NEW MUSIC

COMPOSERS
 Jose M. Maceda (1917-2004)

He was born in Manila on January
17,1917.

Maceda started his music studies at the
Academy of Music in Manila. Later he
went to Paris to study with Alfred
Cortot.

He eventually pursued advanced studies

in the USA with E. Robert Schmitz and
earned a Doctorate Degree in
NATIONAL ARTISTEthnomusicology from the University of
FOR MUSIC California, Los Angeles (UCLA),USA.
• Maceda’s musical style changed when he
encountered the music of the indigenous tribes
of Mindoro in 1953.

• He then embarked on his life’s work, dedicated

to the understanding and preservation of
Filipino traditional music.

• His extensive research and fieldwork resulted

in an immense collection of recorded music
taken from the remote mountain villages and
far-flung inland communities in the Philippines.
• Although his compositional
approach tended to be Western in
style, Maceda combined sounds of
the environment with ethnic
instruments.

• His composition were usually for

large groups of musicians.
 WORKS:

A work of voice and ethnic

instruments:

UGMA-UGMA
(1963)
A piece for six gong families:

AGUNGAN
(1975)
A musical ritual for circular
auditorium using several
ethnic percussion
instruments:
PAGSAMBA
(1968)
A composition for 100 cassette
tape recorders:

CASSETTES 100
(1971)
An ethnic piece played at the
same time over several radio
stations:

UGNAYAN
(1974)
Considered as the first Filipino avant
garde composer.

He also worked at a recording studio in

Paris in 1958 which specialized in musique
concrete. During this period, he met Pierre
Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and
Iannis Xenakis, considered the musical
giants of this musical genre.
Maceda served as professor of Piano and
Musicology at the Collage of Music,
University of the Philippines (UP) from
1952 to 1990.

He was appointed Executive Director of

its Center for Ethnomusicology in 1997.
In the same year, he was conferred the
honor of National Artist for Music. He
passed away in Manila on May 5,2004.