At 25, MCO launches Great Performances Series

When young and impatient journalists who grew up using notebook computers instead of typewriters, and digital voice recorders instead of bulky tape recorders, linger after a live musical performance to savor a frank and rare exchange with Filipino artists, one could be given general absolution for the heretic thought that there is hope for classical music in the Philippines. On the other hand, older journalists who have had opportunities to travel and experience vibrant classical music abroad were mentally transported either to the Alice Tully Hall of the Lincoln Center in Manhattan or one of the medieval chapels in the heart of Prague converted into intimate chamber music halls, as the soaring symphonies of three classical musicians filled the room. The occasion was the press conference for the launching of the Manila Chamber Orchestra (MCO) Foundation’s “Great Performances Series 2010" to mark its 25th year in promoting classical music and cultural arts in the Philippines. Established in 1985 as a non-stock, non-profit institution, the MCO Foundation has had numerous notable performances in various concert halls and universities, and has held lecture series on the arts for business executives.

Three internationally famous Filipino musicians – violinist Joseph Esmilla who performed Piazolla’s “Tango No. 3," Rudolf Golez who rendered Chopin’s “Military Polonaise," and cellist Victor Coo who played Abelardo’s “Cavatina" – mesmerized the harried journalists as they gave a preview of their ground-breaking performance for the series. Camila Angeli R. Nacino, MCO Foundation executive director, said the Great Performances Series 2010 begins with the concert “Trio con Brio" featuring the very first appearance together of Esmilla, Golez, and Coo on Sept. 5 at the Philamlife Theater. On Oct. 10, the second concert in the series will have the Singapore-based Filipino pianist Albert Tiu and Chinese cellist Qin Li Wei, considered to be the next Yo-yo Ma, in “Duo Concertante." Nacino said the two will play the music of Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff. Cellist Qin will also hold a rare master class to top five young Filipino cellists at the Philamlife Theater on Oct. 8, from 9:00 to 12:00 noon. The master class will be open to the public. Trio con Brio Nacino describes the Trio con Brio concert as “an evening of piano, cello, and violin -- featuring some of the most beautiful piano trios that encompass the whole music generation." The concert repertoire includes Joseph Haydn’s “Piano Trio in C," Johannes Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1," and Astor Piazolla’s and Ludwig Van Beethoven’s selected works. Many young Filipinos may not have heard of Esmilla, Golez, and Coo but on the international stage, the three are renowned musicians. Esmilla, considered by critics as one of the finest violinists of his generation, started violin lessons at age five with his father, Sergio Z. Esmilla, Jr. At 14, he was granted a scholarship at The Juilliard School where he eventually received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. While doing post-graduate work in violin and chamber music with Felix Galimir at the Mannes College of Music, he won the concerto competition and performed the Bruch G minor concerto. He pursued professional studies in violin and chamber music with Arnold Steinhardt and John Dalley of the Guarneri Quartet, and participated in various festivals including the International Summer Academy at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Esmilla has performed extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician in the Philippines, the US, Germany, Austria, Malaysia, and South Korea. During the past eight seasons, Esmilla has been a violinist with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. He has taught at the University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, Towson University, Elizabethtown College, and at the Shippensburg University as music director and conductor of the University/Community orchestra for the 2007-2008 season. Golez, who started piano lessons at the age of four with his mother, held his first concert at age 10. At age 13, Golez pursued serious music training at The Juilliard School under Seymour Lipkin. He studied further in Graz, Austria and completed his Master in Music Performance degree at the UP Diliman. One of the youngest piano virtuosi in the country today, Golez won at the Chopin International Piano competition in Kuala Lumpur in 2004. Recently, he made his debut performance at the Cultural Center of the Philippines with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under Conductor Cristobal Halffter, playing De Falla’s most impressionistic work “Nights in the Gardens of Spain." Cellist Coo holds a doctorate in Musical Arts in Cello Performance from the Michigan State University, a Master of Music degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from Columbia Union College, in Takoma Park, Maryland. Coo has performed with the New England Youth Ensemble as principal cellist and soloist at the Carnegie Hall in New York and The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. He has toured with the group in many parts of Europe and even as far as South Africa. As a chamber music enthusiast, Coo has collaborated with well-known artists such as Ilya Kaler, Yuri Gandelsman, Yizhak Schotten, and Richard Sherman. He also participated in festivals such as the Cello Plus series in Michigan, Sarasota Music Festival in Florida, and the International Workshops in Graz, Austria. Married to a Taiwanese, Coo recently moved to Taiwan where he is an active soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. He is a faculty member of several schools in Taiwan including the Soochow University and Tainan University of Technology, where he is also a member of the faculty string quartet. Classical music for everyone Asked to comment on their “ultimate goal as classical artists," Golez said they always hope to perform before the widest possible audience. Unfortunately, he says that in the Philippines, “it takes time for us to experience this because in the country, classical music is perceived as a genre for the elite." Golez disputes this and says, “contrary to this misconception, classical music is for everyone." He added, “It can only be realized if government would focus more on music education." Esmilla, who is not based in the US, agrees with Golez. “To achieve our goals as musicians, and to educate the audience, we have to unify our resources. We just have a very small community, thus we need to work together," he said. The bespectacled cellist Coo piped in, “Classical music is like a type of food. Some people didn’t have the chance to experience or taste it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will not like it. Through the years and despite many constraints, the MCO Foundation has remained active in the cultural and arts scene, and is highly esteemed by the art-loving community in the Philippines. MCO Foundation Chairman Baltazar Endriga laments, “classical artists study for many years, they even go abroad to further their knowledge on music, but back in the country, they are underappreciated. We need the generous support of more individuals to promote great talents and educate the audience about the importance of classical music in developing culture and the arts." – YA, GMANews.TV