Socorro de Castro
A graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, major in Jazz Composition/Arranging with piano as principal instrument, Socorro also went to UCLA to study Film Scoring. A world class multi-keyboardist, she captured the Grand Prix in the INTERNATIONAL YAMAHA ELECTONE GRAND PRIX CONCOURSE in Japan representing the U.S.A. after winning First Prize in the NATIONAL YAMAHA ELECTONE ORGAN FESTIVAL in Houston, Texas. She went on to do concert tours in her home country upon the invitation of the Philippine Government in association with the Department of Tourism and back in the US as a Yamaha artist. Upon returning to Manila in the 80s she subsequently gained recognition as composer/arranger/producer/musical director/accompanist for such top artists of the country as Fourplay, Apo Hiking Society, Gary Valenciano, Joey Albert, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Leah Navarro, Nonoy Zuniga, Janet Basco, Sharon Cuneta, Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez. She went on to distinguish herself as leader of her own jazz and Top 40 bands.
Now a long-time California resident, Socorro, in addition to her numerous songwriting and commercial credits, along with her husband, keyboardist Norman Landsberg, run Landsberg Music Productions, a full service music production company providing music direction, compositions and arrangements for album productions, live performances, as well as scoring for commercials and films such as Ramona S. Diaz’ award-winning documentary, Spirits Rising.
Her husband is also part of America's top piano duo, Landsberg & Yount . He has just come out with his new cd, Manny Moka, a latin funk jazz album featuring some of bay area's top musicians including some members from the band, Santana .
Because of their association with the finest musicians in the San Francisco bay area, Socorro and Norman are often called upon to provide bands for visiting Filipino artists such as Samantha, Jun Polistico, Regine Velasquez, Ariel Rivera, Janno Gibbs, Verni Varga, Jose Mari Chan, Ogie Alcasid, Aiza Seguerra, Roselle Nava, Rosanna Roces, Ai Ai, Dessa, Geneva Cruz, Jessa Zaragosa, the Bubble Gang, the Hunks and Fe de los Reyes.
Socorro had the recent distinction of writing the first english hit song for singer/songwriter Ogie Alcasid, entitled "HELLO", and being musical director of the Filipino Women's Network (FWN) production of award-winning playwright Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues from 2004-2007 in San Francisco and in NY in 2006 upon the invitation of the author herself for the 10th anniversary of the show.
In 2008, she was invited to perform at the 3rd Philippine International Jazz Festival in Manila with an array of international jazz artists including Lee Ritenour, Omar Sosa and Incognito. She also performed with the world-famous Kruger Brothers at the Bluegrass Festival, "Carolina in the Fall" along with country, bluegrass, folk music legends of the country. Last year, her jazz trio performed at the 2nd Annual SF Philippine-American Jazz Festival.
She is currently working on a new cd of original music and other projects. Her new instrumental single entitled "The Audacity of Hope", a tribute to President Barack Obama, is available now on cdbaby.com, and iTunes joining her already released original album, "SOCORRO" on lamp88 records.