at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul)
I was in Grade 5 at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Victorias City, Philippines, when I first heard him play. He was on the stage of our school's gymnasium playing the violin while his wife was on the piano accompanying him. He played classical music pieces as well as popular compositions. He also gave us lessons about the violin and music tempos, which I appreciated as, at that time, I was taking piano lessons during the weekends.
and Ambassador Luis Cruz)
Our school's visitors that day were the internationally renowned violinist, Gilopez Kabayao, and his wife and pianist, Corazon Pineda-Kabayao. Their visit was part of their campaign to bring classical music to everyone in the countryside.
Looking back, I think all of the students enjoyed the afternoon's mini-concert, not only because of this special occasion but also because everyone was out of their classrooms like it was recess! Any reason to be out of the classroom was always a cause to celebrate! Ha-ha-ha!
After the mini-concert, when we returned to our classroom, Miss Rebecca Maroma, our English teacher, asked us to write something about the musical performance. I remember writing three paragraphs with a few sentences and with the words 'excellent', 'magnificent', and 'music that can lull you to sleep' finding their way into my essay.
A few days after that, Miss Maroma told me and my mom that the Maestro picked three essays written by the students about his visit; one was mine! He wanted to get the original copies but since it wasn't allowed, Miss Maroma gave him photocopies instead.
corps who became his fans that night)
And in April 2012, Maéstro Gilopez Kabayao, accompanied by his family and a protegé, held another concert at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, with the diplomatic corps as the audience!
And on that spring evening, the grade school student, whose essay caught the Maestro's attention, was finally reunited with him!
The Kabayao Family came to Korea in the spring of 2012 because Jimmy Tagala, Jr., the maestro's protegé, competed at the Seoul International Music Competition. And thanks to the Philippine Ambassador Luis Cruz and the Embassy's cultural attaché Mylo Fausto, we were treated to an enchanting evening of beautiful music.
Joining the Maestro and Mrs. Kabayao were their daughters Sicilienne and Farida, who were are both accomplished violinists themselves.
their Filipino audience members)
With the Kabayao family playing classical compositions like Brahms' Scherzo and Sonata No. 3 in D Minor for violin and piano, Mendelssohn's Trio in D Major, and Wieniawski's Legende, and Jimmy with Ravel's Tzigane, you could just imagine the enjoyment of the Filipinos and the international guests.
One of the pieces that I especially liked that evening was the Kabayao Family Quartet's interpretation of Nais Ko, a Ryan Cayabyab composition popularized by Basil Valdez.
his coffee table book)
Gilopez Kabayao is a legend in Philippine music. He had played in famous concert halls of the world, including the Carnegie Hall where he was the first Filipino to do so. He has volumes of violin recordings and was a Magsaysay Awardee in 1972 (the Magsaysay Award is the Asian version of the Nobél Prize).
As they say, music brings everyone together. And that evening, music brought the Maestro and that grade school student together again.
And decades after the Maestro received a grade school student's essay about his music, this time, it was the other way around...
