The UST Conservatory of Music mounted a special tribute concert honoring opera singer and educator, Irma Ponce-Enrile Potenciano, on Monday, Oct. 27, at the Proscenium Theater in Makati City.
The concert featured Potenciano’s former students, and under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo Ranera, the UST Symphony Orchestra performed music from operas, operettas, and musical theater.
Potenciano, who obtained her degrees in music and voice performance at the University, was a long-time faculty member at the Conservatory of Music.
The tribute concert began with “Sull’aria” from “Le nozze di Figaro,” a commedia per musica in four acts by Wolfgang Mozart. Sopranos and Music alumni Mary Patrice Pacis and Elisanta Cortes accompanied the Letter Duet.
Pacis and Cortes went on to accompany several pieces each, such as soprano aria “Vissi d’ arte” from Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Tosca,” “Quartet” from Puccini’s four-act opera “La bohème,” and “Watch Duet” from Johann Strauss II’s operetta “Die Fledermaus.”
Musical theater was represented through “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” and “Edelweiss” from Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II’s “The Sound of Music.” Nenen Espina served as soprano for the former, while Rafa Siguion-Reyna sang the latter show tune.
The tribute concert, divided into two parts, concluded with a Filipino medley featuring “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal,” “Kalesa,” “Parang Maghapon Lamang,” “Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak,” and “Mutya ng Pasig,” performed by the company.
Potenciano pursued studies abroad at the New England Conservatory of Music, learning under music mentors such as Hans Bruck, Olga Eisner, Aurelio Estanislao, Reynaldo Reyes, and Felix Wolfes.
Potenciano also came under the tutelage of Jovita Fuentes, who became the first National Artist for Music in 1976.
“Viva La Irma!” was written by Bibeth Orteza and directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna. The concert was held at The Proscenium Theater on Oct. 27.
