Filipino Cellist Victor Michael Coo in Landmark Recital

PRIZEWINNING FILIPINO CELLIST IN LANDMARK RECITAL JANUARY 4

Cellist Victor Michael Coo - who won a standing ovation playing the Dvorak concerto with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra a year ago - - is all set for his first solo recital at the Equitable PCI Bank Francisco Santiago Hall on Thursday, January 4, 2007 at 8 p.m.

A first prizewinner of the National Music Competition for Young Artists and winner of several concerto competitions in the United States, Coo will make cello history by doing a solo unaccompanied program in this landmark cello recital.

"The unaccompanied program is actually getting popular," said the young cellist who also won the Casadesus Prize at the Ecole d'Art Americanes de Fontainbleu and the Chamber Prize for the Kodaly Duo. "Yo Yo Ma is doing a lot of unaccompanied recordings specially in his Silk Route project. I guess it's about time Filipino music lovers see a live, full unaccompanied program," he added.

Coo's earlier cello recital in Manila was declared "one of the most gratifying concert experiences in recent memory." His Manila Philharmonic debut had one critic writing: "From movement to movement, the young cellist astounded with his potent playing, his superior command of his instrument and his consummate knowledge of the piece."

After graduating at the Philippine High School for the Arts, Coo participated in the Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan and was selected as one of the competition winners who performed with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.

His early cello training in Manila started with Amado Tamayo and Wilfredo Pasamba while was under the tutelage of Evelyn Elsing in Maryland. He is presently a student of Suren Bagratuni in Michigan.

Coo's January 4 program sponsored by the Equitable PCI Bank and the MCO Foundation includes Bach Suite No. 3 in C Major, Warshaw's Desert Call, Canseco-Diestro' s Hiram and Kodaly's Sonata Op. 8.

Posted by Pablo Tariman (Music News Service)