Discovering Colombian music at the Colombian National Day celebrations

Conductor Alejandro Roca and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

On the occasion of the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Boyacá and the 209th Anniversary of the Independence Day of Colombia, the Embassy of Colombia presented the Colombian Bicentennial Commemorative Concert featuring the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and Colombian conductor Alejandro Roca at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium.

Colombian Embassy Chargé d'affaires David Montoya

The concert saw the PPO perform music from operas namely Gioacchino Rossini's Overture to Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Georges Bizet's Carmen Suite No. 1 and 2 showcasing Alejandro Roca's vast experience as an opera conductor.

But it was the second half, comprised of Colombian music, that really got my interest especially the world premiere of Alberto Guzman’s orchestral arrangement of Antonio Maria Valencia's Piano Suite. This set of seven miniatures was a mix of the expected Colombian dances and rhythms and to my surprise, of French impressionist style. Later on, I learned during a discussion with Roca at the post-concert reception that Valencia studied music in France at the time when Impressionism was at its height.

After the world debut performance, the Colombian music offerings continued with the Philippine premiere of Adolfo Mejia’s Pequeña Suite and Acuarela. These two pieces flourishing with Colombian nationalistic and folk idioms that gave me and the audience a taste of what their music is all about. And as a tribute to the Filipino people, Roca led the PPO to an encore of Nicanor Abelardo's Mutya ng Pasig.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Embassy of Colombia, especially to the Chargé d'affaires David Montoya, for the invite to this event. Leading to this concert, I really got immersed with various aspects of Colombian culture starting with literature, then film, and finally music which really means a lot to me.

RAd and Alejandro Roca

With the PPO's upcoming season still a little more than a month away, this concert not only gave me my much needed live orchestral music dose, but also widened my horizons with the introduction of new music from Colombia.