Michael Camillo came to UAST to study medicine, but it was music that earned him his doctorate

the father of Michael Camillo I wanted him to be a doctor. “I studied at UAST (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo) and I studied medicine for three and a half years,” he revealed yesterday during an interview on the radio show “Musica a Los Twelve” with Octavio Peras on Estacion 97.7 FM. Koyko.

However, teacher Manuel Simo encouraged him to pursue music He appointed him as a percussionist in the National Symphony Orchestra When he was 16 years old.

“He was the director of the National Symphony Orchestra at the time and my composer, and I went to consult him,” said Camilo, who established himself as one of the greatest Dominican musicians of all time.

Michael Camillo seems to have acquired his knowledge from another life, as he already recognized musical notes from the time he started playing the piano.

He grew up in a family of musicians and saw his uncles and aunts play the piano. He learned his first instrument, the accordion, particularly from his uncle Priamo, which introduced him to art, although he was always drawn to the piano.

“I didn't have a piano at home, so when I was four I picked up an accordion and started making melodies by ear. The first two melodies I made were 'Happy Birthday' and 'Silent Night,'” he said. Camilo.

Before the age of five He has his own melody and a highly developed ear, he said. Finally, he was able to get hold of his first piano at the age of 10, after informing his parents of his desire to study the instrument at the National Conservatory of Music and admitting that he would get good grades in his first year.

“That year I made a keyboard, drew it on cardboard, and because I had a good ear, I heard the note in my mind while practicing my lessons on the cardboard,” he highlighted.

By then he had more than 30 pieces, was signed by America's Youngest Composer and Copyright.

“They wanted to take me on a world tour playing the accordion, but my parents were against it,” he said during an interview with station 97.7 FM.

“It's like a quantum leap,” he says of the speed with which he got into music, and admits he's a believer in reincarnation.

“When I learned to read music it was like I remembered it, not what I learned, it was like I remembered it,” he added.

Although he graduated with honors from the conservatory and went to New York to continue his studies, Michael was at odds with himself at the age of 16 because he was the first member of his family to devote himself to music professionally. That's when he decided to study medicine.

Concert at the National Theatre

Camilo is set to perform in Santo Domingo in his concert “En Trio”, a presentation that combines jazz music with classical music and popular music, this Saturday, June 22 at 8:30 pm in the Carlos Piandini main hall of the Eduardo Brito National Theater. Santo Domingo.

Among the accompanying musicians Michael Camillo His concert at the National Theater will feature Cuban-born American drummer Daphnis Prieto, who has been part of his trio for 20 years, and Ricky Rodriguez, a classically trained Puerto Rican bassist who has been with the Dominican for 15 years.

“N Trio” is a presentation of Vibra Productions, artist Billy Haspen, and promises to be a night where the artistry and artistry of Michael Camillo will blend jazz, classical and popular to perfection.