A large enthusiastic audience gathered at the Pacific ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino Feb. 25 for “Ingrid—Grand Finale.”

This was a concert to celebrate the 77th birthday of Ingrid Sala Santamaria with a full orchestra conducted by Rodelio Flores who had flown from the United States just for the occasion.

Comprising the orchestra were former members of the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra and Peace Philharmonic of the Philippines, and from foreign shores just to play together in what was unprecedented tribute to Ingrid.

When the expectant audience, after the invocation and national anthem, heard the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance,” they realized they were in for more than just a concert.

A stir from the back end of the ballroom meant a grand entrance. There was Ingrid in a fiery red bouffant gown with a flowing train progressing down the central aisle.

To the left, and to the right, she was acknowledging applause, shaking hands and getting kissed by those who lined her path.

They also presented Ingrid with red roses. By the time she reached the stage she had a total of 77, overflowing from her arms and on to an attentive assistant.

Once on the podium, the orchestra played the Birthday Song and the audience joined the five choirs on stage. Ingrid was visibly overwhelmed, unfurling a stack of notes she had scribbled to deliver a message of thanks.

She read through them and put them aside as she gasped, “I feel like a queen.” She is a queen. She reigned over Cebu’s golden age of music when from 1991 to 2000 she put her career as a concert pianist on hold.

She dedicated 10 years to the music development program of the Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation. This supreme effort produced the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) and the Peace Philharmonic of the Philippine, which gave Cebu a unique identity, marked by a musical journey highlighted by passion and drive.

Ingrid continues to reign as queen to this day over the scholars that emerged from that program, many of whom have found meaning to their lives by performing as artists and imparting what they learned. Ingrid refers to them as “my musical children and grand children, soon even great grandchildren.”

Two of those scholars, the Magdadaro sisters Hannah Go and Hazel Sanchez, with their supportive parents Greg and Louella Magdadaro, produced the concert defined as Ingrid’s farewell performance.

‘Till we meet again’

“This is not just my birthday,” said Ingrid, “But a celebration of music. And by the way, this is not goodbye; rather, till we meet again.”

Once more the orchestra played the birthday song as everyone sang along, more floweres were presented, and a large cake, in the shape of a grand piano. What else?

Mary Rose Villacastin Maghuyop, who had hosted many concert of Ingrid, was on stage to give Ingrid’s biographical sketch. At the age of 8, Ingrid decided to be a concert pianist like her mother Pilar Blanco Sala, her first teacher.

The concert proper opened with the overture from Nabucco, which the CYSO first played under the baton of Rodel Flores during its first ever concert in October 1995.

What followed was also part of the teacher’s concert, the first movement from Beethoven’s Symphony Bo. 1. One could feel how Rodel’s impassioned conducting transcended from the orchestra to the awe-struck audience.

Sibelius was in the evening’s repertoire with the hauntingly beautiful Valse Triste, and the powerful Finladia.
Hazel Sanchez was on stage with words of thanks, for the Waterfront Hotel, Virtuoso Music Studio, Rey Abellana and his Classical Music Studio, Visayas Symphony Orchestra, University of Southern Philippines Foundation, and most especially, Susan Sala, who received a large bouquet of roses.

More music came from the orchestra—“Sa Kabukiran,” then a medley of Filipino songs arranged by Bernard Greene (“Pamulinawen,” “Dahil Sa Iyo,” “Lawiswis Kawayan,” “Sampaguita,” “Ay Kalisud.”)

Came the evening’s major highlight—the Grieg Piano Concerto which Ingrid performed magnificently, putting all her strength as soloist of the three powerful movements. Amid shouts of Bravo, the audience gave her a standing ovation.

There was an encore, a movement from the Mendelsohn Piano Concerto No. 1. It got another standing ovation.

Everyone had to stand up for the “Hallelujah” from Handel’s “The Messiah,” with five choirs blending voices in what was a glorious conclusion to a most fulfilling evening.

After that there was a surge of people toward Ingrid to congratulate her, embrace her, kiss her and literally mob her.