MSO celebrates 80 years of the Philippine Republic with Liberation concert on July 4

The Manila Symphony Orchestra's Centennial Season, apart from delivering noteworthy performances by one of Asia's oldest orchestras, has also been a refresher course on Philippine history.

The next concert of the season is no exception as the MSO commemorates the post World War II years with Liberation: 80 Years of the Philippine Republic, happening on July 4, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.

The upcoming performance looks back on the MSO's Gala Symphony Concert back in July 5, 1946 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium celebrating the inauguration of the Philippine Republic.

Featured in this concert are violinist Jeanne Marquez, her brother clarinetist Jason Marquez, and guest conductor Jose Reyna, Jr.

Jeanne Marquez

Jeanne will be the soloist at the rarely heard Violin Concerto in D Minor by Lucio San Pedro. She is an MSJO-Standard Insurance International Music Scholar and a recent graduate of the Juilliard School with a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance.

Jason Marquez

On the other hand, Jason, who is a principal clarinetist at Michigan and Texas, gets the spotlight at Concerto for Clarinet by Artie Shaw.

Jose Reyna, Jr.

Jose Reyna, Jr. is an American Prize-winning Filipino conductor, hailed as the “Filipino Toscanini” (The Manila Bulletin) for his panache and artistry on the podium.

Also to be performed at the concert is the opener Youth by former MSO Assistant Conductor Col. Antonino Buenaventura. Premiered at the 1946 MSO Gala Symphony Concert and conducted by the composer himself, the work portrays the youth as the epitome of vigor, energy, and love, standing at the threshold of life's journey". The evening wraps up with Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture by George Gershwin arr. by Robert Russell Bennett.

MSO's Liberation concert brings together works by Filipino and American composers whose music reflects the artistic exchanges and cultural connections that have shaped both nations over the past eight decades.

Manila Symphony Orchestra

The concert venue, the Metropolitan Theater, also holds significance to the MSO. The orchestra performed at the Met's inauguration back in 1931 making the upcoming concert a sort of homecoming for the MSO.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra's Liberation: 80 Years of the Philippine Republic is presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. and Standard Insurance; co-presented by EastWest Bacnk and PAGCOR in partnership with Bagong Pilipinas, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Metropolitan Theater.

Electrifying Diomedes Saraza, Jr in Met solo debut with the PPO

Conductor Haoran Li and violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr.

Diomedes Saraza, Jr. has been one of the most visible and active concert violinists in the country. For his latest outing, he made his Metropolitan Theater debut as a soloist at the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's latest subscription concert series.

Performing Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 47, the same piece he played with the PPO at their historic Carnegie Hall concert back in 2016, Dio had this air of reliability and security. There was this sense of ease that he could do no wrong and all that was left was for the aduience to enjoy the masterfully played Sibelius concerto to the fullest. Conductor Haoran Li provided great support to Dio, ensuring that both soloist and the PPO remain on the same page, so to speak.

After several enthusiastic curtain calls, Dio provided more fireworks with the crowd pleasing Niccolò Paganini's Caprice No. 5 in A Minor, Op. 1 for his encore.

Conductor Haoran Li and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra 

Haoran Li, the fifth and final conductor shortlisted for the position of PPO's Music Director/Principal Conductor brought sensitivity and subdued elegance by the way he weaved the overall arc in Antonino Buenaventura's By the Hillside. While there might be a sense of déjà vu with yet another Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky at the Met, the theater's much improved acoustics meant that the colors and textures of each section are more vivid and clear compared to when this piece was heard last November.

While Dio provided the flashiness, Li was more reserved ending the concert with Sergei Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, Op. 34 for the orchestra's encore.

Now that all five finalists's respective concerts are done, the wait begins for the announcement on who the next PPO Music Director/Principal Conductor will be.

Conductor Haoran Li, violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr. at PPO's February concert at the Met

Chinese conductor Haoran Li, the fifth finalist shortlisted for the position of Principal Conductor and Music Director of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra takes to the podium at the PPO's sixth concert of its 38th season on February 24, 2023, 8:00 PM at the Metropolitan Theater.

Featured soloist in this concert is violinist Diomedes Saraza, Jr., the current concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

The evening's program includes Antonino Buenaventura's By the Hillside, Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 with Saraza Jr. as the soloist.

