Jerry Amper Dadap

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Jerry Amper Dadap
Jerry Dadap 2018.jpg
Jerry Amper Dadap, composer (2018)
Born (1935-11-05) November 5, 1935 (age 90)
Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, Commonwealth of the Philippines
OccupationsComposer, conductor, educator
Years active1960s–present
OrganizationsAndrés Bonifacio Concert Choir
Known forNationalist Philippine symphonic, rondalla, and choral music
Notable workAndrés Bonifacio: Ang Dakilang Anak-Pawis, Alay sa Inang Bayan, Aleluya, Sumikat na ang Araw, Philippine Symphonic Medley

Jerry Amper Dadap (born November 5, 1935) is a Filipino composer, conductor, and educator. His work is associated with post-independence developments in Philippine Western art music, and he is among the composers who expanded the symphonic potential of the Philippine rondalla. Dadap has composed orchestral, choral, rondalla, and theatrical works that combine Western classical forms with elements of Filipino musical traditions. His compositions often draw on Philippine historical and cultural themes and have been performed both in the Philippines and internationally.

Contents

Early life and family

Dadap was born on November 5, 1935, in Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, the ninth of fourteen children of Vedasto Dadap and Dionisia Amper. [1] [2] [3] He attributed his early musical exposure primarily to his mother’s family, the Ampers of Bohol, who were known locally for their musical activities. His maternal grandfather formed a small-town orchestra made up of coconut field workers and taught them solfeggio and instrumental performance. [1]

He married the late Celeste Dadap (née Icban), [2] [4] who earned a master’s degree in music education from Columbia University in New York City and taught humanities at the University of the East and Sta. Isabel College. They had four children: Jerry Jr., Gerald, Jeremy, and Bettina Celeste. [1] His younger brother, Michael Amper Dadap, is a classical guitarist and composer. [1] [3] [4]

Education and career

Dadap’s earliest formal music instruction came from his elder sister, Feri, who taught him organ and piano for church use. He later studied theology at Silliman University in Dumaguete City (1954–1956), where he continued music studies and began composing solo songs and choral works while actively involved in church music. He then enrolled at the Conservatory of Music [5] of the University of the Philippines, where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition and Conducting in 1963. [1]

While still a student at the University of the Philippines, Dadap composed his first orchestral work, the symphonic poem The Passionate and the Wild (1959), which won Second Prize at the National Composition Contest in 1960. [1] He later described the work as “modern” in style and noted that it was written before he had received formal training in orchestration, drawing instead on his experience performing with the UP Symphony Orchestra. [1] In addition, Dadap served as the fourth carillonneur of the University of the Philippines Diliman Carillon [6] (1960-1964), participating in the early musical life of the campus’s historic bell tower and helping establish its performance tradition. [7] [8]

Following his graduation, Dadap began his teaching career at Ramon Magsaysay High School in Cubao, Quezon City (1962–1968), where he taught music and rondalla while continuing his work as a composer and conductor. [1]

In March 1968, shortly before leaving for the United States, Dadap presented a farewell concert at the Philamlife Auditorium in Manila featuring the first concert-stage performance of Symphony No. 2 (Enfant Terrible), as well as a performance of his earlier Symphony No. 1 (Primeval). Reviewing the event for The Manila Times , critic Exequiel S. Molina described Symphony No. 2 as characterized by dense blocks of sound and the juxtaposition of atonal and polyrhythmic passages, noting Dadap’s growing focus on contemporary compositional techniques and “absolute music,” then uncommon in Philippine symphonic literature. [9]

In the same year, Dadap received a study observation grant to the USA, from the Music Promotion Foundation of the Philippines, a government music promotion body created under Republic Act No. 1370 [10] . [1] From 1968 to 1971, he pursued advanced studies in composition at the Mannes College of Music in New York City on a full scholarship from the United Presbyterian Church (USA). [1]

According to the Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, Dadap was the first Filipino to conduct his own works at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City in 1971. [2] In The New York Times, critic Peter G. Davis reviewed the concert, noting the composer’s emphasis for formal symmetry and structural clarity in his chamber music. Davis described that the second movement of Symphony No. 2 (1967), performed for string orchestra, stood apart stylistically, describing it as “pleasantly impressionistic,” “melodically direct,” and “altogether more inventive.” [11] [12]

