National Artist for Music
José Maceda (1917-2004) was a renowned Filipino composer known for his interdisciplinary compositions showcased globally. His significant work in ethnomusicology includes spearheading the groundbreaking project An Ethnomusicological Survey of the Philippines which started in the 1960s.
Before he was hailed an educator, Maceda was a dedicated student. He learned piano from Victorina Lobregat at the Academy of Music in Manila, graduating in 1935. He then continued his studies with Alfred Cortot at the École Normale de Musique de Paris from 1937–41. Additional education in the USA included private piano instruction from E. Robert Schmitz in San Francisco from 1946–49 and musicology studies at Queens College and Columbia University from 1950–52. He also pursued anthropology at the University of Chicago and ethnomusicology at Indiana University from 1957–58, and later at the University of California in Los Angeles from 1961–63, leading to his PhD. Maceda also worked with the Groupe de Recherches Musicales in Paris in 1958.
Maceda was also recognized with multiple awards, such as grants from the Guggenheim Foundation (1957–58) and the Rockefeller Foundation (1968). He was also awarded l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in France (1978) and the University of The Philippines Outstanding Research Award (1985). In addition, he received the John D. Rockefeller Award from the Asian Cultural Council in New York (1987), the Philippine National Science Society Achievement Award (1988), and numerous other prestigious honors from different institutions and countries.
Initially known as a pianist, Maceda performed in France, the Philippines, and the USA from 1935–57. He introduced numerous new pieces, mainly by French composers, and established a French approach to piano playing in the Philippines. Later on, he delved into conducting avant-garde music for Philippine organizations and UNESCO from 1964–68, incorporating works by Edgard Varèse, Iannis Xenakis, and other composers alongside Chinese and Philippine music. Maceda held the position of Professor of Piano and Ethnomusicology at the University of The Philippines from 1952–90 and was a professor emeritus until 2004. Additionally, he served as the Executive Director of the Center for Ethnomusicology from 1997–2004.
Maceda dedicated a significant part of his career to ethnomusicological research in the Philippines and Southeast Asia since 1953. Conducting extensive fieldwork in various countries, he authored numerous publications based on his discoveries. His notable work “Gongs and Bamboos: A Panorama of Philippine Musical Instruments” was published in 1998 by the University of The Philippines Press. Furthermore, a collection at the University of The Philippines in Quezon City preserves over 2,500 hours of Maceda’s field recordings across 51 language groups, featuring musical instruments, photographs, text transcriptions, and translations.
In 1998, he was honored with the National Artist Award in Music, the highest recognition for Filipino artists.