Livermore Public Library invites the community to celebrate Filipino American History Month and experience the vibrant sounds of traditional Filipino music with a performance by Kulintang Dialect on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the Civic Center Library, 1188 S. Livermore Ave. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Kulintang Dialect is a traditional five-instrument kulintang ensemble that performs classic works primarily from the musical lineage of the late kulintang master artist, Danongan Kalanduyan, as well as original compositions by musician and author Conrad J. Benedicto. The group honors the traditional kulintang music passed down by Kalanduyan while exploring new ways for the music to develop and find expression within the Filipino American experience.
Benedicto studied with Kalanduyan from 1997 to 2016 and twice served as his apprentice through the Alliance for California Traditional Arts’ apprenticeship program. In 2018, Benedicto received an individual artist grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission to compose original kulintang music for a project that became Kulintang Dialect.
The ensemble’s first album, Roots/Offshoots, features its distinctive combination of traditional and original kulintang music. Its second album, Kulintang Dialogue, was released in May 2026. Visit https://kulintangdialect.com for more information.
In addition to his work as a musician, Benedicto is an author and educator based in San Francisco. His travel writing has appeared in Positively Filipino Magazine, and his first novel, Musalaya’s Gift, was published by KulArts in 2021. He earned a master’s degree in music composition for kulintang from San Francisco State University in 2026. Benedicto also teaches at Balboa High School and directs the Wilderness Arts and Literacy Collaborative, an environmental education program serving two San Francisco high schools.
This performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Livermore Public Library as part of the Library’s Authors & Arts Series and is presented in celebration of Filipino American History Month.
For more information, call 925-373-5500, visit library.livermoreca.gov, or follow the Livermore Public Library on social media.
