It is almost impossible to imagine that the sprightly Michael Dadap is a septuagenarian, but for him the expression “70 is the new 50” certainly rings true.

Michael has been the leading light in New York City on behalf of Philippine music for more than four decades now, but he has yet to show signs that he will retire from this role. If anything, he has gotten a second wind in his promotion of the musical tradition of the country of his origin.

He could already rest on his laurels, but he continues to make the long trek home to help develop musical projects aimed at Filipino youth.

Sounds of nature

In 1971, armed with a University of the Philippines Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, he left for New York City to pursue studies in music at two eminent schools—Juilliard and the Mannes School of Music. He was the 13th of 14 children of devout Protestant parents who raised their family in Himmangan, Southern Leyte.

He grew up with the sounds of nature (he said he learned to eat all kinds of grass and herbs that surrounded them) but also knew the sweet Visayan hymns as well as the cadences of Protestant church music. His early childhood influence in music appreciation came from his older brother Jerry.

For many years in New York, Michael was known as a promoter of children in music as the artistic/music director and conductor of the Children’s Orchestra Society in 1984; as the founder of the Young Symphonic Ensemble in 1992; the mover behind the Discovery Concert Series, aimed at discovering and producing outstanding young talents; and the founder and music director of the Iskuwelahang Pilipino Rondalla of Boston, Massachusetts.

Music and dance critic Bert Wechsler hailed Dadap as “a fine, sensitive musician, who is obviously also a mighty orchestra builder… a teacher. What drives Mr. Dadap’s work is his faith in the children’s capacity to learn and his energy, patience and special talent in communicating his love for music to the children.”

One of Dadap’s legacies is the survival and promotion of the bandurria, a uniquely Philippine instrument with 14 strings, as well as the rondalla, or the Orchestra of Plucked Instruments (“Orquesta sin Arco”—an orchestra purely based on plucked instruments, hence without a bow or arco).

Driven by vision

Dadap is driven by vision. In 1984, he said, “We are looking toward a vision that children playing beautiful music can change their worlds and make a difference in our present world. Vision creates hope, and hope begets positive energy. Positive energy makes good things happen.”

In 2017, this vision has continued with his aim to have a Filipino world-class symphony orchestra of plucked instruments with winds, brasses, pitched and nonpitched percussion instruments. The ever-restless musician has invented instruments based on the bandurria to achieve his goal.

The “Bandurlin Family of Instruments” includes the bandurlin, which is the equivalent of the violin, and the alto bandurlin and the bandur-selo, which correspond to the viola and the cello of the west. The bandurlin instruments need no microphones as they project better than the bandurria and have deeper, clearer and sustained tonal qualities.

Dadap has also written books to promote musical knowledge, including “A Complete Method for the Virtuoso Bandurria,” used by folkloric instrumental ensembles in the Philippines and in the US; “King Musker,” to introduce musical appreciation and knowledge among children; and “The Complete Method for Bandurlin Instruments.”

A virtuoso guitarist and a performer himself, Dadap has performed with his wife,
Dr. Yeou Cheng-Ma (older sister of cellist Yo-Yo Ma) in an ensemble known as the Dadap-Ma Duo in Europe, Asia and the United States. He credits his wife for their mutual collaboration and the support she has given him in his lifelong projects.

Artist of the year

His CD albums include “Lambingan,” a collection of Visayan Romantic songs; “Intimate Guitar Classic” for solo guitar, the featured album in February 1990 on the New York Times classical radio station, WQXR; “Himig ng Puso,” featuring works by Filipino composers; and “Katahum Mobihag” for soprano and guitar.

His many awards include the Pamana ng Lahi Presidential Award “in recognition of his remarkable achievements as a virtuoso musician, composer and music teacher, proponent of Philippine traditional music and Philippine culture and causes.” He was also the first recipient of the “2000 Artist of the Year Award” sponsored by the Flushing Council on the Arts in Queens, New York.

He continues to make children the focus of his efforts, with his children’s musical play, “Alamat ng Ampalaya” (Legend of the Bitter Melon), which has had successful runs in New York and in the Philippines.

Recently, he collaborated in a concert with the Rev. Rudy Villanueva, who has composed Cebuano versions of the “Ave Maria” (known as “Himayang Maria”). He has also been visiting professor at Silliman University, where has launched a pilot program for “Orkestra Sin Arko” directed by his bandurria student, Mathilda Erojo.

Michael Dadap has never let pessimism or a lack of resources impede him in his quest to put Philippine music on the agenda of the musical world. And, proudly Filipino, he finds that the barong Tagalog is still the most practical garment that he can wear while conducting.

By working tirelessly to teach the young, he has already left an indelible mark and legacy.