CONSERVATORY of Music Dean Raul Sunico was appointed the new president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last October 1, replacing Isabel Caro Wilson who was elected last September 21 to the CCP’s board of trustees.
Sunico said he would like to pursue the artistic and physical development of the cultural center to make it a self-sustaining, “eco-friendly” community that will be a haven for those who want to adopt the arts as a way of life.
“It is a great honor and rare opportunity to serve the country and its many deserving talents from a position of hopeful credibility in instilling the value of the arts as a critical component in our humanity,” Sunico said on the CCP website.
Despite his new post, Sunico will continue to head Music and teach at the UST Graduate School.
Meanwhile, Antonio Africa was appointed as Music’s assistant dean and concurrently as college secretary.
Sunico, a world-renowned pianist, was hailed as one of the Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines for Music in 1986, and was a recipient of KATHA Cultural Heritage Award in 1997. He was awarded the “Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan” for Music in 1998.
Throughout his career, he has always been active in the international concert scene, performing in solo recitals in the United States, Canada, Mexico, India, Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Kosovo, Japan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. He has recorded more than 40 CDs and cassettes, including 15 volumes of Filipino folk songs and kundimans that he arranged for classical piano.
Sunico started the traditional UST Christmas concert, which draws prominent artists and VIPs every year.
