Rondalla Composers Toribio David Born in Hermosa, Bataan and was superintendent of schools in Bataan and Albay. He is unknown to many musicians, although he is a prolific composer having produced a thick volume of compositions for the military band, small orchestra and rondalla. "Hermosa at Dawn" and the "The Rival" are two of his many overtures for the rondalla. These two works were published in the Musical Journal of Delphin R. Manlapaz. Antonio J. Molina He is well known in the field of composition and cello playing. He has written several pieces for the rondalla, among them "The Evolution of Paru-Parong Bukid" a variation on the folk song. This was played by the Rondalla, Orchestra and Philharmonic Band of the Yellow Taxicab Company in 1941. Molina has also produced literature. Capt.Fulgencio Gragera A composition graduate of the Conservatory of Music, University of the Philippines, he won first prizein the rondalla composition contest launched by the Taliba newspaper. His medley of folk songs was used as the contest piece in the Taliba-sponsored rondalla contest in 1970. The folk songs in the medley were "Sa Libis ng Nayon", "Pobreng Alindahaw", "Dandansoy", "Pamulinawen", "Sarung Banggi", "Bahay Kubo", and "O Kaka, O Kaka". Bayani Mendoza De Leon A composition graduate of the Centro Escolar University Conservatory of Music, he is a writer and a versatile performer on the flute and on rondalla instruments. In 1968 he conducted the C.E.U. Rondalla in a concert featuring his compositions. His symphonic poem "Batong-Buhay" and his "Tatlong Bulaklak" were played. He referred to "Batong-Buhay" as the "first serious attempt to transform the rondalla into a symphonic entity". He added that "the attempt in rondalla composition is to achieve two goals: (1) to show the capacity of the rondalla in interpreting classical music and (2) to give the rondalla a symphonic status". Octavio V. Cruz An operatic-tenor and a public-school teacher, he wrote music for the rondalla, one of them "March on, Youth" which was published in Manlapaz's Musical Journal. Lucino T. Sacramento He is a charter member of the Filipino Composer's League, a faculty member of the C.E.U. Conservatory of Music and other music schools, and a composer of operas and concertos. He wrote music for the rondalla. Jerry Dadap An enterprising young musician with a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music, he has ventured to write music for the rondalla in a larger scope. He has a rondalla group in addition to his several choirs, one of them being the Andres Bonifacio Choir which is an offshoot of his musical "Andres Bonifacio, Ang Dakilang Anak Pawis". Source: FILIPINO HERITAGE The Making of a Nation(Volume 9)
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