Jonathan Chua: The Man Behind the Music
In 2010, Mr. Jonathan Chua served as the new chairperson of the Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) Department. Let us take a look at Mr. Chua’s plans for the IS Department this year.
Q: We have noticed a surge of musical events in Ateneo. Why is this so?
I wish there were a basis for verifying that claim. I don’t know how many music events were being held in Ateneo in the past. Best to consult the Guidon or some other source to find out if there really is a “surge of musical events”.
IS organized a number of musical events. Back in 2005 or 06, Mr. Coo invited Ingrid Sala Santamaria and Reynaldo Reyes to perform at Ateneo. The two had been giving free concerts in malls, at other universities, etc. Since it was free or mostly free, we thought, why not? It was also Mozart's 250th, and Mr. Coo also invited Joanna Go to sing. She sang only one or two Mozart pieces, but who were we to complain?
The following year, Ingrid and Rey Reyes came back. That same year Mr. Porticos also joined the faculty and organized a concert of lieder, with Randy Gilongo singing. The year after that was the Puccini sesquicentennial, and there were two concerts and one lecture, I remember.
Q: What is your vision for the IS department and its Music Literature minor offering?
There is a perception among students that IS is a soft option, and that may be true. It will take years to correct that.
The Music Literature Minor was the product of the collaboration between Mr. Coo and Mr. Porticos. The chair of the department at that time was Ms. Rosales. The idea was that the minor would help produce people who can appreciate classical music and who could eventually be scholars or critics, assuming they continue their education in music. It was not to produce actual musicians or performers, because you need a conservatory for that. It was simply to produce a group of people who could write about people who come out of conservatories. There are talents, but there’s nobody writing about them, or not enough people writing about them intelligently. For any art, you need critics, scholars, and enthusiasts. Otherwise, it’s going to be all me, me, me, or art as diarrhea.
Q: Do you envision Ateneo having its own conservatory of music? When do you think this will be feasible?
Not in the near future, but there is a Fine Arts Program now, so who knows? You’ll need a lot of infrastructure and money for the upkeep of the same, which the school doesn’t have. Now, if there’s a wealthy donor, then you might get a conservatory in the future.
Q: How important do you think is the role of classical music in lives of the youth today?
It hardly signifies. I suppose young people today relate to speak in other musical idioms. Too bad for classical musicians, who may not have an audience twenty-five years from now. But given some exposure, some of them could be made to appreciate classical music. It is an acquired taste, I think, and de gustibus.
I did not grow up listening to classical music, although I had an uncle who sang in the church choir and he could play the guitar. A friend of mine lent me The Three Tenors CD.
Q: Which is the dream musical piece that you wish you could conduct/play/sing?
Everything by Michel Legrand.
Q: If you had a chance to go back in time, which musical era would you like to visit and which composer would you like to meet?
I don’t think there is a composer I’d like to meet.
Q: If you were a rock star, who would you be?
I don’t like rock stars. Maybe somebody from Duran Duran?
*This article was originally featured in the 2011 edition of the Blue Sound magazine. Edited by Yani Pulido.