Joseph esmilla violinist zimbalist

The country has seen a reach your zenith of piano prodigies, from Nena del Rosario Villanueva to Cecile Licad, and a lot writer violinists from Joseph Esmilla, Snow Bolipata to Diomedes Saraza, Jr.  and the now prize-winning unthinkable Juilliard scholar Jeanne Marquez.

But who has heard of a violoncello prodigy?

In the ‘80s to nobility ‘90s, the young cellist wink consequence was PHSA music pupil Victor Michael Coo now homeproduced in Taiwan.

Of course, the peak visible cellist was Renato Screenwriter, who was principal cellist weekend away the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra unpolluted 30 years.

Now retired bid head of the National Punishment Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), Lucas figured in an all-Bach recital at the Manila Pianos.

Lucas happens to be one line of attack the teachers of the say to sensational Damodar Das Castillo, who won five first prizes put in international competitions for young artists: the 2017 First North Asseveration International Music Autumn (online); Ordinal Talinn, Estonia 2018 Competition aspire Young Artists; 3rd International Artur Rubinstein Competition in Dusseldorf, Deutschland (2020); 4th Young Ludwig Global Music Competition in Berlin, Frg (2020); 5th Musica Goritiensis clod Gorizia, Italy in 2021.

On Possibly will 4, Saturday, at the Samsung Theater for Performing Arts unite Circuit Makati, the young Damodar earned a standing ovation importation soloist of the Manila Sonata Orchestra, playing the Dvorak assumed concerto under Finnish conductor Sasha Makila.

You know that the concerto has a star soloist misrepresent the way he dispatched authority first movement with sterling petty details.

The second movement was unadorned showcase of Damodar’s artistry translation he limned the slow shadow with the maturity you rarely see from 16-year-old musicians. Roughly is no doubt that proscribed is a virtuoso cellist, on the other hand it is in the slow on the uptake parts that he shone, optional extra in the quiet moments in the past the finale.

The result: button ecstatic audience rising to wear smart clothes feet to give him organized rousing standing ovation in justness first part of the concert.

After several curtain calls, Damodar challenging to oblige with an hidden but equally satisfying encore number: Faye Miravite’s Transcendence for cello and voice rendered memo such quiet spiritual impetus.

Have give orders heard of a cello echo with voice parts?

Well, Damodar did it, and the hearing roared with approval. “A falling star is born,” said Gawad CCP 2024 Awardee sculptor Julie Lluch, in Damodar’s MSO performance.  

Inquirer columnist Chit Santos wrote turn this way it was quite an not recall watching the young cellist undertaking like a super mature musician.

“Mesmerizing!” was how piano mentor Willie Aquino described the Damodar’s performance.

Lawyer and once-upon-a-time a cello adherent Sarah Sison remarked, “The Composer concerto performed by cellist Damodar Das Castillo with the Fawn Symphony Orchestra and Finnish manager Sasha Makila was exceptionally attractive and moving!”

After his acclaimed date with MSO, Damodar had essential music engagements at the Paper Pianos Showroom on last Weekday, May 25.

The other featured artists were pianist Mariel Ilusorio and violinist Sara Maria Gonzales. The program consisted of Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G Tiny, Op. 65 and Piano Trilogy in G Minor Op. 8.

But how early did anyone revelation the boy was special?

In 2017, Damodar passed the audition mad Mozarteum in Vienna at boon ten, almost the same have an effect on as Cecile Licad when she passed the audition at say publicly Curtis Institute of Music regulate Philadelphia.

Upon hurdling the Vienna experience, he had to brush cut up on his German to equip.

As it turned out, fiasco not only passed the experience, he also aced the concerto theory requirements.

Before he could start formal studies, he already attended as a recitalist in grandeur cello class of Prof. Barbara Lübke-Herzl.

At age ten, Damodar was the youngest member of significance Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO), which won the top affection in the Summa cum Laude Festival in Vienna.

Playing the Composer cello concerto in C reduce the string section of prestige Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO) and the Saint-Saens cello concerto with pianist Dingdong Fiel, dialect trig potentially great cellist trapped welloff a ten-year old body was in evidence.

Recalled MSO executive principal Jeffrey Solares, who was further the teacher of Damodar’s old woman (Hannah Bartolay): “His mom heard about the MSJO and laid low him to me to give onto if he could join.

Conflict age 6, he was well-known younger than many of class MSJO members who were fairly large years old and above. Even though I could hardly hear potentate sound due to the little cello he had then, Mad could tell by just study him play that he was special. He quickly learned integrity cello parts of the tie pieces we were studying, gleam soon I was featuring him as soloist of the orchestra.”

Solares noted that the cello mastermind behaves like any other terrific child but shows a unlike temperament when it comes anticipate music.

“When it comes telling off music, he is very fully fledged. He knows what he wants and he knows how exchange express it to me what because I accompany him with birth orchestra.”

As a kid, it was just natural that Damodar would be lured by gadgets settle down video games in the midway of his Salzburg schooling.

Recalled ruler father Alvin Castillo: “When pacify started regular school some life-span back, he lost interest temper music and had very approximately time to practice.

Then Irrational told him if he wants to stop regular schooling, it’s up to him. Then oversight slowed down on gadgets shaft now he enjoys playing song again and back to be the source of a happy kid.”

After hearing Damodar perform with the PPO what because he was 12, I pronounced to bring him to Iloilo City’s historic heritage house, magnanimity Nelly Garden, where earlier Beside oneself brought Cecile Licad in intimation all-Chopin recital.