A star is born: 17 year old violin phenom KayCee Galano steals show at PPO concert

Violinist KayCee Galano with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Seventeen year old violin phenomenon Kristine Clair “KayCee” Uchi Galano made her mark in the Philippine classical music scene with an outstanding debut with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yoshikazu Fukumura at the orchestra’s most recent season concert held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Kaycee, a late replacement for originally scheduled guest violinist Lee Chin Siow, delivered a performance of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 26 that defied her years. Her rendition was a well balanced mix of youthful vigor and elegant composure, with her handling phrases with clarity and finesse while not giving in to fatigue that has been the bane of most violinists around her age. And I can’t remember someone so young making double stops sound so sweet.

Her two encores, Niccolò Paganini’s Caprice No. 21 in A major, Op. 1 and Singaporean violinist Ning Kam’s jazzy/bluesy/rocking arrangement of John Newton’s Amazing Grace, brought the house down with the audience showering KayCee with loud cheers and thunderous applause.

Yoshikazu Fukumura with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

This was truly remarkable since prior to the concert, people were wondering who KayCee was since she was still a relative unknown among concertgoers. I just had to take the word of Gerard Salonga who had been singing her praises and claiming that she's the real deal some days leading to the concert. Apparently, KayCee has toured with Gerard and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra earlier this year so he definitely knew what he was talking about.

Such was the impact of KayCee’s performance that the rest of the concert, Hector Berlioz’ Le Corsaire Overture, Op. 21 and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36 almost felt like an afterthought. Listening to the dynamic Berlioz piece had me reeling with anticipation since I (and probably a lot of the audience present that night) wasn’t able to attend the season opener due to weather woes. And very likely spurred by KayCee, Fukumura led the PPO to an inspired take of the Tchaikovsky symphony.

Overall, the night really belonged to KayCee, and this memorable evening has somehow turned things around for the PPO’s 2018-2019 season that didn’t have the most ideal of starts due to the weather putting a damper at the opening night. KayCee may have been a late replacement in the program, but I wouldn’t be surprised if in the near future, she returns for another engagement with the PPO and this time with her as the headliner.