VIOLINIST JOSEPH ESMILLA SLATES RECITAL JANUARY 29, 2010
By Pablo A. Tariman
There are many things violinist Joseph Esmilla wanted out of his chest as he figures out a New Year Philamlife recital on January 29, 2010 with pianist Rudolf Pelaez Golez.
He is on a long Manila visit which allowed him to accept an engagement with the PPO ( as soloist in a Sibelius concerto with Piero Gamba in March, 2010) and appear in a CCP 40th anniversary concert that by turns, divided and disconcerted, music lovers on both sides of the political and cultural factions.
“Classical music still needs greater financial and moral support,” he says. “Because in my honest opinion, the quality and standards of performance in the country’s music reflect the soul of a society. But I’d like to think that in order to assure the continued development of culture and the arts in our country, the support has to be devoid of political color.”
Now living in Quezon City after their Valenzuela (Bulacan) home has been subjected to flooding in the late 90s, Esmilla is no stranger to recurrent deluge in Metro Manila. “I empathize with flood victims because this was the reason we left our home in Valenzuela in 2000. Soon after I recorded Sentimyento in July of 2000, I got stranded there and had to secure all our valuables because the house was 50% under water. This time the house was 80% under water.”
He points out:” I really believe that what is happening in the classical music scene is a mirror of what goes on --in far greater scale -- with our government and society. If we really love our country, we have to wake up because the present conditions are not getting any better. I am always very grateful that we still have a decent house, drive around in a modest car and have San Miguel beer in between. What about those who have only have manual skills because of poor standards of public education? This is hard to accept after living in the US for many years. I think Filipinos should not suffer in their own country!”
Esmilla was one of the celebrated violin prodigies in the late 70s in a distinguished batch of classical artists that included Chino, Jaime and Coke Bolipata, pianist Rowena Arrieta and Licad, among others. Earlier honed by Oscar C. Yatco and Basilio Manalo, he was granted a scholarship at The Juilliard School at age 14 where he eventually received his Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees under the tutelage of Dorothy DeLay, Masao Kawasaki and Jens Ellerman.
For eight seasons he was a violinist with the Harrisburg Symphony and played concertmaster for the summer series.His recent engagements include conducting the Shippensburg University Orchestra, chamber music collaboration with the Eaken Piano Trio, performing the violin solos in the Harrisburg Opera production of Lehar's "Paganini", concerto soloist with the Cleveland State University Orchestra, Shippensburg Festival Orchestra, and recitals in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.
How does he sum up classical music in the Philippines after being part of the local concert scene for many years? He replies: “I am happy to see that we still have an active classical music scene. I’d like to give a lot of credit to local music leaders who manage to keep it alive. However as I get older, I gravitate towards viewing a bigger picture.”
The violinist goes on to cite that some 20 to 30 years ago (at least in the Southeast Asian region), Filipino musicians were classical music force to reckon with.
He continues: “In 1979, my father (Prof. Sergio Esmilla, Jr.) conducted the Philippine Youth Orchestra on a highly acclaimed tour of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. My Taiwanese classmates at Juilliard who attended the concert were impressed by this orchestra development program because then, they did not have one of similar caliber. The PYO gave its inaugural in performance in 1975. On that same year, the “El Sistema" which is a Venezuelan music education program that produced the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, was established. This Venezuelan youth orchestra has successfully toured Europe and USA under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, an alumnus of the program, who -- at barely 30 years old -- was recently appointed music director of Los Angeles Philharmonic. Sadly our very own PYO has been inactive since the early 90s. But now, things have changed even in our own region. Go on the internet and you will find big name artists from all over the world appearing regularly with world class orchestras based in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are catching up fast. All of these Asian neighbors used to look up to our classical music performance standards. I would say that it is time for us to look beyond the borders of our country and not just rest on our past laurels.”
Esmilla has recorded a CD of encore pieces entitled Sentimyento released by Bookmark Audio label and Concierto para Trio for Northbranch Records as violinist of Triode, a piano trio. Due to be released is a recording of Brahms and Schumann piano quartets as guest artist with the Eaken Piano Trio. As an avid chamber musician, he was the violinist of Triode, a piano trio, with pianist Albert Tiu and cellist Sean Katsuyama.
He goes on to cite the challenges of chamber music compared to his roles as orchestra soloist.
“To me chamber music is the highest form of musical art. But to succeed in this art form requires finding musicians who are equal partners musically and technically which is a task easier said than done. But once you find them, concertizing becomes not only artistically rewarding but socially a blast!”
(The MCO Foundation presents Joseph Esmilla in a recital with pianist Rudolf Pelaez Golez on January 29,2010, 8 p.m. at the Philamlife Theater, UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila. His program includes Brahms’ Sonatensatz, Kreisler’s Caprice Viennois and Tambourin Chinois, Gershwin-Heifetz excerpts from Porgy and Bess, Sarazate’s Romanza Andaluza, and Polonaise Brillante by Wieniawski. Ticket prices: P1,000 (orchestra center), P800 (orchestra sides), P500 (loge).For early buyer discount and free ticket delivery, please call 3573811 or cell 09065104270.)
Photo Caption: Violinist Joseph Esmilla as he appears on his CD, Sentimyento.
