Confined in his quarters,  Dr. Francisco Feliciano, DMA, rustles his fingers  to the soft beats of the music playing from his bedside. At the age of 73, the world-renowned composer and conductor has spent his life creating music that exemplifies his genius, his beliefs, and his Filipino pride.

Known for various liturgical and contemporary pieces, Feliciano dedicated his life’s work to the “contextualization” of music to its environment, thus earning his permanent position in Philippine history as one of the six National Artists conferred by Malacañang on June 20.