Ace pianists Galang and Panganiban in duo concert at the CCP

Pianists Abelardo Galang II and Jose Artemio Panganiban III return to the Cultural Center of the Philippines in a concert of works for two pianos by Brahms, Poulenc and Rachmaninoff on February 16, 2011 at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater). The concert is entitled Double A: A Duo-piano Concert, with the subtitle Ace Pianists for Pacesetters. Galang and Panganiban, two pianists-friends who have established their careers in two different parts of the world, are coming together to perform for this concert. Double A is sponsored by GMA7.

Berlin-based concert pianist and recording artist Galang performs regularly in Asia and Europe as a soloist, recitalist, chamber artist and Lied accompanist. He started his musical education with his mother, Carmen and later entered the University of the Philippines College of Music where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance. He trained at the Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo and at the Hochschule fuer Musik “Hanns Eisler" in Berlin, Germany. Galang holds a Doctorate Degree in Music from the Technische Universität Berlin. His discography under German label Tobios Records include “Schumann and Chopin" (2004), “Kundiman" (Philippine Art Songs) with acclaimed Filipino bass-baritone Jonathan de la Paz Zaens (2008), and a 3-CD album of Italian-German Baroque composer Giovanni Benedetto Platti containing 12 Keyboard Sonatas (2010). Galang will record Philippine Piano Classics in 2011 under the same company. Panganiban is an award winning pianist and a banking professional in New York City. He has had a distinguished career in music and finance. In 1989, he finished his Bachelor of Music at the University of the Philippines, Summa Cum Laude, under the tutelage of the late Prof. Jose Ma. Contreras. In that same year, Panganiban won the Associate Takahiro Sonoda Award at the 5th International Takahiro Sonoda Piano Competition in Oita, Japan. The following year, he was granted the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Scholarship by the Federal Republic of Germany for advanced piano studies in Munich. From 1992 - 1999, Panganiban prepared for his parallel career in finance by earning three graduate degrees from Stanford University: MS in Operations Research (with distinction), MS in Engineering-Economic Systems, and Ph.D. in Engineering-Economic Systems & Operations Research. He completed his BS in Management Engineering, with honors, from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1985. After his Stanford studies, Panganiban moved to New York City where he worked for Credit Suisse-First Boston, Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch. He is currently a Director at the Citigroup head office in New York. For their CCP concert, Galang and Panganiban will perform Brahms’ Five Waltzes, op. 39 and Sonata for Two Pianos, op. 34b; Poulenc’s Elegie, L’embarquement pour Cythere and Capriccio d’apres Le bal Masqué and Rachmaninoff’s Suite no. 2, op. 17. For more information, please call the CCP Box Office at tel. no. 832-3704 or visit the CCP website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and the CCP facebook page.