An Evening of Chamber Music

ANNOUNCEMENT: This event is free seating. Kindly send proof of payment to our social media pages after checkout.

Presented by Cultural Arts Events Organizer.

Date and Venue
Varlez Pianos, San Juan City
July 25, 2026, 7:00 PM

Synopsis
The Cultural Arts Events Organizer (CAEO) invites the public to a rare night of musical brilliance: An Evening of Chamber Music, on July 25, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at Varlez Pianos, LIJ Building, Ortigas Avenue, San Juan, Greenhills. Three of the country's most gifted young musicians, pianist Jet Chong, violinist Emanuel John Villarin, and cellist Damodar Das Castillo, share the stage for an intimate program of Dvořák, Schubert, and Piazzolla.

Jet Chong, piano is completing his graduate studies at Indiana University Bloomington's Jacobs School of Music, where he will take on the role of Associate Instructor in Piano. A graduate of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore under Prof. Albert Tiu, he studied in the Philippines under Prof. Anthony Say and Ms. Mary Evans Villalon. Chong has won prizes in numerous competitions, including the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA), the Steinway Youth Piano Competition, and the UCSI International Piano Competition.

Emanuel John "EJ" Villarin, violin is a pioneer member of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO) and an incoming senior student at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin under Prof. Eva-Christina Schönweiß. A frequent competitor on the local and international stage, he received the National Commission for Culture and the Arts' Gawad Ani ng Dangal award in 2022. In 2023, he served as one of the concertmasters of the Asian Youth Orchestra, leading a tour through 11 cities across Europe and Asia, and has since been invited to join the ranks of the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic.

Damodar Das Castillo, cello is regarded as one of the country's premier young cellists. A full scholar at the Mozarteum University Salzburg under Prof. Barbara Lübke-Herzl, he has won top prizes at competitions in Estonia, Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Italy, including the Musica Goritiensis International Music Competition in Gorizia, Italy; the Young Ludwig Youth Music Competition in Berlin; and the International Anton Rubinstein Competition in Düsseldorf. Das Castillo is a former member of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra, one he joined as its youngest player ever.

Three extraordinary talents, one unforgettable stage. This is a rare chance to hear world-class chamber music up close, performed by musicians already making their mark on stages from Berlin to Manila. Seats are limited, so secure yours early and be there for a night you will be talking about long after the final note fades.

FEATURING
Jet Chong, piano
Emanuel Villarin, violin
Damodar Das Castillo, cello