The Violin Princess

CEBU, Philippines - Princess Christine Ybañez always “strives to be deviant.” It was this same pursuit that made her single out the violin from all other musical instruments.

“Violin wasn't a common instrument back then and I thought it produced such a nice sound,” the techno-violinist said.

Princess, 24, hails from Mandaue City. She first picked up a violin when she was nine years old and never look back since then. She carried her love for the instrument through school and no, she didn’t have to sacrifice one for the other. In fact, music, Princess admitted, has been her destressor in school.

“Music actually helped me get through school (even) financially,” she pointed out.

Princess joined their university choir so she could get a full scholarship. She took up music with the defunct Peace Philharmonic Philippines, now Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra development program. In her free time, she taught violin lessons and played gigs. Through all these, Princess graduated from the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus with a BS Nursing degree.

Appearing in competitions since she was 12, her biggest accomplishment to date is bagging 1st place in an international student convention in Lynchburg City, Virginia, USA . That, and auditioning for Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT), a talent show on ABS-CBN.

“It was exhilarating, a once in a lifetime experience,” Princess shared.

She played Vanessa Mae’s “Storm”, the techno version of Summer Presto by Antonio Vivaldi on PGT’s auditions aired on March 20, 2010. She wowed the judges as she played her French violin, Lolo choco.

“I probably won't be able to play as nicely on other violins. He’s (Lolo choco) very special since he's the only inanimate object I have a personal relationship with,” she confessed.

She got her Lolo choco ten years ago in the US. The violin was made in the 1900s thus was named lolo (grandfather) , and is brown “like chocolate".

Princess unfortunately didn’t make it to the second screening of the said show. ABS-CBN according to Princess apologized for not being able to contact her before the screening date. Nevertheless, Princess treasured that experience.

“It's something I could share with my grandchildren so they would think what an awesome Lola I was. Like, when I was young and pretty I was on national TV!"

A dedicated musician, Princess takes lessons from Philharmonic former concertmaster Denise Santos-Huang even when she became a featured soloist of Manila Philharmonic; and although armed with a nursing degree, Princess didn’t want to stop playing the violin altogether. 

“I started playing when I was so young, so that it feels like I don't remember a time when I wasn't playing,” she said, adding that playing the violin is in her system, hard to get rid of.

Living the life of a musician in the Philippines where there isn’t much regard for classical music is a “rollercoaster of a whole lot of things”. Princess admitted it was pure passion, emotional, creative, and spiritual.

“It’s tough but it's exciting and I just wanna keep on going,” she concluded.

As for aspiring musicians who want to live playing with their very own Lolo choco Princess has only one thing to say: “Practice.” (FREEMAN)