AILEEN ESPINOSA-CURA
Senior Lecturer
Voice and Music Theater/Dance Department
College of Music, University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City 1101
Telefax: College of Music, (+63-2) 929-6963


Aileen Espinosa-Cura, Lyric Soprano, graduated with a degree in Voice from the University of the Philippines, College of Music in 1982. She studied singing under Prof. Andrea 0. Veneracion and later on with Prof. Elmo Makil during her performing years after college. Prof. Fides C. Asensio was also her coach in vocal and acting technique. One of her earliest achievements as a singer was winning the top prize in the First Jovita Fuentes National Vocal Concours in 1979.

Aileen's singing interest started way back in high school as a member of the Minor Keys, the high school singing group of the Christian Academy of Manila. She has also performed in several church based musicales both as choir conductor and soloist. This series of church performances culminated with her involvement in the Far East Broadcasting Company's pop-gospel album, "Papuri" where she is featured as one of the soloist. She has also recorded about 10 songs which is being aired occasionally over Far East Broadcasting Company's AM Station, DZAS 702 kHz.

Her vocal stint as a former member and soloist of the Philippine Madrigal Singers from 1976-1983, Alumni Ensemble of the Philippine Madrigal Singers from 1986-1989 and the Himig ng Lahi Ensemble in 1980 and 1984 brought her to various concert stages here and abroad.

Her lovely voice, sensitive acting, and music intelligence led to her first lead role as Sister Genevieve in Giacomo Puccini's Suor Angelica when she was only eighteen. This was followed by the title role in Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleeker Street in 1980, both staged by the UP Voice and Music Theater Department. This exposure paved the way for her other operatic performances. In 1982 and 1985 she appeared as Blanche de la Force in Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, Papagena in The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1983, and Dolores in La Loba Negra by Fides C. Asensio and Dr. Francisco F. Feliciano in 1985, all of which were Cultural Center of the Philippines productions.

One of the highlights of her schooling years was having premiered the first two of the Four Poems of poet Marra Pl.Lanot in 1980 which were set to music by the most sought after young Filipino composer and arranger, Prof. Ryan Cayabyab. The two succeeding poems which were set at a later date by the composer were performed by Ms. Espinosa-Cura in September of 1983

She has graced the stages of "Concert at the Park", "Paco Park Presents", the Puerta Real Gardens, and the Metropolitan Theater as a soloist of the Metro Manila Symphony Orchestra, Manila Symphony Orchestra, and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in many of their musical events since her college years. In 1987, she was the featured soprano soloist in the world premiere performance of Heinz Werner Zimmerman's' The Prince of Peace. She also performed as the soprano soloist in Johann Sebastian Bach's St. John Passion at the PCIB Auditorium, San Beda Church and at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Taipei, Taiwan with German conductor Karl Hochreiter in March 1991. It was also in this same year when she performed the vocal part of Cio-Cio San in the world premiere of the Philippine Ballet Theater production of Madama Butterfly.

It was the 13th of November 1991 when Ms. Cura was featured by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in its " Filipino Artist Series " for the same year. She performed an all-Filipino repertoire of living composers at that time. It was here that she premiered a new arrangement, especially for her; of folk drinking songs by Prof. Reynaldo T. Paguio entitled "Lasingan".

In 1996, she once again essayed the role of Cio-Cio San in the University of the Philippines Presidential Commission on Culture and the Arts (UPPCCA) opera production of Giacomo Puccini's celebrated opera Madama Butterfly. Under the UPPCCA, Aileen is considered a regular performing artist. She has been involved in various classical performances such as the French and Filipino Concert with the UP Chamber Orchestra, Mozart's The Magic Flute and in the 1998 Philippine Centennial production of Dr. Eliseo Pajaro's Binhi ng Kalayaan where she played the role of Rizal's sister, Trinidad. Last February 25 to 27, 1999, she was one of the featured sopranos in the 24th International Bamboo Organ Festival with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philippine Chamber Choir under the baton of Professor Miles Morgan.

