"Nasaan Ka Irog," "Magbalik Ka Hirang," and "Himutok" were among his works. Nicanor Abelardo died in 1934 at the age of 41, leaving behind a collection of over 140 works and a familial legacy that lives on today. Abelardo was born on January 4th, 1871 in San Francisco de Malabon, Philippines. He was baptized as an infant and raised by his parents who were both musicians. His father was a drummer for the Spanish army who later worked as a bandmaster for the municipal police force. Young Nicanor showed an interest in music from an early age and decided to pursue it professionally. He studied under several prominent musicians including his father and Antonio Lopez. In 1889, he moved to Manila where he became one of the first students at the newly established University of Santo Tomas. Here he continued his studies under German professors who had come to the country to teach music at the university. In 1893, Abelardo graduated with a bachelor's degree in music. He then went back home to run the family business but soon decided to move to Europe where the future of music was being shaped by new ideas and trends. He traveled throughout Spain and France playing bar songs for a living and in 1900 settled down in Paris where he could focus on writing music full time.