Classical singers are a rare breed, whose angelic voices range from whisper quiet to thunderous crescendos, all at once conveying the sheer majesty and bravura of the age-old musical tradition.
To this day, nothing seems more graphic than the clichéd image of the well-trained coloratura shattering a wine glass to smithereens through her piercing voice and lung power alone.
But then again, that's not to say that classical singing is all about technique or histrionics. Through its various permutations, classical singing has enjoyed widespread acceptance and popularity amid a more modern, pop-sounding harmonic backdrop such as Broadway, pop and even rock-even in the Philippines where the genre has often been misjudged for its elitist appeal.
With her powerful voice, 21-year-old Victoria Gabrielle "Gabri" Panlilio has been hailed as one of the country's emerging classical crossover artists, following in the footsteps of her musical idols such as Audra McDonald, Renee Fleming, Natalie Dessay and Cecilia Bartoli.
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