Every now and then, Ms. Cura veers away from the opera genre and takes a brief respite into the world of Broadway music. From 1991 to 1996, she was a member of the Performing Artists International, a group of classical performers who bonded together to bring classical and Broadway musicales to the masses performing in restaurants, malls, schools, parks and other public concert venues in the metropolis. In December of 1997, Aileen took the role of the Mother Abbess in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical The Sound of Music by the repertory group, The Company of Players with Mr. Chinggoy Alonso.

Last July 31, 1999, she performed with various opera luminaries during the inauguration of the Maestra Dalisay Aldaba Recital Hall at the U.P. Theater. Once again she was engaged to sing the part of Cio Cio San in the Philippine Ballet Theater's re-staging of "Madama Butterfly" at the CCP Main Theater and on November 12 to December 12, 1999, Aileen portrayed the role of Lady Thiang in the Centerstage production of "The King and I"at the Meralco Theater.

During the Christmas season of 1999 she performed as soprano soloist in Vivaldi's Gloria on December 17, 1999 at the Binondo Church, Handel's Messiah at the Malate Church on December 24, 1999 and at the Good Samaritan Church on December 26, 1999, and "Concerts at the Cinema" on December 28, 1999 at the Glorietta Art Film Cinema 2 during the series of concerts staged by the Ayala Group for the Christmas Holidays. Here she performed Baroque, Broadway and Filipino pieces with Tenor Ramon Acoymo.

Aileen shared the concert stage with the Philippine Chamber Choir and the Philippine Madrigal Singers as soprano soloist for Bach's "Magnificat" and as soloist for Haydn's "Nelson Mass" during the 25th Bamboo Organ Festival held at the Las Pinas Church on February 17,24-26, 2000 and again as soprano soloist for Mozarts's "Requiem" performed at the Malate Church on April 14, 2000. She once again sang the soprano solo of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Magnificat" with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Concert Series III on 20 November 2000 as well as Beethoven's " 9th Symphony" and Rossini's "Stabat Mater" both with the PPO under conductor Ruggiero Barbieri for the San Agustin Museum Concert Series on December 2000 and 04 April 2001 respectively.

Her latest performance includes the "Liebeslieder" by Johannes Brahms and "Les Noces" by Igor Stravinsky with the UP College of Music Voice and Dance Department faculty in September 2001 and March 2002 respectively. The latter work was performed with the University of the Philippines Youth Orchestra conducted by Prof. Josefino "Chino" Toledo at the U.P. College of Music, Nicanor Abelardo Hall. Aileen sang her first zarzuela role as Lola Esperanza in "Bayan, Isang Paa na Lamang" with libretto by Dr. Melba Maggay and music by the late National Artist Maestro Lucio D. San Pedro on 25,26,27 July 2002 at the University of the Philippines Theater and on 03 August 2002 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. To mark the First Anniversary of the 9/11 events in New York, USA, Aileen sang the soprano solo of Mozart's "Requiem" at the CCP on September 11, 2002 with the PPO, attended by the diplomatic corps. She again sang the soprano solo of Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" in the opening concert of the PPO Concert Series for 2002-2003.

For the year 2003, Aileen was once again a soprano soloist for the "Misa Tango" by Luis Bacalov as part of the last quarter musical offering of the San Agustin Church Concert Series on November 14, 2003 and the "Te Deum" by Anton Bruckner as part of the 40th Anniversary of the UP Madrigal Singers at the Manila Cathedral on December 28, 2003.

Ms. Espinosa-Cura's 2004 performance highlights were her involvement as featured Soprano in the CCP and PPO's Farewell Concert for Maestro Ruggero Barbieri featuring Gustav Mahler's 8th Symphony last 16 April 2004 and during the 50th Anniversary Concert of Classical Radio Station 98.7 DZFE-FM entitled "Da Capo" held on the 29th of July 2004 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines with the PPO conducted by Cecinio Ronquillo and Maestro Eugene Castillo.

She is currently connected with the University of the Philippines College of Music as a Senior Lecturer I and continues to perform locally in concerts and musicales. Aileen is married to Dan Andrew S. Cura, the President of Far East Broadcasting Company and a News Anchor for the ABS-CBN News Channel. They are blessed with two children, Sean Andrew, 17 and Liam Andrew, 10.