Remembering Nedy Tantoco through Italian music

They could not have found a better venue than Saint Cecilia’s Hall — named after the Roman martyr and patroness of music and musicians — at Saint Scholastica’s College of Manila.

In the past, the more-than-just-a-college-auditorium has hosted a number of heartwarming concerts and recitals, all ideal for intimate gatherings of music enthusiasts. Recently, it served as the venue for a concert, In Loving Memory of Ms. Zenaida “Nedy” Rustia Tantoco. And sure enough, whoever the diligent organizers tapped and invited, they all glided and marched, and flocked into the jam-packed chamber!

Nedy Tantoco, as known to many, was a bona fide patroness of Italian culture. She served as the president of the Philippine-Italian Association, and was a dear friend of the Embassy of Italy in Manila. She was as a conduit for Filipino-Italian relations in both nations, suffice to say. To paraphrase the widely-read journalist-author Jullie Yap Daza, Nedy Tantoco was the Philippine ambassador to Italy that never was. In reality, this is only but a slice of Nedy’s multifaceted life.

During the program, heartfelt speeches were shared by His Excellency Ambassador Marco Clemente of the Embassy of Italy in Manila, and Conrad Calalang, the Philippine-Italian Association vice president. Her eldest son, Anton Huang, Rustan Commercial Corporation and SSI Group Inc. president and chief executive officer, on behalf of the family, shared his appreciation for the evening’s affair. He also recounted the achievements of the matriarch in both nations.

The concert fielded several musical talents, with an all-Italian icons lineup of Charles Gounod, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Giacomo Puccini, and Antonio Vivaldi. Rachelle Gerodias Park, one of the country’s leading sopranos, delivered a beautiful rendition of the all-important “Ave Maria.” Soprano Myramae Meneses and alto Camille Lopez Molina alternated and shared lines in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. Even the Predis Kids exemplified their honed talents through a violin and piano showcase. Throughout the performances, they were accompanied by the Saint Scholastica College Faculty and Alumni Chamber Musicians.

The concert notes provided the appreciative audience — whose lives were touched by — the songs, along with its English translations. This simple gesture made the event all the more earnest, no language barriers allowed.

In loving memory of Nedy Tantoco, the night was a moment to cherish and treasure.