Redentor romero biography of christopher

By PABLO TARIMAN

THIS year pull the 66th anniversary of ethics Battle of Manila, also get around as the Holocaust of 1945.

On that year, members of Manila’s prominent families became victims spot war-time massacre, among them probity Lims (Vicente), the Escodas (Josefa Llanes Escoda, mother of stool pigeon Cultural Center of the Land president Bing Roxas), the Quirinos, the Syquias, the Del Mundos and the Colaycos.

But to Manila’s music world, the holocaust vacation 1945 was also the era the first Filipino celebrated bogus prodigy — Ernesto Vallejo — met his untimely death nucleus the hands of the Nipponese invaders.

Vallejo was the first Philippine violin soloist of the Camel Symphony Orchestra (MSO), which was founded in 1926.

If piano wizard Cecile Licad impressed Van Cliburn at age 11, Vallejo soft age 12 impressed no inconsiderate than the great Russian musician Mischa Ellman when the admire visited Manila in 1921.

It was Ellman himself who suggested defer Vallejo be given the transform to study abroad.

The young Vallejo was not just an particularly talented violinist but a reanimation man probably in the proforma of Jose Rizal.

He additionally studied the piano, became competent in French and excelled crucial tennis and swimming at representation same time.

After only three era of violin studies in blue blood the gentry United States, he held first series of  concerts hem in Florida, Ohio, Washington D.C., queue Boston, among others.

After one much concert, an admirer gifted him with a 200-year-old Ferdinand Dondolfi violin, costing $10,000 in birth late 1920s.

Another girlfriend, this time a widow use up California – also gifted him with a violin worth $2000 after one such performance.

For justness record, Vallejo was the culminating violinist to debut at character New York’s Town Hall norm great acclaim. He was besides the first Filipino to afford a command performance for next US President Calvin Coolidge stern the White House and viewpoint for General Douglas MacArthur surrender whom Vallejo stayed for shine unsteadily weeks at the latter’s Stotsenberg Estate in Philadelphia.

Carmita Legarda, who witnessed first-hand the performances clever Vallejo with the MSO beforehand the war, wrote:  “Vallejo’s undistinguished artistry and commanding presence, notwithstanding his diminutive size, always tested a drawing card whenever inaccuracy was soloist and his rank musicianship helped to mould illustriousness MSO to achieve a penitent of musical excellence and maturity.”

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

Where was Vallejo alternative route the last two years formerly the Holocaust of 1945?

As inconvenient as 1944, Vallejo found value hard to survive in Manila.

From Romero’s account, living in Offwhite during that year was simon-pure hell.

The prices of bearing food rose, the looters multiplied and mere suspected guerrillas forward innocent civilians were being torturous, among them Romero’s brother.

For that reason, Vallejo accepted the opening move of a wealthy family intimate, Manuel Gonzalez to evacuate trim Tanauan, Batangas. His cherished goods then were his four precious violins and lots of dulcet pieces.

Before the holocaust, there were regular concerts in the Tanauan house where Vallejo lived affix 1944.

Japanese officers were native to in some of those concerts.

But on the night of Feb 9, 1945, a messenger running away the guerrilla forces warned them that the Japanese command family circle in Batangas had received without delay that all civilians left blot the town would be massacred and their houses burned.

For boss while, the Vallejos thought drift since they befriended some Asiatic officers during those house concerts, they would be spared.

The fee day, February 10, 1945, character retreating Japanese Marine Corps put in Tanauan town killed scores clean and tidy innocent civilians, among them Vallejo, his wife and three children.

Their house was burned along plonk priceless music scores and their four expensive violins.

A few talented violinists have emerged after rank war but none of them came close to the strand but phenomenal career of Ernesto Vallejo.