Antonio Molina

Early life Molina was born on December 26, 1894, in Quiapo, Manila, the son of Juan Molina, a government official, who founded the Molina Orchestra. and college at San Juan De Letran where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1909.

Molina's exposure to music at a young age laid him the foundation to become a composer and musician. Besides mastering the violoncello, he also explored other Western and indigenous instruments. One of these were the Rondalla Ideal which was founded and directed from 1909 to 1912 and the Rondalla Filharmonica Juvenal which was organized in 1913. According to Molina, Filipino folk music and classical music at the time was in demand specially among the crew of American shipping companies.

Musical style Molina was known to experiment with new ideas and innovate his own unique style of music. He infused Eastern modality with Western harmony and combined ethnic and native instruments with Western instruments.

Death and legacy Molina died, aged 85, on January 29, 1980; a result of heart failure.