Martin Avila - Love Affair. An Affair to Remember. Excerpt from Warsaw Concerto. (solo piano cover)

2010 at the Manila Peninsula Hotel
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Martin Avila is the Philippines' premier lounge pianist. He started playing the piano at the age of 4 and played professionally at 13. Martin has a Bachelor of Music in Piano and Composition degree from the University of the Philippines College of Music, graduating in 1987. During college days at the U.P., Martin's mentors included Ryan Cayabyab in Theory and Composition and Prof. Carolyn Kleiner Cheng in Piano whom Martin owes most of his piano playing techniques and interpretation.

Martin Avila has 4 instrumental albums on cd's and cassettes under Ivory Records currently available in all record bars nationwide.

(For more info, pls. visit www.MartinAvilaPianist.com)

The late Maestro Rudy Francisco told Martin in 1995 during Martin's guesting at the musical TV show THE LITTLE NIGHT OF MUSIC, You play better now than the country's most famous pianist Joselito Pascual, who used to play at the Manila Hotel. The late maestro Rudy Francisco is one of the country's most respected pianist, having been responsible for the training and success of most of the country's celebrity singers.

Prefessor Ryan Cayabyab when asked by his friend, Mr. Jun Alvendia, owner of PHILACOR, on April 2006 if he knows Martin Avila and said, Of course I know Martin. He is infinitely better than any other lounge pianists. Really good!. He took over the pole position left by Joselito Pascual.. Prof. Ryan Cayabyab is an icon of Philippine Pop music. He was the musical director of the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, an arranger, composer, singer, and pianist. He was also a faculty member of the University of the Philippines' College of Music . Incidentally, Prof. Cayabyab is one of Martin's idol in music since childhood.

At 42, Martin has been playing professionally for almost 30 years by the year 2007. He has played in almost all hotels in Manila. During daytime, he plays solo while in the evening, he accompanies singers on the piano. He also provides entertainment packages in several hotels, providing a roster of talents for the hotel's entertainment requirements such as pianists, singers, jazz bands, string quartets, et. al.

Martin has performed with most of the country's celebrity singers during TV guestings and concerts or lounge acts such as Bert and Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez, Teresa Loyzaga, Dulce, Jinky Llamanzares, Nyoy Volante, Bituin Escalante, Anna Fegi, Calvin Millado, Faith Cuneta, Rannie and Lance Raymundo, Janet Basco, Dessa, Carlo Orosa, Michael Williams, Pat Castillo, Sitti Navarro, Leo Valdez, Monique Wison, and Lani Misalucha.

What makes Martin's playing entirely different from all pianists?

He makes the piano sing.

If one would listen to Martin's playing, one will hear the melody part singing just like what a singer does, in piano version, with phrasing and profound tonal quality of the melody line. Martin also interprets on piano the sounds of different musical instruments such as drums, bass, brasses, strings and many more that's why his piano music sounds complete, big, just like a band or orchestra, in piano version.