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As an impassioned and determined performance artist, Karla Gutierrez always does what is necessary to reach her full potential. So diligent is she that during her early theater years, when she had to choose between taking a leave to properly heal an injured foot or starring in her first lead musical role, she chose the latter. Some three decades later, she still occasionally experiences pain in that foot, but she never regretted her decision. After all, that decisive moment in her youth effectively led to her professional career, not only in theater but in the Philippine opera scene as well.

Solid training

Gutierrez is the devoted founder of the Philippine Opera Company, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. She may not have imagined eventually championing the branch of performing arts generally considered for the elite, but the young Karla always knew she wanted to be on stage.

Fortunately, she grew up in the right environment that honed her talent and love for music and acting. Her neighborhood had an active musical community where she could participate in plays. She also had a close family friend who further mentored her to improve her skills.

​Karla Gutierrez admits that without the support of her parents, especially her mom Zenaida, and the guidance of her mentors, there would be no Philippine Opera Company today. ​The then-rising theater star in Repertory Philippines' production of 'Into The Woods.'

Juggling university requirements and her responsibilities at The Rep was no easy task for the talented coed, but she powered through. There were times, for example, when Gutierrez's studies had to take a backseat during season productions, so much so that she was dubbed the batch "removals queen" for not being able to complete her requirements on time. However, the payoff was worth it because even as a college undergrad, she quickly emerged as one of The Rep's shining stars.

Gutierrez essayed such plum roles for The Rep as Julie Jordan in Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Carousel" and Cosette in "Les Miserables."

The triple threat considers every role she has played for the company memorable, but one character that has a special place in her heart is, in fact, a minor one — playing one of the wives of the ruler in The Rep's production of "The King and I."

"I had an accident doing the show. In a scene, as one of the wives, I had a kid who ran into the king, and in doing so, the kid ended up dragging my toe," she laughed.

However, back then, it wasn't so funny. Around the same time, Gutierrez was set to play her first lead role in "Scrooge." "I was rehearsing with my foot in a cast and using crutches. It was challenging, and I was self-pitying and crying. Tita Bibot hated that," she narrated.

"When technical dress rehearsal week finally came, Tita Bibot told me to break off my cast, or she would do it."

Fearful of her mentor, she immediately went to her doctor, who advised her that her foot needed one more week with the cast to heal completely. But Gutierrez wouldn't have it and insisted on removing the cast, even signing a waiver to do so.

​Starring in 'Hansel and Gretel,' the first production of the Philippine Opera Company ​Gutierrez is recognized as one of 2019's The Outstanding Women in Nation's Service awardees for her invaluable contributions to the performing arts.

"While there were production companies that would mount shows, there were really no opera programs for resident artists that would qualify a production company as a legitimate opera company.

Gutierrez set this situation aside while focusing on her studies at Accademia Internazionale delle Arti, knowing deep inside that she would return to it once she knew what she needed to do.

As she immersed herself in the study of the classical art and the community that lived and breathed opera, opportunities started coming her way.

"I became part of the Rome Opera Festival for the production, 'Hänsel und Gretel,' and I was the only Filipina in the cast," she the very first one.

Lo and behold, the next opportunity forced her to make a life-changing decision anew.

"My maestro at the academy wanted to manage me because she said that I had the advantage of making it and having an international career because I had my ballet and acting skills on top of my singing skills.

"But I told her, 'I think I have a different calling.' It was for me to return to the Philippines and begin an opera company. I made the decision right then, and my maestro was shocked.'

Shocked, her mom was too when she learned of Gutierrez's decision.

Gutierrez was still in her early 20s when she came home with concrete plans to found a full-blown opera company in the Philippines. Naturally, she was met with skepticism, even from her mom.

But Gutierrez was undeterred.

"I saw the problem of classical singers. I was just very lucky I became part of Repertory Philippines," she related, highlighting the importance of having a base. Classical singers didn't have that. They had nowhere to go. So my objective and mission was to do just that, to give classical singers opportunities to shine and hone their talents like other theater and mainstream artists. I wanted to provide them with jobs and knew I had to create that for them."

Thus, the Philippine Opera Company (POC) was born in 1999.

POC started with a successful first season, mounting such productions as "Magic Flute," "Opera Now," and "Masterclass," which was the story of legendary Greek soprano Maria Callas. She cast the late veteran movie and stage actress Cherie Gil in the lead role to draw in audiences who would not usually watch an opera.

