Romantic Piano Concerto Journey Tours (RPCJT)
Ingrid Sala Santamaria (ISS), as Founding Chair of the Cebu-based Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation, Inc. (SPSFI),spearheaded a Ten-Year Music Development Program (1991-2000) which produced the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) in 1995, evolving into the Peace Philharmonic Philippines (PPP) in 2000. Offshoots of this endeavor are the PPP String Quartet and the PPP Junior Ensemble , both of which are continuosly performing in Cebu and Manila.
Immediately after the launching of the PPP in 2000, Santamaria embarked on a 2-piano "Romantic Piano Concerto Journey" Tour series with her mentor, Maestro Reynaldo G. Reyes (RGR), in January 2001. The mission and vision of the project was to bring classical music (with special focus on the Romantic Period) to the country-side in the Philippines while sharing a few special performances in some cities in Asia and the United States.
With ISS as soloist and RGR taking the orchestra part on a second piano, the DUO, by mid-2009, had completed nearly 400 concerts. The normal format was to play 2 full concertos in each concert, plus 2 Filipino pieces: Buencamino's Mayon Fantasy and Santiago's Souvenir de Filipinas. Whenever there were 2 concerts in a day in the same venue, 4 different concertos would be performed. Up to a record SEVEN different concertos were performed in one day sometime during these tours.
Open fora would follow each performance, enabling the artists and audience to have a rare interactive experience. Audiences have included students from the elementary to graduate levels; school teachers and administrators; community leaders and culture workers; retired religious and elderly citizens; business, medical and other groups.
Most of these concerts were documented on video, and some of them have been uploaded on YOUTUBE, thereby enhancing the dissemination of good, classical music.
Maestro Reyes being US-based, had to come to the Philippines for a short extra trip every January starting in 2001 to supplement his usual summer trips in June-August. The RPCJ Tour schedules were then based on these bi-annual Philippine visits of Maestro Reyes.
"Concert at the Park" events at Rizal Park, Luneta, Manila, were often tour highlights. Several cathedrals in the provinces served as venues, as well as gyms, chapels, hotel ballrooms, basketball courts, gardens, and school auditoriums.
The RPCJ Tours spanned the gamut of the country literally from Aparri through the Visayas, down to Zamboanga del Sur. In Luzon, the artists brought their own pianos most often, while in the rest of the country, they played on any pianos available. For most of the spectators, this was a first-time experience of live, classical music in a 2-piano concert.
These RPCJ Tour concerts have brought the artists immense joy in the fulfillment of their mission and vision of sharing their artistry copiously with their countrymen, thereby underlining the importance of good music in everyone's daily lives.
I. First RPCJ Tour - January 2001
The first RPCJ Tour consisted of three concerts encompassing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao: Manila, Cebu City and Davao City. It foretold of the breadth and magnitude of the artists’ desire to sprinkle the entire country with classical music.
The Schumann, Grieg, and Tschaikovsky B-flat Minor concertos were all played in each of the three concerts in order to give the audience an immediate taste and grasp of this genre, style and musical period. Audience response was one of candor and an eagerness to learn and hear more.
II. Second RPCJ Tour - July to September 2001
This tour included Tuguegarao, Cagayan Valley; Ilagan, Isabela; and Virac, Catanduanes. Abroad: Bangkok, Thailand; and Royal Palm Beach, Florida, USA
III. Third RPCJ Tour - January 2002
This was mainly a Visayas-Mindanao Tour covering Tacloban and Ormoc cities, Leyte; Iligan City, Lanao del Norte; Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental; Tagbilaran City, Bohol; Cebu City, Cebu; Silay city, Negros Occidental; Iloilo City, Iloilo; and San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.
The tour ended at the historic Rizal Park, Luneta, Manila at the “Concert at the Park” stage.
N.B.: Ingrid Sala Santamaria was the first soloist with Metro Manila Symphony Orchestra (MMSO) Conducted by Regalado Jose.(Tschaikovsky’s Concerto in B-Flat Minor) on April 1, 1978 at the Concert at the Park’s initial concert. She performed solo at the Park’s 30th anniversary concert in April 2008.
IV. Fourth RPCJ Tour - June to October 2002
This tour took the two pianists to several Metro Manila venues including Concert at the Park, and: Dasmarinas and Tagaytay City, Cavite; Alitagtag and Batangas City, Batangas; Villa Escudero, Tiaong, Quezon.
A whole day affair at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Lobby had three concerts (10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.) featuring all six piano concertos prepared for this tour.
Abroad: Baltimore, Maryland; and Royal Palm Beach, Florida, USA
V. Fifth RPCJ Tour - January 2003
This tour started in the North with Banaue, Ifugao; Baguio City; Paoay, Ilocos Norte. It descended through Agoo, La Union; Dagupan City; then it criss-crossed Central Luzon through Manila to Naga and Albay cities in Legaspi, Bicol Region. Back in Manila, there were performances at the Supreme Court Auditorium; Concert at the Park; and Fort Santiago, Intramuros.
VI. Sixth RPCJ Tour - June 2003
The sixth RPCJ Tour cut a wide swath through Central Luzon with multiple concerts in several places: Zambales, Subic Bay, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan.
Back in Manila and Makati City, there were concerts in numerous schools, an orphanage, a house of worship, and still another one at "Concert at the Park".
VII. Seventh RPCJ Tour - January 2004
About two dozen concerts in Metro Manila and environs comprised the seventh RPCJ Tour. Besides numerous schools at all levels, it included two museums, the Philippine National High School for the Arts in Makiling, an Embassy facility, a seminar, the International Rice Institute in Los Banos.
