Oscar Yatco


Professor Oscar C. Yatco was a Filipino-born German conductor and violinist.

Early life

Yatco obtained his music teacher’s diploma at the young age of 16 from the University of the Philippines in 1947. He trained with renowned teachers such as Ivan Galamian at Juilliard and with Wilhelm Stross at the State Academy of Music in Munich, Germany. He won top prizes in prestigious international competitions in Germany, and eventually performed as a soloist.

Music career

Yatco served as conductor, concert master, professor and music consultant for local orchestras such as the Manila Symphony Orchestra, the Cultural Center of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, and overseas in Hannover, Germany. Yatco commented in retrospect