Prof. Niño Cesar B. Tiro of the Liceo de Cagayan University Conservatory of Music achieved another international milestone as his original piano composition, "First Light," received its world premiere in Bonn, Germany on June 14, 2026.
The work was performed by acclaimed German concert pianist Susanne Kessel at the historic Pantheon Theater as part of Freiheit! ("Freedom"), a major international composition project commemorating the upcoming 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's death in 2027. The initiative brings together contemporary composers from around the world to explore contemporary concepts of freedom through music.
A composer, arranger, pianist, and educator, Tiro serves as a faculty member of the Liceo Conservatory of Music. He is the sole Filipino invited to participate in the Freiheit! project, a distinction that mirrors his participation in an earlier Beethoven commemorative initiative marking the composer's 250th birth anniversary.
His contribution to that global project earned him the prestigious Ani ng Dangal Award for Music, conferred by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in recognition of outstanding artistic achievements by Filipinos on the international stage.
Composed in response to the project's theme of freedom, "First Light" reflects hope, renewal, and human possibility through music.
The composition is also slated for publication in a forthcoming international anthology by Editions Musica Ferrum, a contemporary music publishing house based in London, United Kingdom. The publication will allow the work to reach wider audiences, performers, and institutions across the globe.
This achievement highlights the growing international presence of the Liceo Conservatory of Music and underscores Liceo de Cagayan University's commitment to excellence in the arts, creative scholarship, and global engagement.