Music News Service
By Pablo A. Tariman
There are many things violinist Joseph Esmilla wanted out of his chest as he figures out a New Year Philamlife recital on January 29, 2010 with pianist Rudolf Pelaez Golez.
He is on a long Manila visit which allowed him to accept an engagement with the PPO ( as soloist in a Sibelius concerto with Piero Gamba in March, 2010) and appear in a CCP 40th anniversary concert that by turns, divided and disconcerted, music lovers on both sides of the political and cultural factions.
“Classical music still needs greater financial and moral support,” he says. “Because in my honest opinion, the quality and standards of performance in the country’s music reflect the soul of a society. But I’d like to think that in order to assure the continued development of culture and the arts in our country, the support has to be devoid of political color.”
Now living in Quezon City after their Valenzuela (Bulacan) home has been subjected to flooding in the late 90s, Esmilla is no stranger to recurrent deluge in Metro Manila. “I empathize with flood victims because this was the reason we left our home in Valenzuela in 2000. Soon after I recorded Sentimyento in July of 2000, I got stranded there and had to secure all our valuables because the house was 50% under water. This time the house was 80% under water.”
He points out:” I really believe that what is happening in the classical music scene is a mirror of what goes on --in far greater scale -- with our government and society. If we really love our country, we have to wake up because the present conditions are not getting any better. I am always very grateful that we still have a decent house, drive around in a modest car and have San Miguel beer in between. What about those who have only have manual skills because of poor standards of public education? This is hard to accept after living in the US for many years. I think Filipinos should not suffer in their own country!”
Esmilla was one of the celebrated violin prodigies in the late 70s in a distinguished batch of classical artists that included Chino, Jaime and Coke Bolipata, pianist Rowena Arrieta and Licad, among others. Earlier honed by Oscar C. Yatco and Basilio Manalo, he was granted a scholarship at The Juilliard School at age 14 where he eventually received his Bachelors and Masters of Music degrees under the tutelage of Dorothy DeLay, Masao Kawasaki and Jens Ellerman.
For eight seasons he was a violinist with the Harrisburg Symphony and played concertmaster for the summer series.His recent engagements include conducting the Shippensburg University Orchestra, chamber music collaboration with the Eaken Piano Trio, performing the violin solos in the Harrisburg Opera production of Lehar's "Paganini", concerto soloist with the Cleveland State University Orchestra, Shippensburg Festival Orchestra, and recitals in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.
How does he sum up classical music in the Philippines after being part of the local concert scene for many years? He replies: “I am happy to see that we still have an active classical music scene. I’d like to give a lot of credit to local music leaders who manage to keep it alive. However as I get older, I gravitate towards viewing a bigger picture.”
The violinist goes on to cite that some 20 to 30 years ago (at least in the Southeast Asian region), Filipino musicians were classical music force to reckon with.
He continues: “In 1979, my father (Prof. Sergio Esmilla, Jr.) conducted the Philippine Youth Orchestra on a highly acclaimed tour of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. My Taiwanese classmates at Juilliard who attended the concert were impressed by this orchestra development program because then, they did not have one of similar caliber. The PYO gave its inaugural in performance in 1975. On that same year, the “El Sistema" which is a Venezuelan music education program that produced the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, was established. This Venezuelan youth orchestra has successfully toured Europe and USA under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, an alumnus of the program, who -- at barely 30 years old -- was recently appointed music director of Los Angeles Philharmonic. Sadly our very own PYO has been inactive since the early 90s. But now, things have changed even in our own region. Go on the internet and you will find big name artists from all over the world appearing regularly with world class orchestras based in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are catching up fast. All of these Asian neighbors used to look up to our classical music performance standards. I would say that it is time for us to look beyond the borders of our country and not just rest on our past laurels.”
Esmilla has recorded a CD of encore pieces entitled Sentimyento released by Bookmark Audio label and Concierto para Trio for Northbranch Records as violinist of Triode, a piano trio. Due to be released is a recording of Brahms and Schumann piano quartets as guest artist with the Eaken Piano Trio. As an avid chamber musician, he was the violinist of Triode, a piano trio, with pianist Albert Tiu and cellist Sean Katsuyama.
He goes on to cite the challenges of chamber music compared to his roles as orchestra soloist.
“To me chamber music is the highest form of musical art. But to succeed in this art form requires finding musicians who are equal partners musically and technically which is a task easier said than done. But once you find them, concertizing becomes not only artistically rewarding but socially a blast!”
(The MCO Foundation presents Joseph Esmilla in a recital with pianist Rudolf Pelaez Golez on January 29,2010, 8 p.m. at the Philamlife Theater, UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila. His program includes Brahms’ Sonatensatz, Kreisler’s Caprice Viennois and Tambourin Chinois, Gershwin-Heifetz excerpts from Porgy and Bess, Sarazate’s Romanza Andaluza, and Polonaise Brillante by Wieniawski. Ticket prices: P1,000 (orchestra center), P800 (orchestra sides), P500 (loge).For early buyer discount and free ticket delivery, please call 3573811 or cell 09065104270.)
Photo Caption: Violinist Joseph Esmilla as he appears on his CD, Sentimyento.
Music News Service
