and comune in southwestern Sicily, Italy, which lies mainly on the left bank at the mouth of the Mazaro river, administratively part of the province of Trapani....
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. He won First Prizes at the Bergen Philharmonic Solo Competition, at the Haddonfield Symphony Solo Competition, the Queens Symphony Soloists Competition, the New York State Music Teachers Association, and the Five Towns, Great Neck, and Port Washington Piano Competitions.
Professional career
He has performed as soloist with the Manila Symphony OrchestraManila Symphony Orchestra
The Manila Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest orchestras in Asia. Founded by Dr. Alexander Lippay in 1926, the orchestra has played a major role in Philippine history...
, the Manhattan Philharmonia, the Queens Symphony, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world's oldest orchestral institutions. It performs some 110 concerts a year, and is based at the 1,500-seat Grieg Hall in Bergen, Norway.-History:...
, the Maracaibo Symphony, the Orquesta Municipal de Valencia, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the State of Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
, the Uni-Orchester Säarbrucken, the Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife
Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife
The Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife is an orchestra in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra is considered one of the best symphony orchestras in Spain.The symphony orchestra was first opened in 1970. It is presently the...
, the Orquesta Filharmonica de Gran Canaria, the National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia, the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra
Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra
The is a symphony orchestra based in Nagoya, Japan, founded in 1966. The orchestra gives concerts primarily at the Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater Concert Hall and the Chukyo University Center for Culture & Arts Aurora Hall.- History :...
, FILharmoniKA
FILharmoniKA
FILharmoniKA is a symphony orchestra based in Manila, Philippines. Originally known as the Global Studio Orchestra or GC4, it was established in 2005 for commercial recording and the film scoring market...
, and numerously with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra is the nation's leading symphony orchestra and a resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines , located on Manila's shoreline...
. He has also amassed a long string of solo recital
Recital
A recital is a musical performance. It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied by piano, or a performance of the works of a single composer.The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed to Franz Liszt....
s and chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
collaborations, and is consistently requested to conduct master class
Master class
A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also painting, drama, or any of the arts....
es in various parts of the world.
Participation in music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
s in New York, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Malaysia, has given Jovianney critical acclaim. Music critics and audiences alike describe his solo recitals as “sublime”, “colourful”, and “fantastic”, and his performance of Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto was praised as “…technically impeccable”. The New Straits Times called his rendition of Mozart at the International Piano Festival in Kuala Lumpur, “…a thrilling performance of an exquisite interpretation…showed his artistry, his finesse, and his sensitivity as a pianist. He made the piano sing from the first note to the last, every nuance and every phrase beautifully executed.”
Piano pedagogue
Upon returning to the Philippines, Jovianney joined the faculty of the University of the Philippines College of MusicUniversity of the Philippines College of Music
The University of the Philippines College of Music, Diliman, previously referred to as the U. P. Conservatory of Music is an autonomous unit of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Its first dean is Francisco Santiago from the town of Sta. Maria, Bulacan, Philippines....
as an Associate Professor in Piano Performance. He also worked as consultant to other music conservatories in the Philippines like the Philippine Women’s University, St. Paul University, the Center for Applied Music at the Miriam College
Miriam College
Miriam College is a non-stock, non-profit Filipino Catholic educational institution for girls and young women in Quezon City, Philippines. It offers academic programs from pre-elementary to post-graduate and adult education levels that develop the learning and caring competencies of students and...
, and the University of the City of Manila
University of the City of Manila
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, or the University of the City of Manila , is a municipal government-funded, tuition-free, university within the district of Intramuros in Manila, the Philippines...
. He has produced prize-winning students, most of whom have pursued further studies in other countries.
Projects
As an artistic director and concert producer, he is in the forefront in the revival of classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
awareness in the Philippines. Jovianney formed the Camerata dell’Arte Foundation in 1995 to further propagate arts and culture to the people. With him as the artistic director, the foundation established Opusfest in 2006, a biennial music camp where pianists, violinists and cellists from all over the world could perform, as well as participate in master classes given by international artists and pedagogues. Also in 2006, he started the Ultimate Pianist National Competition in Manila to discover and promote the new generation of aspiring pianists in the Philippines, provide them with performing opportunities and assist in enhancing their young careers.
In 2008, the Filfest Cultural Foundation was launched with Jovianney Cruz as a founding trustee and the artistic director. The foundation produced Filfest 2008: A Celebration of Music and Dance, a 12-day series of recitals and performances at the Insular Life Theater, the newly established cultural center south of Metro Manila.
Other Achievements
Jovianney Cruz was the first Filipino to be invited as Juror in the First ASEAN International Chopin Piano Competition held in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and twice the adjudicator
Adjudicator
An adjudicator is someone who presides, judges and arbitrates during a formal dispute. The term adjudicator essentially means a judge, without invoking the legal term. An ombudsman is a type of adjudicator in local government in the United Kingdom....
in the Hong Kong School of Music Festival’s several years of existence. In 1996, President Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel "Eddie" Valdez Ramos , popularly known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. During his six years in office, Ramos was widely credited and admired by many for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy.Prior to his election as...
conferred on Mr. Cruz The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Music, for his contribution to the Arts. The Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
has dubbed Mr. Cruz as “…one of the greatest pianists the country has ever produced!”
School
- Young Artists Foundation of the Philippines Scholar, 1980 - 1989
- The Elva Van Gelder Memorial Scholarship, 1980 - 1984
- Laureate, The Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division Concerto Competition, 1983
- The Anne-McDermott Memorial Scholarship for Chamber Music, 1984
- Full Merit Scholarships, Manhattan School of Music, 1984 - 1991
- Laureate, The Manhattan School of Music College Division Concerto Competition, 1985
- The Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation Scholarships, 1987 - 1991
- The Harold Bauer Award, 1989
Competitions
- Gold Medal, The Queens Symphony Soloists Competition, 1984
- First Prize, New York State Music Teachers Association State Collegiate Artist Competition, 1984
- First Prize, Five Towns Music and Art Solo Competition, 1985
- First Prize, The Port Washington Piano Competition, 1985
- First Prize, The Great Neck Symphony Piano Competition, 1985
- Third Prize, Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition, 1985
- First Prize, The Bergen Philharmonic Piano Soloists Competition, 1988
- First Prize, The Haddonfield Symphony Piano Soloists Competition, 1988
- Third Prize, Jose Iturbi International Piano CompetitionJosé Iturbi International Piano CompetitionThe José Iturbi Competition is an international piano competition named after the famed Spanish virtuoso José Iturbi, who later became a famous Hollywood actor. Created in 1981, it has been held ever since in the month of September and is part of the World Federation of International Music...
, 1988 - Third Prize, Maria Canals International Piano Competition, 1990
- Prizewinner, Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition, 1990
- Third Prize, Pilar Bayona Piano CompetitionPilar Bayona Piano CompetitionThe Pilar Bayona Piano Competition was a piano competition held in Zaragoza in memory of pianist Pilar Bayona . It was dissolved in 2004 and converted into a series of grants for Aragonese musicians...
, 1992 - Finalist, International Piano Competition of Jaen, 1993
- Second Prize, International Competition for Piano and Orchestra in Sicily, 1994
Other awards
- The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM), 1996
- The Filipino World Class Achiever, 1999
- The City of Manila Award for Arts & Culture, 2008