Licad, Cecile (1961-…), a Filipina concert pianist, gained international fame in the 1980’s. She played her first professional concert in the United States in 1980, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by the Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa. In 1981, Licad began her first full concert season with the New York Philharmonic orchestra under the Indian conductor Zubin Mehta.
Cecile Buencamino Licad was born on May 11, 1961, in Manila. A descendant of the Filipino composer Francisco Buencamino, she grew up in a musical environment. Her first formal piano lessons took place when she was 3 years old. She played in her first concert at the age of 7 as a soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Philippines. At the age of 11, Licad was admitted to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. There she studied with the American pianist Peter Serkin, who became a major influence.
