by Marty Go (ABS-CBN Bacolod)

Nove Deypalan likes to keep a low-profile career but the prestige of his job definitely requires a lot of recognition.

Born and raised in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, Nove's interest in music started when he was eight years old when he used to watch his sister practicing as a member of the city's sugar mill choir.

He started to learn playing the piano at an early age under the tutelage of his music teacher.

"We were poor at that time so I volunteered to water the plants of my music teacher everyday in exchange for her giving me piano lessons," said Nove.

He went on to study at the University of the Philippines College of Music and worked as a composer and conductor at the Cultural Center of the Philippines where he worked with other musicians in producing some famous productions like Florante at Laura and Kagat sa Mansanas.

One of his professors and mentor is Maestro Ryan Cayabyab.

Because of his passion to delve into the world of classical music, Nove migrated to the U.S.A. and got his Bachelor of Music degree in conducting at Chapman University then went on to pursue his Masters degree at the University of Southern California where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.

"I left the Philippines because I wanted to study further classical music since our country is more focused on popular music which is also very good," said Nove.

He also trained the choir of several churches like the Saint Dennis church choir which he accompanied in singing for Pope John Paul II in the Vatican City during the 1990s.

Nove is now taking up his Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting degree at the University of South Carolina where he is also a music teacher. He is now planning to stage the opera Carmen in the Philippines and is excited to be working with local talents in the music industry.