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Gerphil Flores hopes more Filipinos will support classical music

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Katrin Hartmann

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/11/23/20181123-flores.jpg"/><figcaption>Gerphil Flores.<em> Facebook.com/gerphilgeraldine</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><em>Gerphil Geraldine Flores, a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Music, made international headlines when she auditioned for “Asia’s Got Talent” in 2015 and got a golden buzzer from David Foster.</em></div><div><em>In an interview with Katrin Hartmann, an exchange journalist from Germany, the 28-year-old classical singer revealed her Filipino-German roots and talked about the condition of opera performers in the Philippines.</em></div><p>Q: Gerphil, you are dubbed as “Asia’s Golden Girl” though you were born in Hamburg, Germany. How much German blood is in you?</p><p>A: I’m half German. My dad is a pure German, while my mom is a Filipina.</p><p>Q: What kind of German and Filipino habits have you adapted from them?</p><p>A: Filipinos are known for being polite. We usually use words like “po” or “opo”. These are courteous and respectful words of affirmation, as in “yes sir/ma’am.” We also use the “mano po” gesture as a sign of respect for the elderly. It is a gesture where we reach for the hand of an elderly and touch it on our forehead. Those are some Filipino traits that I have adapted from my mom. Most Germans are known for being punctual, and so am I. Though my mom is a Filipino, she taught me to value time and that every minute counts.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbD9ysUl7xn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbD9ysUl7xn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 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style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbD9ysUl7xn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Gerphil-Geraldine Flores (@gerphil_geraldineflores)</a> on <time dateTime="2017-11-04T05:41:33+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Nov 3, 2017 at 10:41pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Q: How many years did you stay abroad, and how is your German today?</p><p>A: I was born there and lived there until I was four years old. I’m not fluent in German but I can still read, speak, and understand some phrases and words.</p><p>Q: You got in touch with German composers and opera quite early – at the age of three. Do you have a favorite opera that reminds you of those days?</p><p>A: My parents love music, especially my mom. One of my favorite operas is Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9H-WijiACgU?enablejsapi=1"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Q: You have been in the Philippines for almost 24 years. You have also touched upon the support for classical singers in Germany. What is the main difference for you?</p><p>A: In the Philippines, classical singers are not enjoying any support from the government, but we continue regardless of the situation because of our love in music. Here, only a few are the major supporters that appreciate classical music. Media like radio and television only cater to commercially appealing music like pop and RnB that target the masses in general. Viewership and patronage of classical music do not equate to financial freedom. It’s the main reason why classical singers try their luck in the western world for financial and career advancement.</p><p>Q: Do you have a favorite German song?</p><p>A: There are a lot of beautiful German songs, but if I’m to give one song in particular, I’d say Robert Schumann’s “Widmung.”</p><p>Q: Do you still sing in holy mass aired on TV every Sunday? Have you ever sung any German Church songs there?</p><p>A: I don’t sing in that program anymore due to schedule conflicts. Since it is a Filipino program and most viewers are Filipinos, I only sang Filipino and English church songs in that program.</p><p>Q: How often have you visited your birthplace?</p><p>A: Since I came to the Philippines, I haven’t set foot back in my birthplace. But I miss my hometown and I plan to visit it soon.</p><p>Q: You recently sang “O Holy Night” for the Christmas tree lighting at Eton Centris. What are your future plans? Is Germany included anyhow?</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/gerphilgeraldine/videos/559837727793704/" data-width="auto"> </div><p>A: I’m planning on making my own music school soon and teach music to people of all ages. I also plan on doing more concerts for a cause in and outside the Philippines that would help people or organizations. Germany is definitely included in my musical journey.</p><div><em>This article was written as part of the Goethe-Institut’s Close-Up journalists’ exchange program. More information can be found at www.goethe.de/nahaufnahme and at #goethecloseup.</em></div>

<p>Gerphil Geraldine Flores, a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Music, made international headlines when she auditioned for “Asia’s Got Talent” in 2015 and got a golden buzzer from David Foster.</p>

Gerphil Geraldine Flores, a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Music, made international headlines when she auditioned for “Asia’s Got Talent” in 2015 and got a golden buzzer from David Foster.