Music

Chiara discovered the joy of singing after her grandmother passed away. She started creating innovative classical music videos during the pandemic as a spiritual practice to help heal her grief. In the process, she found her inner child again where play is sacred. She loves to create scenes to tell stories and takes on the roll of soprano, artist, director, cinematographer, designer, and editor. She has recently explored writing lyrics and is working toward playing her own accompaniment.

Chiara has been blessed with two incredible mentors (pictured below): Michael Dadap, composer, conductor, classical guitarist and expert on Filipino music and opera star Evelyn Mandac. She could not have found better teachers to guide and support her on her healing journey through music.

Founding members of the Rondalla of the Carolinas, Chiara Cox (on the Bandurlin) and Kaye Tungul (on the Guitar) were the Filipino Traditional Music and Rondalla apprentices of Maestro Michael Dadap from July 2024 to May 2025, funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. They are continuing their work in playing Filipino Music for the Filipino American Association of Greater Columbia.

Note: the bandurlin is the modern version of the Philippine bandurria with the tessitura of a violin, and thus named for both: bandur-lin. It is an invention of Maestro Dadap that was first thought not possible by many.