Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra goes Out of the Box for 2013-2014 season

Offering more than just the classics, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra goes Out of the Box for their upcoming 2013-2014 Concert Season. In addition to their subscription concerts held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the PPO, led by music director and principal conductor Olivier Ochanine, brings the orchestra to the Rizal Park for a series of free youth/family oriented concerts.

For the Out of the Box concert series to be held at the Rizal Park, the PPO will collaborate with the University of the Philippines, Manila in November for an Andres Bonifacio themed concert which is in line with the hero’s 150^th birth anniversary. Come December, a Christmas concert will be presented alongside the University of Santo Tomas. A nature themed concert will be coming this January in collaboration with the Far Eastern University. Expect the tamaraw to be featured prominently in this concert. And finally in February, the concert in collaboration with the Ateneo de Manila University will focus on love. I am still not sure if the Out of the Box concerts’ programmes will be announced or if these performances will contain some elements of surprise.

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

The Out of the Box concert series sounds interesting and worth checking out but what I am really looking forward to are the performances for the orchestra’s subscription concert season. During the press conference held at the CCP Main Theater Lobby, Olivier Ochanine said that people’s requests factored in a lot for the programming of this season which is the orchestra’s 31st. He revealed that the most requested piece is Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons which will be performed by the orchestra in January. There will be two violin soloists for this performance, PPO Assistant Concertmaster Joanne Ruth Livioco and her brother, Jonathan David Livioco, Concertmaster of the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. Other popular pieces that will be part of this season are Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique, Manuel De Falla’s El sombrero de tres picos, Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54, Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 and Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30. This season will also introduce to the Philippines several pieces that have never been played in the country before. One of these will be the world premiere of the winning piece of the 2013 PPO Composition Competition happening at the closing concert of the season this April.

Bassoonist Adolfo Mendoza

Guest artists for this season include Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman, Israeli pianist Yossi Reshef, Chinese cellist Ray Wang, American violinist Roger Wilkie and Chinese oboist Wanchen Hsieh. Guest conductors for this season are the returning Yoshikazu Fukumura from Japan, former PPO music director and principal conductor Eugene Castillo and Apo Hsu from Taiwan.

The November concert is the one that I’ll be looking forward to the most this season. Not just because it will feature a piano concerto, but the event will also be in partnership with the Embassy of Israel.

The FEU Bamboo Band

The press conference also featured a few performances. Olivier Ochanine with the flute was joined by pianist Lourdes Gregorio in performing Cécile Chaminade’s Flute Concertino in D major, Op. 107. They were followed by bassoonist Adolfo Mendoza who performed Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan by George Canseco. Finally, the FEU Bamboo Band entertained those who were present with an energetic performance of Magtanim ay ‘Di Biro, Leron Leron Sinta and Eye Level.

Here is what is in store for everybody at the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2013-2014 Concert Season.

September 6, 2013

Opening Night: Guzman & The Pathétique

Featuring:

Viviana Guzman, flute

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Paul Dukas Fanfare from La Péri

Franz Liszt Les Préludes

Antonio Vivaldi  Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, RV 428  Il Gardellino

Vittorio Monti Czardas

Viviana Guzman Flutes of the World

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique

October 11, 2013

Mostly Filipino

Featuring:

Herminigildo Ranera, conductor

Programme:

Angel Peña Philippine Festival Overture

Alfredo Buenaventura

     Manik Buangsi and Tuan Putli Symphonic Poem

Lucio San Pedro Suite Pastorale

Darius Milhaud La création du monde, Op. 81a

Antonín Dvořák Slavonic Dances, Op. 46

November 14, 2013

Reshef Plays Schumann

Featuring:

Yossi Reshef, piano

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Robert Schumann

     Overture from Manfred, Op. 115

     Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54

Richard Wagner

     Overture from Rienzi

     Overture from Der fliegende Holländer

Giuseppe Verdi Overture from La Forza del Destino

December 13, 2013

Fukumura, Wang & Saint-Saëns

Featuring:

Ray Wang, cello

Yoshikazu Fukumura, conductor

Programme:

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36

Camille Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33

Manuel De Falla El sombrero de tres picos

January 17, 2014

The Four Seasons

Featuring:

Joanna Ruth Livioco, violin

Jonathan David Livioco, violin

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Antonio Vivaldi Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons)

                      Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, La primavera (Spring)

                      Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, L'estate (Summer)

                      Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV 293, L'autunno (Autumn)

                      Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, L'inverno (Winter)

Carl Nielsen Symphony No. 2 Op. 16, FS 29 The Four Temperaments

February 21, 2014

Romantic Brahms

Featuring:

Roger Wilkie, violin

Eugene Castillo, conductor

Programme:

Gerald Finzi Fall of the Leaf, elegy for orchestra in D minor, Op 20

Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82

Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

March 14, 2014

Hsu, Hsieh & Prokofiev 5

Featuring:

Wanchen Hsieh, oboe

Apo Hsu, conductor

Programme:

Carolyn Yarnell Yosemite and the Range of Light

Bohuslav Martinů Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra, H. 353

Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B flat major Op. 100

April 11, 2014

Symphonic Film Music Extravaganza

Featuring:

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Premiere of 2013 PPO Composition Competition winner

Various Classical works made popular in film scores

Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30

All concerts fall on a Friday with the exception of the November 14, 2013 concert which be on a Thursday. The concerts on January 17, 2014 and February 21, 2014 will be held at the Meralco Theater. The rest of the concerts will be held at the CCP’s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

I noticed that there was an increase in ticket prices for this season which could put off some concertgoers from watching. But there’s still the usual discount given to students, senior citizens, government employees, military personnel and persons with disabilities. Subscription packages for four (4) or eight (8) shows are also available.

Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman spices up PPO’s 31^st Season opening concert

Flutist Viviana Guzman

September 6, 2013, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Viviana Guzman, flute

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Paul Dukas Fanfare from La Péri

Franz Liszt Les Préludes

Antonio Vivaldi  Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, RV 428  Il Gardellino

Vittorio Monti Czardas

Viviana Guzman Flutes of the World

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra led by music director and principal conductor Olivier Ochanine opens its 31^st Concert Season in a concert entitled Opening Night: Guzman & The Pathétique this September 6, 2013, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman will be the featured guest of the night. She will be performing Antonio Vivaldi’s  Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, RV 428  Il Gardellino and Vittorio Monti Czardas. An improvisational piece, entitled Flutes of the World will have Guzman performing with the PPO percussion section.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

According to her biography, Guzman is described by the New York Times as "an imaginative artist," She began her musical training at the age of 5 and won her first competition at seven. By the age of 15, she played as a soloist with orchestra, studied with Jean-Pierre Rampal, and was featured on a John Denver nationally televised NBC special. Guzmán studied with Albert Tipton, master classes with James Galway and graduated from the Juilliard School. Performing over 80 concerts a year, she has been seen on the cover of Latina Style Magazine, and in COSMOPOLITAN en Español, and has played in 118 countries. Her music video was aired on UNIVISION in 30 countries.

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

Other pieces to be performed during this evening will be Paul Dukas’ Fanfare from La Péri, Franz Liszt’s Les Préludes and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s last work that premiered in his lifetime, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique.

Ticket prices:

P1500 Orchestra Center

P1200 Orchestra Side

P800 Extreme Orchestra Side

P500 Balcony I Center

P400 Balcony I Side

P300 Balcony II

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

CCP Marketing Department 832-1125 local 1806

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999