In histories of Philippine music, Dadap is described as part of the generation of Filipino composers who emerged after independence in 1946 and worked within nationalist traditions of Western art music. In Grove Music Online, he is identified as an associate member of the League of Filipino Composers and is placed alongside figures such as Alfredo Buenaventura, Ramón Santos, and Francisco Feliciano within a movement that sought to articulate a national musical identity using Western classical forms. [13] Similarly, The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music describes Dadap as part of the postwar generation of Filipino neoclassicist composers—including Buenaventura, Angel Peña, and Rosendo Santos—whose works reflected a heightened awareness of Philippine musical identity. [14]

Upon returning to the Philippines later in 1971, he became active as a music educator, teaching theory, ear training, composition, and orchestration at the Conservatory of Music of the Santa Isabel College of Manila, and later serving on the faculty of the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music. He pursued a teaching career while also serving as conductor of the Andres Bonifacio Concert Choir and participating in various cultural and community music organizations. [1] [2]

Major works

Early in his career, he was recognized in Art: Perception and Appreciation as a composer of note for works combining native ensembles with the symphony orchestra. This approach appears in Choral Symphonic Ode No. 1 for Chorus, Rondalla, and Orchestra. He also explored indigenous instruments in theatrical works such as Lam-ang: Son of Namongan, Tomaneg at Aniway, and Sultan Kudarat. [15]

Dance and ballet works

Dadap composed music for modern dance and ballet and collaborated with several Filipino choreographers. [16] One of his early works in this area is Lam-ang: Son of Namongan (1974), [1] a theatrical production based on the Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang that included a ballet component. The ballet was choreographed by Corazon Generoso Iñigo for the UE Dance Company. The production has been described in the literature as an early adaptation of a Filipino epic into modern ballet (p. 373). [16]

In 1980, he composed the music for La Lampara, a ballet staged by Ballet Philippines and choreographed by Basilio Esteban S. Villaruz. Villaruz later noted that Dadap conceived the score as an abstract musical work, which the choreographer shaped into a narrative portraying José Rizal’s final hours (p.250). [16] The ballet was revived in 1991 in connection with the centenary of El Filibusterismo and has been cited for its symbolic treatment of Rizal’s life and ideals (p.258-259). [16]

Theatrical and multimedia works

The Redemption (1974) [2] [17] was commissioned by cultural advocate Victor Puyat [18] for the unveiling of Eduardo Castrillo’s Last Supper monument at Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina. Redemption is a large-scale orchestral and choral work that includes the choral piece Aleluya, which was later adapted as an a cappella work and has since been performed in the Philippines and abroad. In 2004, Aleluya was included in a yearlong series of all-Filipino concerts by the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Miguel Master Chorale, where it was described as technically demanding and characterized by polymetrical rhythm. [19] In a 2014 review of the album Beyond the Eastern Wind by the Danish choir Collegium Vocale in International Record Review, critic William Hedley described the piece as “a highly rhythmic, tonal cry of joy.” [20]

Andrés Bonifacio: Ang Dakilang Anak-Pawis (1979) ("Andres Bonifacio, The Great Plebeian") is a musical based on the life of revolutionary leader Andrés Bonifacio and was staged in 1979 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater (now Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo). Dadap collaborated with playwright Dionisio Salazar and poet Rogelio Mangahas, both Palanca Award recipients, who served as librettists. The work is scored for orchestra and choir. [2] [21] [22]

The World of Theatre: Edition 2000 lists Dadap as the composer of a musical on the life of Andrés Bonifacio and describes it as popular in the Philippines. [23] The musical has also been staged in later years. Coverage in the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports on productions mounted in 2013 and 2014. [21] [22]

Symphonies

Dadap composed five symphonies between 1967 and 2021. In a 2025 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, arts and culture journalist Amadís Ma. Guerrero identified the symphonies as Dadap’s principal orchestral works. [4]

Symphony No. 1: Primeval (1967) and Symphony No. 2: Enfant Terrible (1968) were composed during Dadap’s early period of orchestral and theatrical activity and were performed in Manila soon after they were completed. [4] The second movement of Symphony No. 2 was later performed in New York. [11]

Dadap returned to the symphonic genre decades later with Symphony No. 3: Symphony of Bamboos (2018) and Symphony No. 4: Mudra Ballerina (2019). Guerrero described these works as incorporating indigenous instruments and nontraditional conceptual elements. [4] Dadap completed Symphony No. 5: The Wrath of Prakrti and Ragatmika-Bhakti in 2021. [4]

