Soprano, Lecturer: Ena Maria Regachuelo Aldecoa
-Associate Professor, University of the Philippines College of Music
Art song singer ENA MARIA REGACHUELO ALDECOA made history by being the first Filipino soprano to have been invited as Artist-in-Residence at the Brahmshaus, Baden-Baden, Germany (December 2019); as featured Art Song singer at the Opera I Filharmonia Podlaska in Białystok, Poland (December 2019); and as featured artist in an Art Song Recital at the 16th Klavier Festival of Steingraeber & Söhne during the 107th Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany (July 2018). She was selected by an esteemed jury as one of the eight (8) stars of the Rising Stars! Festival 2015 in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
◆ Lecture of “Philippine Art Songs: A Reflection of Significant Human Experiences”
Time: May 7, 2025 (Wednesday) 13:30
Venue: Alois Osterwalder Hall, NTNU GIEM (2F, No. 31, Shida Rd., Taipei)
◆ Concert of “Art Song Across Cultures”
Time: May 8, 2025 (Thursday) 13:30
Venue: 2F Concert Hall, Department of Music, NTNU (No. 162, Heping East Road Section 1, Taipei)
◆ Masterclass: European Classics
Time: May 9, 2025 (Friday) 14:00
Venue: Performing Arts Center, NTNU GIPA (9F, No. 129, Section 1, Heping E. Rd, Taipei)
Collaborative piano: Vincent Chang
*Performance events are for academic purposes
"Art Song Across Cultures," recital of soprano Ena Maria R. Aldecoa
Review by Joys Cheung (Graduate Institute of Ethnomusicology, National Taiwan Normal University)
On May 8, 2025, Prof. Ena Aldecoa brought to the community of the National Taiwan Normal University and the public of Taiwan a brilliant concert of art song. The impressive program of 22 compositions set music to poems of more than ten languages, including German, French, Polish, Czech, Spanish, Russian, English, Chinese, Japanese, and the Hiligaynon and Cebuano languages in the Philippines. Such a diversity in the selection reflected Aldecoa’s profound engagement of art song as human creativity across cultures and expressive media. The brightness of her timbre had warm and supple qualities that could articulate finely both delicate details and energetic outbursts. Her stage presence had steady control and lively expressivity, embodying a unity between the voice, poetic images, and the body. The collaborative pianist, local Taiwanese artist Vincent Chang (Chang Yong-Shun), showed a sensitivity and skillfulness that worked seamlessly with the voice.
The 22 songs were grouped into a set of themes: Profundity of Music, Reflections on Life, Dreams of Love & Bliss, Longing Sadness, Metaphors, and Celebration through Music. The songs and themes were carefully selected, featuring life circumstances and emotions that correspond but with unique musical techniques and moods. With an encore piece, "Bayan Ko" composed by Constancio de Guzman (sung in Tagalog), 23 songs were performed.
The concert touched many in the audience. Most students among them, both from NTNU and beyond, stayed after the concert was over to greet and talk to Aldecoa and Chang. A student of GIEM at NTNU, Irina Chao, has shared the following thoughts and feelings:
"... I was deeply moved. The singer’s body language showed that art songs are works
with stories, plots, and emotions. I could feel the meaning of the song from the body
language, ... the singing voice was very clean, vibrating steadily in the air, and the
volume was controlled appropriately, lingering in my mind for a long time. ...
The singing takes us through different times and spaces, and through music, allows us
to hear different scenery and voices. Thanks for bringing such beautiful music."
Live performances of Philippino art songs are rarely staged in our community in Taiwan. We are grateful to have Prof. Aldecoa bringing to NTNU refined performances of art song across cultures, including songs of her own country.
