Joaquin ‘Chino’ Gutierrez, last showing
IRECEIVED an invitation to tomorrow’s concert of Joaquin “Chino” Gutierrez from his fairy godmother Ching Montinola. “Poème: A Musical Journey” is a celebration of a love affair with the violin, counting when he first received his toy violin at seven from his grandmother Linda Sebastian to his winning NAMCYA prizes as a tenderfoot.
Chino’s milestone Violin Anniversary concert will introduce our violinist’s rapport and precision with the two sonatas: the charming and the elegant “Grand Duo” by Franz Schubert, then the passionately soaring textured Sonata N0. 2 by Johann Brahms. After intermission, the musical “fireworks” dominate the second half; including the epic ‘Poeme’ by Ernest Chausson – the piece which won Chino his highly prized slot in Salzburg.
Chino is making waves in the international music scene and spoken of in glowing terms to music lovers by conductor-violinist Oscar Yatco, Bolipata, and Kabayao. At 14, Gutierrez was admitted to the State Academy for Music and Theater in Munich, Germany, under Jens Ellermann. His violin education flourished in the same institution under Olga Voitova-Bloch and Christoph Poppen.
Early this year, Chino decided to move on to the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg, and put down as his choice for a teacher Prof. Pierre Amoyal, a violin legend and a top-notch pedagogue whose students always end up as prizewinners in major international competitions. Chino knew how difficult it is to get into his class (like the Biblical challenge of a camel threading the eye of a needle). That is a story in itself.
Coincidentally, Chino also signed on the Singapore International Violin Festival (May to June 2017). In the space asking choices for teachers during the two-week festival, he went for the top 3 teachers in the faculty. Happily, all his three choices were approved, including Pierre Amoyal as his main teacher.
The Singapore experience was providential because it gave Chino a chance to work very closely with Prof. Amoyal. His teaching style complemented Chino’s learning style, they worked well together, they were a “good fit.” It also afforded Prof. Amoyal an opportunity to know Chino and his playing better.
Bel Cunanan (Chino’s other fairy godmother) recounts how Prof. Amoyal lit up when Chino mentioned the Chausson “Poème” among other pieces for his audition at the Mozarteum. He said, “You’re playing Chausson? That’s very difficult – it’s like a concerto. I want to hear it.” While Chino played the entire 15-minute piece, Prof. Amoyal remained quiet. Afterwards, he said, “It’s very, very, VERY good.” Then he turned to Chino’s mother, Baa,bi Gutierrez, who was observing quietly from the corner and said, “Congratulations! You have a wonderful son. His musicality is wonderful; his technique is excellent; he is very intelligent – he really understands what he is playing.”
Prof. Amoyal’s parting advice at the end of the festival was for Chino to play the Chausson piece first for the audition at the Mozarteum because, while the other works demonstrated technique, “the Chausson shows what kind of violinist you are.”
Come the day of the audition at the Mozarteum. Applicants were given seven minutes to play all the required pieces. Chino entered the audition room and faced the violin faculty. He began with Chausson as Prof. Amoyal had instructed. Three minutes into the piece, the department head stopped Chino; and then motioned him to exit the room. “Yes, thank you. We’ve heard all that we need to hear. “
Chino agonized over the results that would be released. He chatted with several artists about his audition: Stopped after only three minutes of playing only one piece. The consensus: either Chino was very good that the faculty needed no further convincing...or very bad that it was pointless to continue.
At 7 pm, Chino summoned courage to go look at the results sheet posted at the door of the audition room. It jumped out from the list of successful applicants: “Gutierrez, Joaquin Maria — teacher: Pierre Amoyal.”
Chino leaves for Salzburg the day after his concert. He invites us to this last chance for more surprises. “I’ll be giving a concert marking both this little success in my life, as well as an equally significant milestone – 20 years playing the violin! I’ll be playing several pieces which are significant to me, but the emotional center of the program will be the Chausson Poème. It’s not just because it’s a beautiful and sublime work of music, but because it represents, for both Chausson and me, an epic journey. Chausson’s inspiration was a text about a Westerner’s travels to the Orient; I am living out my own voyage, though, in my case, from East to West. Hence the title of my concert – ‘Poème: A Musical Journey’.”
Chino’s Anniversary Concert at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, September 23, 2017, at Francisco Santiago Hall, South BDO Tower, Makati. For inquiries and reservations, call Miko at 218 1864 / 0927 4567779 or Jenny at 0916 4401362 / 0917 832 5694. Tickets available at the venue on the day of the concert. FEEDBACK: