PYO, start of something Big in the city

By Gerry Garcia

WE were in a state of delighted consternation when we read the invitation from the Center for Performing Arts Dagupan to “an evening of Classical Music featuring the country’s leading classical performers.” Since the CPA indicated the concert was a joint undertaking with the Cultural Center of the Philippines we thought we’re in for something big. Bigger, at least, than what the Pandaragupan Youth Orchestra could offer. Understandably we were under the impression that the PYO members, still wet behind the ears, could not possibly qualify for being even one of the “country’s leading classical performers”.

So at press-time on Friday evening here at our office we were still guessing who were the “country’s leading classical performers” expected to appear in the projected concert… on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the old St. John Cathedral.

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On the other hand, if it were actually the Pandaragupan Youth Orchestra performing on center stage on that particular night, they could still turn out to be night’s surprise of surprises confirming the young orchestra members’ ability to make an impossible dream become a reality.

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We have to hand it to whoever heads the Center for Performing Arts here for these inspiring   first moves in the direction of this city’s revival from cultural barrenness.

Businessman Jeslito Seen, who chairs the PYO, is also seen as the man behind the organization of the PYO as a non-profit group composed of professionals, business leaders and volunteers working to rein in poor but musically talented children to become members of the orchestra. Time is not far off when Dagupan City becomes one of two cities outside Metro Manila owning a symphony orchestra. The other in the Visayas, is Cebu City.

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