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| Jovanni-Rey Verceles de Pedro: Outstanding Pinoy Pianist |
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Jovanni-Rey has received invaluable guidance from eminent artists including Igor Kipnis, Robert Lehrbaumer, John Perry, Aries Caces, Pierre Laurent-Aimard, Rudolf Buchbinder, Ronan O’Hora, Martino Tirimo, Bryce Morrison, Boris Berman, Robert Ward and Gerhard Geretschlaeger.
Fluent in German, he has been a piano instructor to a variety of people at all levels in Vienna. From 2003-2007, he was the Music Director of the Followers of the Good Shepherd Music Ministry in Austria. “I basically taught basic music skills to beginning adult singers and oversaw weekly rehearsals and planned repertoire for church services,” he said. From Vienna, Jovanni moved to London for his Masters where he has also been a piano/keyboard instructor at the Music Hall Limited, UK. “I introduce groups of children, ages 5-11 to music in a fun and supportive atmosphere. I prepare pupils for end-of-term concerts,” he said. He is likewise a visiting Piano Clinician at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, providing master classes for intermediate and advanced piano students.
Jovanni’s goal in life is to “continuously explore and discover new opportunities and challenges in the musical world, and to expand my knowledge and experience as I pursue my international career as a professional pianist.”
Being an educator as well as a musician, Jovanni does not only seek to expand his knowledge and expertise for himself and his career; he also does it to share whatever he has learned and experienced with others. “Using the knowledge I have and continue to acquire, I seek to provide the highest quality education for my students, ensuring a creative, informative experience through a diversity of activities,” de Pedro said.
Jovanni maintains close ties to the homeland, sharing his talents with the music world in the Philippines. He related to the Asian Journal how this came about. “One of the members of my choir in Vienna had a son, a priest, visiting from Cebu. He put me in touch with members of the Cebu Youth Orchestra who planned a recital for me there with also the help of Madam Ingrid Sala-Santamaria during my trip to the Phils last March – where I played with the UST Symphony, directed by Aries Caces – also Filipino, a very close friend and amazingly talented pianist/conductor from Vienna. When they found out that I also have experienced teaching choirs, they arranged a choral workshop with the Cebu Chamber Singers. This is the only workshop I’ve done in the Philippines so far. I would love to do more, perhaps next time I’m there and upon invitation from institutions or individuals,” he said.
In spite of his busy schedule pursuing his doctorate and teaching in London, the young De Pedro already has future engagements lined up to the first quarter of 2009. Among his future concerts will be the Lunchtime Concert in the Charlton House London in England on January 9, 2009, the Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat – Brahms with the Santa Monica Symphony on January 18, 2009 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California, and the Pianists of the World Concert Series at the St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, England on February 27, 2009.
The main concentration of the young pianist, however, is his doctorate studies. “I will be working on my doctorate for the next 4 years here in the UK. My thesis focuses on the piano music of Argentinean composer Luis Gianneo, so at some point (maybe when I have the financial means to do so!) I’ll have to spend some time in Argentina. Many things can happen within that time frame, so I don’t know what I will do after. However, it is my goal to continue playing concerts and teach piano at the university/conservatory level,” he said.
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