DR. RAUL SUNICO DAZZLES PORTUGUESE AUDIENCE AT PIANO CONCERT
ORGANIZED BY THE TERRAS SEM SOMBRA FESTIVAL IN ODEMIRA,
03 SEPTEMBER 2022
Dr. Raul Sunico on stage for the concert at the Igreja da Misericordia in Odemira, Portugal. The concert highlighted the mastery of the piano by Dr. Sunico, bringing the Philippines to the heart of Portugal. For this concert, several rolls of T’nalak tapestries were displayed along side 16th century frescoes of the former Church
“As Filipinas em Odemira. Mais um sonho realizado para nos.”
With these words, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal, Celia Anna M. Feria, opened the 18th edition of the Terras Sem Sombra Festival in the town of Odemira who welcomed the world acclaimed Filipino pianist Dr. Raul Sunico in a concert held on 3 September 2022, at the historic 16th century Igreja de Misericordia (Church of Mercy).
Amid the backdrop of the restored 16th century frescoes of the Igreja Misericordia and modern Philippine T’nalak tapestries, Dr. Raul Sunico mesmerized the audience with his perfectly executed renditions of Mendelssohn, Debussy, Chopin, Lizt, Albeniz, Ravel and Portuguese composer Vianna da Motta, along with Filipino classics from George Canseco and Francisco Buencamino.
It was the first time for the Philippines to organize a cultural event in Odemira, the largest municipality in the Portugal, with a population of
30,000 and an area of over 1,700 km2. Its principal industries are agriculture, eco-tourism and traditional basketry and local crafts.
The day before the concert, Mayor Helder Guerreiro of the Municipality of Odemira welcomed the Philippine delegation to the City Hall and proposed the possibility of more cultural and economic exchanges between the Philippines and Odemira through activities such as those with Terras Sem Sombra, and through exchanges of ideas and best practices in the fields of agriculture, eco-tourism, and traditional crafts between the Philippines and Odemira During the meeting, Ambassador Feria, thanked the Mayor for the warm welcome extended to the delegation and for the support of the his office to the Terras Sem Sombra Festival, making possible the performance of Dr. Sunico at the Igreja de Misericordia, now considered a religious monument.
The Igreja Misericordia was opened to the public for the first time after its rehabilitation, in time for the concert of Dr. Raul Sunico on 3 September 2022. (end)
