THE BIRTH OF CLASSIC YOUTH ORCHESTRA
The Classic Youth Orchestra (CYO) is a dream come true for Reynaldo “Rey” Abellana. The orchestra had its launching at Centerstage, SM Seaside City last May 29 with Dr. Ingrid Sala Santamaria as its guest pianist. Other guests for the orchestra debut were the Cebu Normal University Chorale and tenor Kelie Kho.
Rey, a violinist, said he is a product of the 10-year Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation CYSO (Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra) development program. When the program reached its 10th year, the group disbanded. The students went their own way, some to professions other than music, while others, like Rey, continued to use what they learned in musical careers they carved for themselves.
Rey played for 10 years in cruise ships and used part of his earnings to buy music instruments for an orchestra he had in mind. Whenever he could, he also attended workshops on orchestra conducted in the cruise ships or in their ports of call. When he came home for good, it was with the idea of setting up an orchestra, an idea shared by his wife Geraldine, a flutist, also a CYSO graduate. In 2011, they set up the Classic Orchestra Music Studio (Coms), with CYSO graduates as music teachers, except for piano which was not taught in the CYSO program.
As the school’s name suggests— Classic Orchestra Music Studio—its main aim is to produce musicians who will be part of an orchestra. The launching of the Classic Youth Orchestra, which marked
the fifth anniversary of the music school, has achieved that aim. There are 70 members of the orchestra with an age range of seven to 18, all students of Coms. Within the orchestra is a Junior Ensemble with 22 members, including its conductor, Arthur John Dale Yap who is the principal violist of the orchestra. Soon to be part of the orchestra are the little fiddlers, ages three to six, who performed Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star at the CYO launching.
Rey believes in exposing his students to other cultures, other conductors. The better ones among them he has brought to other countries. This year, 14 of them went to Cambodia to play with the Angkor Vat and Japan youth orchestras, with the participation of youth orchestra teachers from India and Belgium, for Queen Monica’s 80th birthday on June 20. In August, some six of them will play with the Takasaki youth orchestra in Japan.
By the time these youth orchestra members will be past the “youth” orchestra stage, they will have become seasoned performers and can play with any other orchestra in the country or in the world. In Cebu, Rey said they can become members of the Visayas Symphony Orchestra, of which he is also a part, if they want to pursue their music careers here. Rey adds, “There’s so much (musical) talent in Cebu and it will be a pity if it will just fade away.” Hence his commitment to have an orchestra. “In a sense,” he continues, “this is still a continuation of the Salvador and Pilar Sala CYSO program but this time, we are doing it.” Indeed, the CYSO graduates—not just Rey— have kept the music playing in Cebu.
Bravo!