Guerrero noted that while the first two symphonies were performed at the time of their composition, the latter three had not been presented in full as of 2025. [4] He also reported that the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra had expressed interest in performing Symphony No. 5. The work was later scheduled for performance in March 2026 under the direction of Grzegorz Nowak. [24] [25]

Rondalla compositions

Dadap composed a number of works for rondalla, including large-scale concert pieces. In a survey of Philippine musical traditions edited by John Iremil E. Teodoro, National Artist for Music Ramon P. Santos lists Dadap among postwar composers who expanded the rondalla repertoire beyond its traditional role as folk accompaniment. Santos notes that these composers produced transcriptions of light classical works and composed original rondalla music that explored the ensemble’s timbral range. [17] Musicologist Corazon Canave-Dioquino lists Dadap among composers who wrote more serious concert works for the rondalla, placing his music within the semi-classical tradition of Philippine music after 1898. [26]

Dadap’s rondalla works include extended compositions based on Philippine folk material. Among these are the Five Medleys for Children’s Rondalla, based on Philippine folk songs such as Condansoy, Magtanim ay ’di biro, Bahay kubo, Paru-parong bukid, Sampaguita, and Cariñosa. [4] [27] He also composed the Philippine Symphonic Medley, a rondalla work based on Filipino folk songs, which received First Prize at the 1967 National Rondalla Composition Contest. [28] [29]

In a 2025 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, arts and culture journalist Amadís Ma. Guerrero reported that Dadap composed fifteen balitaws for rondalla. Guerrero wrote that these works use the balitaw, a Visayan song-dance form, as the musical basis for concert pieces rather than as accompaniment for dance. [4]

Other selected works

In addition to his symphonies and major theatrical compositions, Dadap wrote symphonic, choral, sacred, and experimental works. One of his earliest recognized compositions is the symphonic poem The Passionate and the Wild (1960), which received Second Prize in the National Composition Contest. [1] The work is listed in the University of the Philippines library catalog as a standalone orchestral score. [30]

During the 1960s and 1970s, Dadap composed large-scale concert and theatrical works. These include Mangamuyo II (1977), [1] written for indigenous Filipino instruments and premiered at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Choral Symphonic Ode No. 1: Alay sa Inang Bayan ("Offering to the Motherland") is a work for chorus, rondalla, and orchestra, composed by Dadap in 1963. It was written for the Bonifacio National Centennial Composition Contest and was first performed in 1965 at the Philamlife Auditorium, with the composer conducting. The text was written by Castor Lee Amper Jr. [1] [31] [32] The work has continued to appear in concert programs. In July 2025, it was performed at the DUYOG: The 1st International Youth Orchestra Festival celebration concert at the GSIS Theater by ensembles that included the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra and the Children's Orchestra Society of New York. [33]

Another patriotic piece from Dadap’s early concert repertoire is Sumikat na ang Araw, which he composed in 1963 to a poem by Andrés Bonifacio titled “Katapusang Tawag.” It was first performed in March 1968 by tenor Mamerto Villaba, accompanied by the Concert Philippines Orchestra under Dadap’s direction. [1] [31]

In addition to nationalist and theatrical works, Dadap produced experimental compositions early in his career. One example is Three Short Pieces for Flute and Metronome (1972), which uses the metronome as an independent temporal element. [1]

Dadap composed sacred and choral music for congregational and choral use. His hymn Death Steals Like a Thief (Filipino: Dahil sa pagpanaw ng mahal sa buhay), with text by Cirilo A. Rigos, appears in Sound the Bamboo: Asian Hymns (no. 170). The tune, Pagyao (“Departure”), uses modal mixture, chromatic inflection, and a drone-like opening gesture. [34] [35]

Dadap also contributed works to Buksan Mo ang Aming mga Labi: Mga Awit na Pangkoro (1982), an anthology of Filipino liturgical music edited by National Artist for Music Francisco Feliciano. Dadap's contributions to the collection include Ang Pag-ibig ng Diyos (“The Love of God”) and Iisa Lamang ang Katawan (“There Is Only One Body”) [36]

Dadap was involved in Filipino Christmas choral music. He served as music editor of the educational songbook Let’s Sing Christmas (1972), edited by Eunice Blanchard Poethig and published by New Day Publishers in Quezon City. The collection includes Naririto na naman ang Pasko (“Christmas Is Here Again”), a Christmas song with lyrics by National Artist for Music and Literature Levi Celerio and music by Dadap. The University of the Philippines library catalog records list the work as a published mixed-voice choral score. [37] [38]

Awards and recognition

Legacy

Nationalism and cultural advocacy

Dadap is cited in reference works as part of a group of Filipino composers who incorporated historical themes, vernacular musical traditions, and indigenous instruments into large-scale Western classical forms after Philippine independence. In Grove Music Online, he is listed within the nationalist orientation of the League of Filipino Composers, a group active in shaping post-1946 concert music in the Philippines through works that used cultural and historical themes. [13]

The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music includes Dadap among postwar Filipino neoclassicist composers—alongside Alfredo Buenaventura, Angel Peña, and Rosendo Santos—whose output contributed to the development of a national musical identity after independence. [14]

According to Filipino historian and cultural commentator Xiao Chua, Dadap composed, performed, and taught works that drew on Philippine history, national heroes, and folk or indigenous musical materials. [40]

Institutional and community impact

Dadap founded the Concert Philippines Society, later known as the Andres Bonifacio Concert Choir, [2] [41] which provided training for Filipino singers and performed repertoire that included works by Filipino composers. In 1972, he inaugurated the Lahi ("Heritage") concert series, an initiative aimed at encouraging and popularizing Filipino compositions. He later organized the Andres Bonifacio Music Foundation in 1979, which supported multiple performing ensembles, including the Andres Bonifacio Musicale, the Andres Bonifacio Concert Choir, and the Andres Bonifacio Rondalla. [2]

In 2007, he collaborated with Fr. Benigno P. Beltran [42] to form the Smokey Mountain Children’s Choir in Tondo, Manila. Dadap provided regular musical instruction, waiving professional fees and receiving only transportation allowances. [43] The initiative was reported as a community-based effort that provided music education to children in Tondo.

