A virtuoso’s urgent need: Will Forbes tycoons help? /Flamenco program Oct. 24

Herewith is Gilopez Kabayao’s urgent appeal on behalf of virtuoso Chino Guiterrez:

Dear Ms. Orosa,

I was  particularly happy to read  your articles on the need of young artists like pianist Lorenzo Medel for financial support. Without doubt, it is through your column that those who may be in a position to extend support and many others who are willing to see dreams being fulfilled for our young promising musical artists will be well informed, and hopefully, moved to take action. 

Extremely talented Filipino musical artists, even after winning the top prize at the only national music competitions, the NAMCYA, are left on their own to secure scholarships for studies abroad, or to prepare and qualify for competitions in other countries. The NAMCYA and the NCCA are government agencies whose support is for venue, travel or performance grants. 

Why not create a program for the extremely, highly-talented young artists (to be chosen under the highest standard of elimination and selection) — NO politics, hopefully — that would provide the training and preparation that come close to the standard in international competitions, or auditions for acceptance to reputable schools abroad. A 4- to 5-year program, with at least 10 to 12 selected pianists, violinists, cellists, singers, ages 13 to 18, could assure us a ‘fighting chance’ to successfully field better-trained young musicians in competitions and auditions, or at the very least, have something tangible for our young artists to prepare them for a future artistic career. Unless we do something along this line, we will not be able to bring out the best that the highly talented artists are capable of doing while they are young and easy to teach.

I had the privilege of having the young, brilliant Chino Gutierrez, come to Iloilo for extensive coaching and I can say with conviction  that Chino is one of our most promising and exciting violinists who could be a big success in the international concert scene. A prodigy who could play difficult works at 7 or 8, and hailed as a young virtuoso at 16, he amazed me with his musical maturity, technical security, the mastery of his instrument and the passion to learn and perform the great works of the masters. He could practically play anything from the most virtuosic to the most classical, lyrical, romantic, contemporary styles.

Sadly, for the past three years, Chino has been on leave from his studies in Munich at the prestigious State Academy of Music and Theater because his parents could not sustain his studies.  I can personally attest to the fact that Chino still plays as a virtuoso, a hundred times better than when he was last heard in Manila three years ago!  He is ready to give a concert anytime, and even to join major violin competitions in Europe or elsewhere.

Chino said to me, “I am serious about pursuing a career as a concert violinist and I would like to do this for myself as well as for my country. After having made it to Germany, passed the tough auditions and fared pretty well so far, I suppose I am on the right track.  In the future, I hope that I can help cultivate an atmosphere in the Philippines where classical violin playing is viewed as an enviable, lucrative career so that local talents will no longer be siphoned away to other countries or to other professions.”

I would like to share with you the predicament of Chino. 

He finished two years of a Bachelor’s degree program in Violin Performance at the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Munchen, but he has been on leave for the past three semesters.  If he is not able to raise the necessary funds for the spring semester (March, 2014), he will be de-registered permanently from the said school. There are a handful of scholarships available, but most of them are only from the third year onwards.  Once he is back in the program, Chino can work for and apply for scholarships up to the completion of his Bachelors degree.

Here is an estimated budget for Chino’s studies:

I.  Tuition and student fee per year (2 semesters): P56,440

II.  Living Expenses:

Rent, insurance, transportation, phone, food, violin accessories like strings, bow rehairing, leather, school supplies, laundry, clothing, toiletries, household, miscellaneous, etc. P983,638.00 (annually)

TOTAL:  P1,040,072

The tuition and student fees are quite reasonable.  The living expenses, however, come up to so much because Munich is the most expensive city in Germany and its standard of living is very high. 

Of the total amount of P1,040,072 estimated expenses for one year, the amount P461,037 has to be placed right away in Deutsche Bank Sperrkonto (Locked Account) to fulfill the financial requirement of Chino’s visa renewal.  This amount will be reserved and withdrawn only for Chino’s actual tuition and student fees and living expenses during the first semester.  

 To raise funds for Chino’s reentry to his music school in Munich, he will give a solo recital with the theme REVELRY: Live, Love, Dance, on Saturday, November 30, 8 p.m. at the Francisco Santiago Auditorium, BDO Tower 1, Makati with Corazon Pineda Kabayao as collaborating artist.  He will play Ysaye’s Sonata No. 2, Cesar Franck Sonata in A major, Suite Italienne by Stravinsky, Wieniawski’s Polonaise Brilliante in A major, La Deportacion by Dr. Jose Rizal-Kabayao and Tzigane by Ravel. 

I do hope many of your readers and tycoons from the Forbes list will see the value of supporting promising Filipino artists like Chino Gutierrez.