Olmillo, Kerby T.

SS123

Ryan Cayabyab

Ryan Cayabyab graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Music with a
bachelor’s degree in music composition and went on to teach music theory and composition
there for almost two decades. Ryan’s father was a government employee, his mother an opera
singer and music teacher. Though the family’s circumstances were modest, theirs was a home
filled with music, particularly since his mother took in music students as boarders.

Everyone in the house seemed to be either singing or playing an instrument, and Ryan
grew up listening to classical music, opera arias, and traditional native songs. Heeding his
mother’s admonitions to shun the musician’s financially unrewarding career, Ryan took up a
business management course, but to help pay for his university studies he took on side jobs as
pianist or accompanist for musical artists. The parents of one such artist were so impressed with
his talent that they gave Ryan a full scholarship to pursue a degree in music instead. From this
point on, music would be his life-work.

His musical output consists of several masses, award winning film and television scores,
short symphonic works, ten full-length Filipino musicals, a major opera, full length ballets, solo
and instrumental works, orchestrations of Filipino folk, popular and love songs, three one-man
(he provided all 16 voices) a cappella song albums, and scores of popular songs sung by top
Filipino recording artists.

In addition to winning several international music festival competitions, he has won countless
awards from the film, television and recording industries.

Ryan is driven by a passion to mentor, educate, and contribute to the flourishing of

Filipino musical talent. He has served in the music faculty of the University of the Philippines,
runs a music studio with his wife, and has conducted free workshops for thousands of students
all across the country. He is a moving force in the Philpop Music fest Foundation and the
Elements Music Camp, major initiatives dedicated to music training, promoting Filipino music
abroad, and fostering Filipino cultural identity through music. Honored in 2018 as Philippine
National Artist for Music, he was cited for his music that “extols the exuberance of life and
human happiness, thus capturing the very essence of our Filipino soul.”