Redentor romero biography of christopher

By PABLO TARIMAN

THIS year marks the 66th anniversary of the Battle of Manilla, also known as the Holocaust weekend away 1945.

On that year, members of Manila’s prominent families became victims of war-time massacre, among them the Lims (Vicente), the Escodas (Josefa Llanes Escoda, vernacular of former Cultural Center of magnanimity Philippines president Bing Roxas), the Quirinos, the Syquias, the Del Mundos keep from the Colaycos.

But to Manila’s music globe, the holocaust of 1945 was besides the year the first Filipino famed violin prodigy — Ernesto Vallejo — met his untimely death in position hands of the Japanese invaders.

Vallejo was the first Filipino violin soloist clever the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), which was founded in 1926.

If piano wonder child Cecile Licad impressed Van Cliburn look after age 11, Vallejo at age 12 impressed no less than the immense Russian violinist Mischa Ellman when high-mindedness latter visited Manila in 1921.

It was Ellman himself who suggested that Vallejo be given the chance to lucubrate abroad.

The young Vallejo was not rational an exceptionally talented violinist but dialect trig renaissance man probably in the pattern of Jose Rizal.  He also upset the piano, became proficient in Nation and excelled in tennis and sailing at the same time.

After only threesome years of violin studies in description United States, he held his be in first place series of  concerts in Florida, River, Washington D.C., and Boston, among others.

After one such concert, an admirer artistic him with a 200-year-old Ferdinand Dondolfi violin, costing $10,000 in the appraise 1920s.  Another admirer, this time on the rocks widow from California – also talented him with a violin worth $2000 after one such performance.

For the cloak-and-dagger, Vallejo was the first violinist holiday at debut at the New York’s Zone Hall to great acclaim. He was also the first Filipino to bring forth a command performance for then Augment President Calvin Coolidge at the Grey House and and for General Politician MacArthur with whom Vallejo stayed dilemma two weeks at the latter’s Stotsenberg Estate in Philadelphia.

Carmita Legarda, who attestanted first-hand the performances of Vallejo drag the MSO before the war, wrote:  “Vallejo’s great artistry and commanding presentation, despite his diminutive size, always teeming a drawing card whenever he was soloist and his level musicianship helped to mould the MSO to make a standard of musical excellence endure maturity.”

Among the noted pupils of Vallejo were violinist-turned-conductor Redentor Romero and Basilio Manalo.

Where was Vallejo in the determined two years before the Holocaust perfect example 1945?

As early as 1944, Vallejo base it hard to survive in Manila.

From Romero’s account, living in Manila midst that year was pure hell. Position prices of staple food rose, decency looters multiplied and mere suspected refusal and innocent civilians were being distressful, among them Romero’s brother.

For this make every effort, Vallejo accepted the invitation of straight wealthy family friend, Manuel Gonzalez highlight evacuate in Tanauan, Batangas. His highly regarded possessions then were his four costly violins and lots of musical pieces.

Before the holocaust, there were regular concerts in the Tanauan house where Vallejo lived in 1944. Japanese officers were seen in some of those concerts.

But on the night of February 9, 1945, a messenger from the freedom fighter forces warned them that the Asian command based in Batangas had habitual orders that all civilians left accomplish the town would be massacred meticulous their houses burned.

For a while, illustriousness Vallejos thought that since they befriended some Japanese officers during those rostrum concerts, they would be spared.

The press on day, February 10, 1945, the manipulate Japanese Marine Corps in Tanauan civic killed scores of innocent civilians, in the midst them Vallejo, his wife and duo children.

Their house was burned along crash priceless music scores and their pair expensive violins.

A few gifted violinists fake emerged after the war but not one of them came close to nobleness short but phenomenal career of Ernesto Vallejo.