POC also created Opera Light, which aimed to make opera more accessible to the public by bringing excerpts of the most famous works to small venues, such as bars and restaurants.

"Our first official opera was Handsel and Gretel, and I got Tita Bibot's blessing to collaborate on the production with Repertory Philippines. She agreed on the condition that I play Hansel. It was challenging because I was also marketing the show. But it was very successful; we had 26 performances."

Onward POC

In establishing the POC, Gutierrez needed to combine her extensive training in Repertory Philippines, her experience with international theater companies, further studies in Rome, and classical training from the UP College of Music to get going.

"What I did was merge all these disciplines together. I realized what was lacking in the performance art scene because of my background in the first place."

What became clear to Gutierrez was that to become a skilled and successful classical or opera singer, an artist had to be a triple threat.

"You should know how to dance, sing and act, and naturally, you need a company to help you develop all three talents," she emphasized, adding, "And now, because of the influence of all these Korean pop artists, you should also know how to play instrument to be competitive."

However, recalling the early days, the POC founder and producer confessed it was difficult to find the artists she needed.

"There was a lack of text analysis, meaning the eyes of those who auditioned seemed to lack expression because they couldn't understand what they were singing. Unfortunately, the opera curriculum is so old-fashioned. We have a lot of theory and voice literature."

To address the challenge, Gutierrez designed the 'Young Artist Series.'

"Our mission was to bridge that gap — or the lack of instruction in dance, movement and text analysis — say for a student in UP Conservatory College of Music and train them to become a professional classic singer. So we launched a series of workshops, all free for the artists, and gave jazz lessons, ballet lessons and text analysis sessions.

"We also had experts like Audie Gemora talk about their own career paths to give the students an idea of what they needed to do to make it. We even included makeup, styling and mental health lessons to complete the package."

At the program's end, participants must join the Blackbox series to show what they've learned.

Big wins

As Gutierrez found fulfillment and satisfaction in running the Young Artist Series, her mom — who, as expected, came around to support her endeavors and serve as the voice of reason within POC — reminded her of another aspect she needed to address.

"She said that since POC is an opera company, I needed to produce an original."

Gutierrez knew mounting an original production from scratch would be an expensive endeavor — even admitted at the time she didn't even have an idea for an original to begin with — but conceded her mother was right.

"So I sat down and realized that while there were choral and dance groups, there had been no merging of these two for a theatrical performance."

The exercise resulted in the idea of "Harana," which POC considers its cultural arm, whose mission is to promote classical Filipino music and Philippine heritage and culture before the beauty of these artistic traditions becomes alien to the current generation.

​When I give talks to students, I tell them to nurture their passion. The reason I'm still here with the Philippine Opera Company is because of passion.

"To make these palatable to the younger generation, I got award-winning arrangers and composers to rearrange the kundimans with the stern order not to touch the core of the songs.

Completed, Harana is described as a musical journey that begins with a children's suite and travels through Muslim and Cordillera influences. Its progression reveals traditional elements like the pista and Maria Clara, then moves on to the contemporary works by master composers, such as George Canseco and Ryan Cayabyab.

Harana ends with a rearranged version of "Anak" by Von de Guzman, followed by the spoken "Panunumpa sa Bayan," which references the old "Panatang Makabayan" and "Ako ay Pilipino" for the grand finale.

"It's a very simple show with just eight performers and no sets — just the projector that bears the designs of my mom," Gutierrez said.

However, as ingenious as Harana was, it was not an instant success. For the first three years, Gutierrez admitted she had a hard time marketing it because cultural shows then meant traditional dances only.

"But we persevered and continued performing, and by word of mouth, our theater started filling up. We've been running 'Harana' since 2008, and I'm proud to say that every performance receives a standing ovation to this day."

Harana — one of POC's biggest and most successful projects — has toured the entire nation, as well as Canada and the United States.

In 2009, POC received an invitation to perform Harana in Amsterdam. Ninety percent of the audience were foreigners, but Gutierrez was proud to witness the same standing ovations across their shows.

"In one show, some 40 ambassadors were teary-eyed, so I asked why they were even if they didn't understand the words. They answered that understanding the lyrics wasn't necessary because the melody of Filipino music deeply touched their hearts. The movements also helped them grasp the meaning of the songs. So I guess the magic of Harana lies in its message."