Critical assessment

Cultural journalist Amadís Ma. Guerrero, writing in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, described Dadap as a prolific composer whose music is shaped by nationalist, sacred, and romantic themes. Guerrero highlighted Dadap’s wide output since the early 1960s, including his role in bringing the rondalla and large-scale choral and theatrical works into the Philippine concert tradition, and identified Andrés Bonifacio: Ang Dakilang Anak-Pawis as a central work in his oeuvre. [44] In a later article, Guerrero also discussed Dadap’s symphonic cycle, noting its extended compositional span and the importance of personal dedication and spiritual reflection within his work. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Samson, Helen F. (1976). Contemporary Filipino Composers: Biographical Interviews. Quezon City: Manlapaz Publishing Co. pp. 59–67.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Hallazgo, Julie Ann; Hila, Antonio C.; Macazo, Crisancti L. (18 November 2020). "Dadap, Jerry". Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Cultural Center of the Philippines. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 Guerrero, Amadís Ma. (20 August 2018). "Composers Dadap hold ‘sentimental’ concerts in old Southern Leyte hometown". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Guerrero, Amadís Ma. (May 26, 2025). "The symphonies on Jerry Dadap's mind". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. C2.
  5. ↑ "College of Music – University of the Philippines Diliman". University of the Philippines College of Music. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "UP Carillon Tower's Original Bells". Atlas Obscura. Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Carillon". Iskomunidad. University of the Philippines Diliman. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "UP Diliman Carillon". Tower Bells International Database. Tower Bells International. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  9. ↑ Molina, Exequiel S. (March 14, 1968). "Familiar with Techniques". The Manila Times.
  10. ↑ "Republic Act No. 1370 – An Act Creating a Public Corporation for the Promotion of Music". Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  11. 1 2 Davis, Peter (March 2, 1971). "Jerry Dadap Music Played in Concert". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ "At Carnegie Hall". The Manila Times. 1 April 1971. p. 9.
  13. 1 2 Maceda, José; Santos, Ramón; Kasilag, Lucrecia R.; Besa, Della G.; Goquingco, Leonor Orosa (2001). "Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas)". Grove Music Online (Updated 25 July 2013 ed.). Oxford University Press. Section III: Western art music. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.48467 . Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  14. 1 2 Miller, Terry E.; Williams, Sean (2000). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: Volume 4: Southeast Asia. Routledge. p. 875. ISBN   978-0-8240-6040-4.
  15. ↑ Ortiz, Ma. Aurora R.; Erestain, Teresita E.; Guillermo, Alice G.; Montano, Myrna C.; Pilar, Santiago A. (1976). Art: Perception and Appreciation. Manila: Rex Book Store. p. 309. ISBN   971-11-0933-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  16. 1 2 3 4 Villaruz, Basilio Esteban S. (2006). Treading Through: 45 Years of Philippine Dance. University of the Philippines Press. ISBN   978-971-542-509-4.
  17. 1 2 Teodoro, John Iremil E., ed. (2018). Ang imahen ng Filipino sa sining: sangguniang aklat sa pagpapahalaga sa sining. Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. ISBN 978-621-8064-60-7.
  18. ↑ Espiritu, Luis (27 October 2024). "Art comeback". Daily Tribune. Daily Tribune. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  19. ↑ Cortes, Joseph (March 8, 2004). "A year of all-Filipino concerts from San Miguel orchestra, chorale". The Philippine Star.
  20. ↑ Hedley, William (December 2014). "Beyond the Eastern Wind". International Record Review: 79.
  21. 1 2 Amadís Ma. Guerrero (August 31, 2013). "Granddaddy of Bonifacio plays to be restaged this September". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Group. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  22. 1 2 "Dadap's musical 'Andres Bonifacio: Ang Dakilang Anak-Pawis' to be presented anew". Lifestyle Inquirer. Inquirer.net. October 31, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  23. ↑ Kabristante, George Vail (2000). "Philippines". In Herbert, Ian; Leclercq, Nicole (eds.). The World of Theatre: Edition 2000. Routledge. p. 185. ISBN   978-0-415-23866-3.
  24. ↑ "Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra launches 41st season with 'Versatile'". Manila Standard. Philippine Manila Standard Publishing, Inc. August 28, 2025. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Opens Its 41st Concert Season With "Versatile"". Lifestyle Asia. One Mega Group, Inc. September 10, 2025. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  26. ↑ Dioquino, Corazon C. "Music in the Philippines since 1898". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  27. ↑ "Five Philippine medleys for children rondalla". TUKLAS: UP Libraries' Resource Discovery Tool. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  28. 1 2 Vitto, Loen; dela Peña, Laverne. "A Brief History of the Philippine Rondalla". Strings of Unity. WordPress.com. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  29. ↑ "Philippine symphonic medley : rondalla based on three Philippine folksongs". TUKLAS: UP Libraries' Resource Discovery Tool. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  30. ↑ "The Passionate and the Wild : symphonic poem". TUKLAS: University of the Philippines Library Catalog. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  31. 1 2 LAHI (LP liner notes) (Media notes). Villar Records International Music Publishing. 1972.
  32. ↑ "Alay sa inang bayan : Choral symphonic ode no.1 for chorus, rondalla and orchestra". TUKLAS: UP Libraries' Resource Discovery Tool. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  33. ↑ "DUYOG: The 1st International Youth Orchestra Festival 2025 celebration concert all set on July 12 at GSIS Theater". Philippines Graphic. July 2, 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  34. ↑ "Death Steals Like a Thief (Dahil sa pagpanaw ng mahal sa buhay)". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  35. ↑ Loh, I-to (2014). Hymnal Companion to Sound the Bamboo: Asian Hymns in Their Cultural and Liturgical Contexts. GIA Publications. p. 215. ISBN   978-1-62277-024-3.
  36. ↑ Feliciano, Francisco F. (1982). Buksan mo ang aming mga labi: mga awit na pangkoro. Quezon City, Philippines: New Day Publishers. ISBN   9711000210.
  37. ↑ Poethig, Eunice Blanchard, ed. (1972). Let’s Sing Christmas. Music editor: Jerry A. Dadap; Associate editor: Jan Deats. Quezon City, Philippines: New Day Publishers.
  38. ↑ "Naririto na naman ang Pasko (choral score)". TUKLAS: University of the Philippines Library Catalog. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  39. ↑ Pedalino, Bong (September 8, 2009). "Group honors Southern Leyteño composer, two others". Southern Leyte, Philippines: Philippine Information Agency.
  40. ↑ Chua, Xiao. "Ang kompositor sa pagbubuo ng bansa". Abante (in Tagalog). Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  41. ↑ "Bonifacio meets Wesley in classic choral face‑off". Lifestyle Inquirer. Inquirer.net. September 6, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  42. ↑ Beltran, Benigno. "Benigno Beltran". Forum Weltkirche (in German). Forum Weltkirche / missio Aachen. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  43. ↑ Santos, Tina G. (August 26, 2007). "Children's choir makes Smokey Mountain alive with the sound of music". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. A20.
  44. ↑ Guerrero, Amadís Ma. (November 13, 2006). "A composer in these troubled times". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. A26.
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