Pipo Cifra: Musical director

PETER Paul “Pipo” Cifra  graduated with a Bachelor of Music, major in piano and composition from the University of Sto. Tomas Conservatory of Music. He is chief executive officer of the Pipo Cifra Concerts and Events Productions. He is also the current president of the UST Conservatory of Music Alumni Association, Incorporated.

            A composer, teacher, arranger, producer, musical director and business entrepreneur (family publishing), Pipo wears many hats and shoes while singing all the way to the bank, so to say.

Recently, he was awarded by ABS-CBN Channel 2 a gold ring (Loyalty Award) for his 15 years of continued service. Pipo is the musical director of the award-winning and longest-running drama anthology, Maalaala Mo Kaya, for 16 years, and counting. He also scored various programs in ABS, such as Wako-wako, Lovespell, Marina, Kampanerang Kuba, Pangarap na Bituin,Wansapanataym and many others.

With Vince Tañada, Pipo wrote the music for “Ako si Ninoy,” which won the Best Musical Production category in the Aliw Awards in 2009. He also won the Broadway World Awards for Best Musical Director for his work in “#popepular: Pa’no Kung Pinoy si Kiko?” (2015). He composed the music and provided musical direction for a string of PSF musicals: “O’ Moises,” “Cory ng EDSA,” “Enzo… Santo,” “Namaste, ang Makulay na Buhay ni Gandhi,” “Joe, A Filipino Rock’sical,” “Bonifacio: Isang Sarswela” and “Filipinas 1941.”

In 1995, Pipo received an Awit Award for his composition, Nagkataon,Nagkatagpo, which became the Best Movie, TV, Stage Theme Song Recording of the Year for the movie of the same title. He is also a Grand Prix National Winner (junior and senior categories) for his compositions Floodgates and Firebird, respectively. The same compositions became the Philippines’ entry to the Asia-Ocenia Yamaha Electone Festival.

His composition If I have My choice won in the pre-en-banc judging in the

MetroPop Songwriting Contest.

            At present, Pipo works in several capacities as musical director, choral director and arranger for Repertory Philippines, AFP chorale, NFA chorale etc.

            He was musical director and conductor for Pop’era Chorus and Junior Glee Pop Chorus which performed at the CCP, a concert produced by the UST Conservatory of Music billed as 26^th Sampung mga Daliri. He was commissioned twice by the board of the Children’s Museum Library, Incorporated (CMLI) to create original musical arrangements for Nais Ko and Salamat, to be used as contest pieces for Voices and Harmony during its 14^th and 15^th anniversary.

In 2014, Pipo was cited as one of the Distinguished Bedan Awardees by the San Beda College Alumni Association, recognizing his achievements in the field of Arts and Culture, where his work has earned various local and international recognitions. Indeed, his perseverance diligence and humility make him an inspiring model for the youth.

            Such is his faithful embodiment of the Benedictine ideals of prayer, work and peace. Ora et labora, Pipo!

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Philippine Stagers Foundation

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