Ernesto Lejano

Ernesto Lejano (1933–2000) was a Filipino-Canadian concert pianist and music educator. He was widely respected for his contributions to classical piano performance and pedagogy, particularly in Alberta, Canada, where he taught for over two decades at the University of Alberta.^[1]

Lejano was born in the Philippines. He had his first piano lessons during World War II under German nuns. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.

With a scholarship, Lejano studied at the Royal Conservatory in Madrid, receiving two of the institution's highest prizes. He was later awarded a Fulbright grant to study at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he trained under Cécile Staub Genhart. He completed his Master of Music Literature in 1961, and, four years later, became the first to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the Philippines.

Lejano performed internationally as a soloist in Spain, Asia, and North America. He appeared at venues such as the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the Stratford Festival, and the Banff Festival of the Arts. His performances were broadcast by CBC and CTV.

In 1967, he joined the University of Alberta's Department of Music, where he taught piano performance until his retirement. He also performed as soloist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and as accompanist with the Edmonton Youth Orchestra.

Among his students were noted pianists and composers such as Angela Cheng, Corey Hamm, Marnie Giesbrecht, Joachim Segger, and Vivian Fung. In 1989, U of A named him professor emeritus.^[2]

Lejano received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alberta Government and was honored with the Outstanding Filipinos Overseas Award. In 1991, a recital hall in Edmonton was named after him. After his death in 2000, the Philippine Congress passed a resolution honoring his legacy. In 2012, the University of Alberta established the Ernesto Lejano Award in Piano Performance.