Maria Tan in her element at YSpace
Manikan-Tan is a Filipino classical singer, opera performer and music educator whose talent and skills have engaged her from Manila to Paris and other parts of the world.
Text size
Manikan-Tan is a Filipino classical singer, opera performer and music educator whose talent and skills have engaged her from Manila to Paris and other parts of the world.
A YSPACE Officer presents a birthday cake to the star of the evening.
Photographs courtesy of nes jardin
REYNALDO ‘Raki’ Reyes Gendrano.
Photographs courtesy of nes jardin
MARIT Yuchengco, Yvonne Yuchengco, Nes Jardin and Elena Colome (seated).
Photographs courtesy of nes jardin
I may have heard of Maria Krissan Manikan Tan before. But for certain, I have never watched her perform — until one gusty, rainy night.
It had been drizzling non-stop since the quiet of dawn, and it turned heavier as the morning progressed. By afternoon, it seemed as though buckets of water were being poured from the sky. By nightfall, the weather had turned properly stormy. Outdoors, it was miserable.
Indoors, at the YSpace of the Yuchengco Museum, however, Maria Krissan Manikan Tan was in her element and brought the sunshine in.
The title of her concert, In Her Element, could not have been more appropriate. Oblivious, perhaps, to the climate conditions in the outside world, she stood with pride on the entablado and brightened up the entire venue with her commanding presence and beaming voice.
Coincidentally, it was her birthday. And what better way, perhaps, to celebrate than by doing what she does best!
Manikan-Tan is a Filipino classical singer, opera performer, and music educator whose talent and skills have engaged her from Manila to Paris and other parts of the world. She trained at Santa Isabel College with the renowned soprano Josefina Garlit-Bailen and continued her studies in France with French soprano Florence Guignolet.
Her years in foreign shores included membership in the Jeune Chœur de Paris and appearances in operas such as Suor Angelica, Alcina and Lucia di Lammermoor. She likewise performed internationally while remaining active in the promotion of Filipino classical music and kundiman. Since 2017, the gracious and generous lady has likewise taught music therapy at a rehabilitation center in Cavite, among other outreach efforts.
The evening’s program was divided into two parts. Songs from the Operas brought together familiar compositions from the operatic repertoire, beginning with Mozart’s Sinfonia from Le nozze di Figaro, which performed a spirited opening. Verdi’s Pace, pace mio Dio followed, carrying the weight of longing.
Offenbach’s Ah! Que j’aime les militaires brought a more playful turn. Bizet’s L’Amour est un oiseau rebelle from the beloved classic Carmen portrayed a character who knows what she wants. Puccini’s Vissi d’arte from Tosca was dramatic, while O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi captured a gentler moment. Finally, Felipe Padilla de Leon’s Kay Tamis ng Buhay from Noli Me Tangere transported the listeners back home.
A brief intermission followed, with Japanese-inspired cocktails served before the wanting-for-more audience settled in once more.
Themes from Movies and Musicals opened with Ennio Morricone’s theme from “Once Upon a Time in the West,” which immediately carried the atmosphere of the cinema to YSpace. Francis Lai’s theme from Love Story was more intimate. For this particular piece, Reynaldo “Raki” Reyes Gendrano rendered a heartwarming solo on his instrument of choice, as he wowed the crowd and flaunted reasons why the award-winning classical pianist, composer, and arranger was more than simply an accompanist.
“Unchained Melody” brought with it a song many knew by heart, while “Memory” from Cats gave a much-needed pause. “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera seeped with feelings of love, followed by the rousing “On My Own” from Les Misérables. Finally, National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab’s very own “Minsan ang Minahal ay Ako” from Katy! The Musical gave us a distinctly Filipino conclusion.
There were no stars in the cloudy, stormy sky that night. But at the YSpace, the stars were definitely in our midst.
¡Enhorabuena, Maria Krissan Manikan Tan!
