Celebrated cello prodigy Damodar das Castillo will debut at MiraNila Heritage House in Quezon City Thursday, Sept. 19, 6 p.m. with pianist Mariel Ilusorio in a concert called Strings of Gold.
Built in 1929 by the Benitez family, the historic heritage house declared as a cultural site by the National Historical Commission in 2011 has played host to Philippine presidents, members of Congress, diplomats and cultural luminaries.
In the early 80s, then Sen. Helena Benitez with CCP president Lucrecia Kasilag hosted dinner for Chinese mezzo soprano Liang Ning, the first Chinese singer to sing at La Scala di Milan.
The Sept. 19 concert will feature a newly restored 1904 Steinway New York grand piano considered rare in the Steinway & Sons catalog.
“The 1904 Steinway grand piano will be coming from a year-long restoration by Danilo Lumabi (also Cecile Licad’s Manila tuner). We ordered Steinway parts from Canada and other parts from the U.S. courtesy of pianist Rene Dalandan’s certified Steinway technician,” MiraNila’s Purissima Benitez-Johannot said.
At the onset of MiraNila’s construction in 1929, owner Francisca Tirona Benitez and her cousin architect Gregorio Paredes, conceived the idea of showcasing this instrument with its unusual rococo-style feet.
Paredes trained alongside National Artist Juan Arellano in Philadelphia.
They positioned the piano on an elevated platform at the bottom of an elegantly winding staircase, allowing the expanse of the living room as backdrop to the elegant setting.
Meanwhile, Damodar said he is happy to work anew with Ilusorio who accompanied him in two works by Chopin at the Manila Pianos.
“Ma’am Mariel (Ilusorio) is very musical. She can easily follow my tempo without effort.”
The last time Damodar was heard in a heritage house was in 2019 when he performed at the Nelly Garden in Iloilo City where he received double ovation.
The cellist revealed he is considering scholarship offered by Hochschule für Musik Dresden Carl Maria von Weber. The scholarship was offered after his cello workshop with Prof. Valentin Radutiu who told him he doesn’t have to audition to get the scholarship.
He is also considering scholarship offered by the Menuhin Academy in Rolle, Switzerland and a possible one at Kronberg Academy after a cello masterclass in Kronberg this month.
Earlier at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, he surprised Viennese musicians when he appeared with recitalists in the cello class of Prof. Barbara Lübke-Herzl even before his formal studies could begin.
Fresh from his stint with the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra where the ensemble struck double gold in two festivals for youth orchestras, the cellist said what he learned in the European tour was the importance of team work.
His MiraNila program includes Bach’s Cello Suite No 3; Bach’s Prelude and Chopin’s Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano by Frédéric Chopin, Faye Miravite’s Transcendence, Abelardo’s Cavatina, Mancini’s Moonriver, Richard Roger’s Edelweiss and will end with the first movement of Cello Concerto in B-minor by Antonín Dvořák.
For the Sept. 19 recital, Damodar will use a cello made by George Gerl, a winner in the Luthier Competition in Germany, given by Mr. Ernesto Echauz of Standard Insurance Co. Inc. “With this instrument, I can control the tonal color of the cello and how I wanted it to sound. A very good instrument I must say.”
Twice a recipient of NCCA’s s Ani ng Dangal Award and first prize winner of five international music competitions, Damodar reveals his secret to a good performance: “Work hard and play with music in your heart.”
(Tickets at P1500. Call 0927 277 6335 or 0945-4876827 for seat reservations. Guests are requested to kindly wear soft-soled shoes as these are kinder to old floors.)