VIII. Eighth RPCJ Tour - June to July 2004
This tour started abroad with concerts in Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi in Vietnam and Busan in South Korea. Special concerts at the Sisters of Mary institutions followed at Talisay and Minglanilla in Cebu; Sta. Mesa in Manila and Biga, Silang in Cavite. The tour ended at the new Yuchengco Auditorium at De La Salle University, Manila.
IX. Ninth RPCJ Tour - January 2005
Concerts in Batangas, Cebu, Manila and Makati preceded concerts in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and Bangkok, Thailand.
X. Tenth RPCJ Tour - June to July 2005
Abroad: Palos Verdes, L.A., USA; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. In the Philippines: Makati, Manila, Cebu Cavite, Cagayan de Oro, Tagaytay.
RPCJ Tour 10 had the most number of concert, 38, with tour 12 a close second at 37 concerts.
XI. Eleventh RPCJ Tour - January 2006
Metro Manila and Makati City performances, including one at Luneta’s “Concert at the Park” dominated this tour which was spiced up by a few in Batangas, Iligan City, Cebu City and Cavite.
Two concerts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were a great highlight.
XII. Twelfth RPCJ Tour - June to August 2006
Thirty-seven concerts graced this tour. Aside from numerous ones in Metro Manila and Makati City, among venues performed in were in: Bacolod City; General Trias, Silang, and Tagaytay cities in Cavite; Lipa, Tanauan, and Batangas cities in Batangas; Sta. Cruz, San Pablo, Los Banos, and Canlubang in Laguna; and Cebu City.
Abroad, there were two performances in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
XIII. Thirteenth RPCJ Tour - January 2007
Five Tuguegarao performances were a highlight on this tour.
XIV. Fourteenth RPCJ Tour - June to August 2007
Commencing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the tour wound its way to the Philippines via “Concert at the Park” in Luneta and as always, numerous performances in Metro Manila and Makati City followed with pointed focus on schools at all levels.
A special feature of this tour were concerts on three consecutive Thursdays at the Santiago Hall of the Banco de Oro – Equitable PCI Bank Auditorium, each concert featuring two different concertos of the six prepared for this tour.
Still another unique feature was a concert in honor of Madame Imelda Romualdez Marcos held at the Manila Polo Club. All six concertos were played in one afternoon then.
Other out-of-town concerts included Silay City and Bacolod cities, Negros Occidental; Cebu City; Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
XV. Fifteenth RPCJ Tour - January 2008
Mindanao performances in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte, and Tagum City, Davao del Norte, marked this tour. The tour ended at the Luneta Park with "Concert at the Park."
XVI. Sixteenth RPCJ Tour - June to August 2008
A rare seven-concert Mindanao sortie kicked off this tour with performances in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte; and two each in Ozamiz and Oroquieta cities, Misamis Occidental; and Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. The tour then plunged into a seven-concerto concert in one afternoon in honor of Madame Imelda Romualdez Marcos at the Molina Hall of the Banco de Oro-Equitable PCIBank Auditorium in Makati City.
After the Mindanao and Molina Hall landmark performances, the tour continued with the usual Metro Manila and Makati City concerts.
Out-of-town performances included five concerts in Cebu, two in Tagbilaran City (Bohol), two in Dumaguete City (Negros Oriental), two in Zamboanga City, one in San Jose del Monte (Bulacan) and finally two in Naga City (Camarines Sur).
XVII. Seventeenth RPCJ Tour - January 2009
Concerts in Noveleta, Cavite; Alabang Hills; Fort Santiago, Intramuros; and Quezon City marked this tour.
XVIII. Eighteenth RPCJ Tour - January 2011
featured special concerts at VMV HYPO-Allergenics and J. Romero Associates in Makati City, at Queen of Peace Convent in Quezon City and at the Pastor Art Center in Batangas City.
XIX. Nineteenth RPCJ Tour - June August 2011
Tour 19 featured two Convent Concerts in Quezon City, one at an Alabang Hills Music Studio, another one at Sta. Isabel College in Manila, among others.
XX. Twentieth RPCJ Tour - January 2012
Highlights were three Concerts in Roxas City, Cpaiz, one at Makati Medical Center and still others at various locations.
XXI. Twenty-first RPCJ Tour - July August 2012
Tour 21 featured 11 Concerts in various locations Metro Manila, Paranaque City, Quezon City, Makati City, Alabang Hills, Pasig and Batangas Cities.
XXII. Twenty-Second RPCJ Tour - January 2013
Tour 22 was unique in that it started at Sonya’s Garden in Tagaytay City, had three Gallery Concerts (Leon in Makati City, GSIS Musician of Art in Pasig City, ang Lyric in Quezon City) Don Bosco School San Lorenzo Village Concert in Makati City and Concert at the Park at Luneta Rizal Park, Manila capped tour
XXIII. Twenty-Third RPCJ Tour - July August 2013
Tour 23 had 17 Concerts spread in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other Cities. These were held in the cities of Bacolod Cebu, Batangas, Valenzuela in Bulacan and Tagaytay.
XXIV. Twenty-Fourth RPCJ Tour - July August 2015
Tour 24 was meaningful in its brevity and choice of venues: Sisters of Mary Girlstown, Silang, Cavite and Convent of the Holy Spirit and Queen of Peace Convent in Quezon City.
This was our LAST RPCJ Tour. Maestro Reynaldo Reyes passed away peacefully in the United Sates in March 2016.