Prof. Pedro “Edru” R. Abraham, Jr.

Professor Pedro R Abraham Jr graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama & Master of Arts in Art History from the University of the Philippines in Diliman (UPD). Retired since 2012, He continues to serve UPD as a professorial lecturer in the department of Art Studies of the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) where he teaches performing arts history, visual arts history, & Philippine culture & arts studies.

Known professionally as Edru Abraham, he is a familiar figure in the university as the leader of the Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino which he founded in 1989. Popularly recognized as Kontra-GaPi (KG), the troupe was appointed resident ethnic music & dance ensemble of the CAL in 1993. From its beginnings to the present, they have been engaged in performances, lecture-demonstrations, & workshops in music or dance several times a week for a wide variety of audiences and institutions in all types of venues in the Philippines & abroad.

Prof. Abraham began his career as a performing artist with the Filipinescas Dance Company: Philippine Life, Legend & Lore in Dance, founded by Leonor Orosa-Goquingco, a Republic of the Philippines National Artist for Dance. He was part of the company as a dancer, musician & mime-actor from 1965-1971. In 1976, he started his career as an academic in UP at Los Banos where he worked as an instructor in Speech, Theater Arts & Humanities before he transferred to UPD in 1980. From 1976-1981, He served as choreographer & stage director of “Himig ng Lahi – The Story of the Filipino People in Song,” an ensemble whose founder & music director was Felipe Padilla de Leon, yet another National Artist. This production went on several tours of North America from 1979-1981.

He joined the UP Filipiniana Dance Troupe, the university’s resident folkloric company, from 1982 to 1983 on South East Asian tours. With K-G, with other performing groups or by himself alone, he has traveled extensively to Asia, Australia, Europe and North America for concert engagements, lectures & demonstrations, music or dance workshops, & consultations on the arts, Philippine culture and the national heritage.

As a human rights activist, Prof Abraham did residency in 1986 in London, UK with Writers & Scholars Educational Trust, an organization defending freedom of expression worldwide. He continues to this day his advocacies of human rights, the rights of indigenous peoples & ecological conservation by networking, lecturing & performing, at times taking to the streets in rallies & demonstrations.

In 1989, shortly after founding K-G, he formed another troupe- Alay-ani: Tula at Awit sa Bayan at Bayani, highlighting poetry, song & Philippine social realities. Under the auspices of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, this troupe toured all over the archipelago.

From the start of his professional performing career in the mid 1960’s to the present Prof Abraham has participated in various capacities as actor & director, dancer & choreographer, musician, singer & composer, voice talent, narrator, announcer & host-presenter, concept-writer & producer in several hundred productions on stage, film, radio & television.

In 1996, his troupe K-G was awarded the Gawad Chanselor ng UPD signal plaque for exemplary achievement in the performing arts. On several international missions to Asia, Australia, Europe & North America, he and K-G were appointed “Ambassadors of Goodwill for Culture and Arts,” both by the UPD Chancellor & the UP System President. For his relentless pursuit in bringing the cultures of the Philippines to the world, he was hailed “Most Outstanding Artist in the Performing Art for the year 2000” by UP International Award for the Arts. In 2005, he was honored with the title “Defender of our Cultural Heritage” by Fookien Times, a yearly national review, & Star Publications, one of the nation’s leading publishing houses. Prof Abraham sat in the committee on culture of the UNESCO of the Republic of the Philippines United Nations Commission from 2003-2010.

His wife, Rebecca, their son Apollo, & their daughter Astarte, are all highly regarded & successful performing artists.