Gonzalo and April Misa began their collaboration in 2005 as students at the University of the Philippines. Since then, they have cultivated a partnership that has led to performances at the Philippine Women’s University as graduate students, as well as concerts across Southeast Asia, including recitals in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Gonzalo Noel Villanueva Misa, a guitarist with a Doctor of Philosophy in Music, Major in Music Performance (Guitar) from the Philippine Women’s University, has performed as a guest artist at the Saigon International Guitar Festival, Silpakorn International Guitar Festival, Manila Guitar Fest, Asia International Guitar Festival, Asian Youth Guitar Camp, and Southeast Asia Guitar Festival and Performance Awards, among others. He was also a prizewinner, earning second place in the Singapore 11th International Guitar Festival and Competition in 2013. Currently, he is a full-time instructor at Silliman University College of Performing and Visual Arts, teaching Music Theory, Music History, and Guitar.

April Merced-Misa, a pianist born and raised in the Philippines, trained with some of the country’s best mentors. She honed her craft from an early age, studying on full scholarship at the Philippine High School for the Arts. She has won several competitions, notably the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) and two concerto competitions, paving the way for her orchestral debut playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto in B-flat minor. Other notable performances include Beethoven’s Piano Concerto in C Major with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under Maestro Tetsuji Honna, as well as collaborations with Japanese musicians such as the 1966 Quartet, Hiroko Kokubu Trio, and violinist Lina Matsuda. She also ventured into songwriting with her composition Pag-ibig, featuring lyrics by Philippine writer and poet Dr. Vim Nadera, which won the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ Timpalak Kundiman. April is currently an Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of the Philippines College of Music.

The duo has embraced the challenges of blending piano and guitar by performing and arranging idiomatically written works to preserve their acoustic integrity. They occasionally incorporate electric keyboards for practical balance and effects and enjoy exploring other combinations such as pianica and guitar duets to add variety and levity to their performances.