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NENA DEL ROSARIO VILLANUEVA

Born NATIVIDAD DEL ROSARIO, was a child prodigy in piano and a world-class classical pianist from the Philippines. Influenced by her mother early in life, Nena tinkered with the piano at age 2-1/2, and at 5, started performing in public. At age 10, she appeared as a solo pianist with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra under Herbert Zipper. Nena made her Carnegie Hall debut at 12 in a benefit show but was back again at 15, this time with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra after winning a musical competition participated in by a host of talented musicians and sponsored by New York Times. Since then, Nena has performed solo concerts in the Philippines, in the U.S., and all over the world, many, many times.

She obtained her Diploma in Music from Curtis Institute of Music, in Philidelphia in 1956. She also took lessons from celebrated maestros as Vladimir Horowitz and Ilona Kabos. She also taught briefly as an Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Music.

She was married to the late lawyer-businessman, Generoso (Oso) Villanueva, Jr. of Bacolod City, Philippines whom they ha e 3 sons, 2 daughters, and nine grandchildren.

In 1997, Nena Del Rosario Villanueva was conferred the Gawad CCP para sa Sining Award (Cultural Center of the Philippines Award for Arts) for Music.