Jonas Baes
PEDRON, EARL WIN JOSEPH A. 10 - CALASANZ
Biography
Jonas Baes, better known by the Family name Jonas Baes, is a popular Filipino Composer and Musician. he was born on 1961, in Los Baños, Laguna. Los Baños is a beautiful and populous city located in Los Baños, Laguna Philippines. Jonas Baes entered the career as Musician In his early life after completing his formal education. He enrolled in the University of the Philippines' College of Music in 1977 as a student of Ramon P. Santos, and encountered the musical compositions of Jose Maceda, attended several seminar-workshops of visiting lecturers, and did research on the music of the Iraya-Mangyan people of Mindoro, which became the inspiration for his compositions. From 1992 to 1994, he studied with Mathias Spahlinger in Freiburg, Germany. Baes is known for writing music utilizing "unorthodox" musical instruments like bean-pod rattles, leaves, iron-nail chimes, as well as various Asian instruments such as bamboo scrapers, bamboo flutes, and vocal music using Asian vocal techniques. His early works in the 1980s were influenced by Maceda in the use of large numbers of performers, while in the 1990s he experimented with various methods by which the audience becomes integral in the performance. At the beginning of the new century, Baes experiments with notions of structure-agency integration [after Anthony Giddens] and simulacrum [after Jean Baudrillard]. It is typical for social theory to influence the work of Baes who has made a mark on contemporary music and cultural politics in the Asian region. Baes is also active as an ethnomusicologist and writer.
Education
Jonas Baes is a Filipino composer. He enrolled in the University of the Philippines’ College of Music in 1977 as a student of Ramon P. Santos, and encountered the musical compositions of Jose Maceda, attended several seminar-workshops of visiting lecturers, and did research on the music of the Iraya-Mangyan people of Mindoro, which became the inspiration for his compositions. From 1992-1994, he studied with Mathias Spahlinger in Freiburg, Germany. Baes is known for writing music utilizing “unorthodox” musical instruments like bean-pod rattles, leaves, iron-nail chimes, as well as various Asian instruments such as bamboo scrapers, bamboo flutes, and vocal music using Asian vocal techniques. His early works in the 1980s were influenced by Maceda in the use of large numbers of performers, while in the 1990s he experimented with various methods by which the audience becomes integral in the performance. At the beginning of the new century, Baes experiments with notions of structure-agency integration [after Anthony Giddens] and simulacrum [after Jean Baudrillard]. It is typical for social theory to influence the work of Baes who has made a mark on contemporary music and cultural politics in the Asian region. Baes is also active as an ethnomusicologist and writer.
Organizations and Performing Groups
Ripieno Ensemble PH, founder, board member, 2015-present
Manila Composers Lab, founder and director 2009-present
Salzburg Global Fellowships, member 2011-present
Asian Public Intellectuals Fellowships, Senior Fellow 2008-2008 / member 2008-present
Small Island Communities Research Initiative (SICRI), member 2001-2014
Association of Pacific-Rim Universities fellow, National Autonomous University (UNAM), Mexico City , 2003
International Association for the Study of Popular Music, member 1997-2004
Asia-Pacific Society for Ethnomusicology, member 1995-1997
International Society for the Sociology of Music (Zagreb, former Yugoslavia), contributor to the International Review for the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music (IRASM), 1988
Society for Ethnomusicology, member 1986-1988
Achievements, Awards and Recognitions
ARTIST RANK 2 , University of the Philippines Artist Productivity System (APS) Award, 2019-2021
ARTIST RANK 2 , University of the Philippines Artist Productivity System (APS) Award, 2016-2018
ARTIST RANK 2 , University of the Philippines Artist Productivity System (APS) Award, 2013-2015
Association of Pacific-Rim Universities (APRU) Doctoral Students Conference Fellowship, National Autonomous University (UNAM), Mexico City 2003
UP GAWAD CHANCELLOR PARA SA PINAKAMAHUSAY NA MANANALIKSIK, Hall of Fame 2003
UP GAWAD CHANCELLOR PARA SA PINAKAMAHUSAY NA MANANALIKSIK, 2003
UP GAWAD CHANCELLOR PARA SA PINAKAMAHUSAY NA MANANALIKSIK, 2002
UP GAWAD CHANCELLOR PARA SA PINAKAMAHUSAY NA MANANALIKSIK, 2001
Compositions of Jonas Baes
BASBASAN (1983)
BANWA (1997)
WALA (1997)
PATANGIS BUWAYA (2003)
Personal Opinion
Jonas Baes studied the music of the Iraya-Mangyan people of Mindoro and it gave him inspiration for his music compositions. He was utilizing "unorthodox" musical instruments like bean-pod rattles, leaves, iron-nail chimes, as well as various Asian instruments such as bamboo scrapers, bamboo flutes, and vocal music using Asian vocal techniques in his music compositions. He truly valued his ancestry and aspires to share his compositions with the whole world. All of his musical creations incorporated traditional Filipino elements and each narrates a tale that resonates with the listeners. In my opinion, his musical creations exhibit the distinctiveness of Philippine culture, which shows the beauty and diversity of our culture. His compositions are a legacy that we should remember and commemorate in the future, as they not only because it shows the beauty of our music, but also it motivate the younger generation to cherish their roots and exhibit their ingenuity, similar to him. With his outstanding and remarkable skills and knowledge in music, he has left a noteworthy impression that brings honor to our country.