Another big project the POC takes pride in is "The Opera Belles." This original production was the company's solution to a string of production losses and the reality that they had a mortgage to pay to continue enjoying their headquarters in Palanan St., Makati City.

Returning to the drawing board, Gutierrez needed to form a singing group that would be more relatable to a general audience.

"That's when the idea of 'The Opera Belles' was born. It's a group of three pretty young girls aged 15 to 22 who sing classical but are dressed in leather jackets and boots. They sing Taylor Swift songs with classical placements," Gutierrez proudly explained.

"The group's goal is to show that it's not all about birit (belting) in opera, but that there's this kind of singing. The Opera Bells were like ambassadors to promote classical singing with pop songs to the younger generation."

Though confident in the concept, Gutierrez was still surprised by Opera Bells' immense success. They quickly became the princesses of corporate shows and kept drawing in different audiences. In due time, POC had record label Sony Music Philippines knocking on their door with an offer for co-management.

Burning out, rising up

Fifteen years of nonstop work later, burnout inevitably got the better of Gutierrez.

"I decided to take some time off and go to the US," she shared.

By some stroke of luck, visiting the Los Angeles Opera Company gave Gutierrez the enlightenment she needed.

"Out of curiosity, I visited the opera company and asked about their ticket sales. I was surprised when the guy said they were bad. The show at that time featured a famous classical singer, but the material wasn't popular.

"The next day, I set a meeting with the company officials. I told them my predicament and how I wanted to close POC because I was getting depressed over the public's response to our projects."

​POC takes pride in 'Harana,' which promotes classical Filipino music and Philippine heritage and culture before the beauty of these artistic traditions becomes alien to the current generation. ADDITIONAL INSIDE PHOTOS COURTESY OF KARLA GUTIERREZ

Gutierrez was told that POC's problem was a worldwide issue as well.

"Apparently, it wasn't just us having a difficult time. The advice I received was to focus on the students instead and develop their appreciation because they will be the next generation of ticket buyers. So after that enlightening trip, POC reorganized our mission and vision."

With renewed passion, Gutierrez amplified two longstanding objectives of POC from the rest: artistic development and audience development.

"Under the artistic development program, we solidified our Young Artist Series. Then, for audience development, we continued our Blackbox series, which is experimental and out-of-the-box. We do this to make opera fun and engaging for the audience because we make them part of the show."

The Cultural Center of the Philippines soon noticed these initiatives and tapped POC to head their grassroots program and reach out to public schools.

"Our first destination was Tondo. That's where Discover Opera, together with POC, was born. The program aims for the students to identify themselves in this genre."

The program made opera fun for children by engaging them in games and encouraging them to create their own opera productions. At the same time, the activities showed them that opera is a viable career in the long run.

"We mount a performance that is only 45 minutes long, but the Q&A goes on for almost two hours, with the students wanting to know more about pursuing classical singing as a profession.

After the Tondo leg, Gutierrez had a compelling desire to return to the community, certain that amid the sea of eager students, she would find a gem for the world of opera.

True enough, Gutierrez found not one but two proteges — the first, a young woman who, despite having no formal opera lessons, could sing a complex George Frideric Handel piece, and the second, a young man who, though dressed in ratted clothes, sang an organic version of "You Raise Me Up" that brought Gutierrez to tears.

These students eventually became scholars of POC. And it is their stories that have inspired Gutierrez not to give up on the company and keep going to this 25th year.

Driven by passion

As POC celebrates its silver anniversary, Gutierrez is grateful that her passion to advocate opera in the Philippines remains as strong as ever.

"When I give talks to students, I tell them to nurture their passion because passion is important no matter what career they choose to pursue. If you don't love what you are doing, it will be easy for you to give up. The reason I'm still here with the POC is because of passion.

"Without my parents' financial and moral support, Tita Bibot and Tita Baby's [Carmen "Baby" Johnson Barredo, the co-founder of Repertory Philippines] discipline, and my voice mentor Fides Cuyugan, I wouldn't be here, and there will be no Philippine Opera Company."

Then again, she admits, she has pangs of 'what ifs' every now and then, being all too human.

"What if I pursued my international career? That still crosses my mind. I'd always think my life would have been easier, for sure, because I'd only have to think about myself. Whereas with the POC, I have to worry about managing the artists and the money — things that are harder to do.

"But whenever we mount a show and see how fulfilled the artists are, how happy we made our clients and the audience, I realize every time that I made the right decision."

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