On this CD, Olivia Villa-Real lures you into her world as she says—“Let me fill you with the magic of my songs and transport you to a dream that only the soul can understand. As my fingers caress each ivory key, let me touch your heart—liltingly but softly—like the jeweled dewdrops that wake the lilies to a newborn day!” Olivia Villa-Real is a soprano, pianist, composer and author. Born in Manila, Philippines, she not only sings in a variety of Filipino dialects, but also in different European languages like Italian, French, German and Spanish. Her classical vocal repertoire includes arias from operas and oratorios, art songs, ethnic songs and her own original music. As a pianist, she is impassioned by works of Chopin, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and other great masters, as well as her own. She has performed in several concert halls in the U.S. and abroad, including two major solo concerts at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center, the latest one of which was a benefit concert for the homeless of the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles. She teaches Piano and Voice and maintains a studio in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA. She belongs to the Music Teachers Association of California and the National Guild of Piano Teachers, which is a division of the American College of Musicians. She actively participates in programs linked with these organizations as well as the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. She is also a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, American Guild of Variety Artists, Screen Actors Guild, AmericanFederation of Television and Radio Artists, and American Federation of Musicians.Olivia Villa-Real has created a trilogy that centers on the heart. The first in the trilogy is a novel titled The Velvet Thorn. In reference to the novel, literary critic Sheila Deeth comments “love can surely make a thorn out of the beloved, able to hurt like nobody else can!” Nevertheless, it is love that sheathes the thorn’s sharpness, allowing the beloved to endure the pain as it is lodged in the heart to no end.“Stirrings of the Heart” is the second part of the trilogy. It is a collection of fourteen music pieces, ten of which are Olivia Villa-Real’s vocal and piano classical compositions. It is here that she is able to speak to you from her heart because she is able to share with you two of her greatest passions that are at the very core of her existence—music and writing. The third in the trilogy is titled “Murm’rings of the Heart. ” It is a collection of her very best verse poetry, prose poetry and songs, scheduled for publication in late 2014.On this CD, Olivia Villa-Real composed the words and music of all of the songs, except four. She also arranged a medley (Track No. 7), incorporating the theme from Francis Lai’s “Love Story” with her own original composition, “Reverie.” In Track No. 5, she accompanies herself at the piano as she sings her original composition, “Twilight Prayer”.The following is a heart-warming message she addresses to everyone: It is with deepest joy and eagerness that I share my music with all of you today. I’ve always believed that my purpose in life is to be able to inspire people, and even for a brief moment, elevate them to a level above their daily concerns. And one powerful vehicle that would allow me to achieve this is Music. Music empowers the body and invigorates the spirit. It speaks in a language all its own, encompassing the vastness and depths of every human emotion, recognizing no barrier that separates mankind. It is God’s gift that all of us can enjoy, and what better way to give back to the Giver of this gift than to make sure that every life is made whole by sharing it with everyone. Though each of us is but a speck in the scheme of human existence, every one of us is important. In the absence of one, the whole landscape is incomplete. But with each one sharing in the gifts that we receive, the whole landscape will glow in beauty and its luster will last forever. So, I invite you all to share in the stirrings of my heart, and allow me to take you to a realm untouched by worldly cares, and immerse you in the world of music with all its power and magic! Lastly, allow me to share with you the following poem. It is for you all that I have written this—to inspire you and make you whole! There Is....When winter drapes the earth with snow,There’s music.When rain refreshes the sun-baked desert,There’s music.When the breeze sings through your hair,There’s music. Music is in every heart that loves,And love is in every heart that sees God! When I place a tender kiss upon your forehead,There’s music.When I sing a hurting child to sleep,There’s music.When I cheer a lonely man to life,There’s music.Where there is music, there is love.And where there is love, there is God! ©2013 Olivia Villa-RealMay God bless you all!Olivia Villa-Real