Li was the assistant conductor of China Philharmonic Orchestra from 2019 to 2020, and the National Center for the Performing Arts Beijing, China in 2018. For the 2022-2023 season, he led concerts with La Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Romanian Radio National Orchestra, Lasi Philharmonic Orchestra, Banatul Philharmonic Orchestra of Timioara, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra.

Improved Metropolitan Theater acoustics at PPO concert

Conductor Shizuo Kuwahara and pianist Albert Tiu

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra greeted 2023 with the resumption of its subscription concert series at the Metropolitan Theater, the orchestra's home for the foreseeable future while the Cultural Center of the Philippines' main building is undergoing major rehabilitation.

The orchestra's performance at the Met back in November exposed the theater's lackluster acoustics that had the PPO and CCP regulars wondering if these deficiencies would be remedied by the next concert at the venue. Thankfully, ceiling panels were installed and this made a significant improvement with the sound.

Led by Shizuo Kuwahara, the fourth of the five shortlisted conductors gunning for the position of the orchestra's next music director/principal conductor, the PPO were in top form making the audience enjoy the mostly Russian program that contain easily recognizable melodies and tunes.

With the theater's acoustics now less of a concern, the music was able to shine. Kuwahara highlighted the contrasts of tempo and rhythm in Alexander Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor. This made the piece's most popular melody, mostly known in the mainstream as Strangers in Paradise, a lot sweeter.

Pianist Albert Tiu, conductor Shizuo Kuwahara,
and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra 

In Igor Sravinsky's Firebird Suite, hearing muted strings as intended was a delight since the November concert sounded as if the strings were muted during the entire concert due to the Met's poor acoustics. Finally, there was now a sense of dynamic range that one struggled to hear back then at the previous Met performance.

Earlier in the week, there were hushed talks about pianist Albert Tiu who was the featured soloist at the concert. A couple of days before, Tiu had a scare when he fell off stage after a run through with the orchestra. Good thing that he wasn't hurt that bad and was still able to squeeze in a masterclass within the week. Tiu showed what a trooper he is as he practically didn't miss a beat in the rhythmically charged Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat Major, Op. 10 on the night of the concert.

Although there was a significant improvement with the Met's acoustics, it is still far from perfect. The depth of sound is still a bit off and the clapping from Antonino Buenaventura's Mindanao Sketches sounded as if the hands were gloved. But this is already nitpicking and not that much of a deal breaker.

Overall, the Kuwahara led PPO showed an invigorated unit showing none of the fatigue from the orchestra's Dinagyang Festival series of performances a couple of weeks prior. And so far in the series, this has been the most satisfying concerto with both the orchestra and soloist in equal footing.

Pianist Albert Tiu, conductor Shizuo Kuwahara in PPO January concert at the Met

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes back pianist Albert Tiu in the fifth concert of its 38th season on January 27, 2023, 8:00 PM at the Metropolitan Theater.

The concert also sees Japanese-American conductor Shizuo Kuwahara leading the orchestra. He is the fourth of the five conductors shortlisted gunning for the position of the PPO Music Director/Principal Conductor. Kuwahara is the First Prize winner of the Georg Solti International Conductors’ Competition in Frankfurt, Germany and principal guest conductor of The Mariinsky Theatre, Russia.

Tiu, recently promoted to Head of Piano Studies at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore, last performed with the PPO back in the the orchestra's opening concert of its 32nd season back in 2014.

The evening's program will include Antonino Buenaventura's Mindanao Sketches, Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat major, Op. 10, Alexander Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, and Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (1919).

Orchestra of the Filipino Youth to perform in 10th anniversary concert

The National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), in celebration of its 49th Anniversary, presents the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth in a special 10th anniversary concert on October 8, 2022, 5:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater).

Billed as OFY X: Celebrating 10 Years of Music, this concert is the orchestra's first live performance since the pandemic.

Conducted by Gerard Salonga, the OFY will perform Mikhail Glinka's Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, Antonino Buenaventura's Mindanao Sketches, Lucio San Pedro's Lahing Kayumanggi, and Ryan Cayabyab's Tsismis.

The Orchestra of the Filipino Youth is a non-profit organization founded in 2012, institutionally funded by First Philippine Holdings and First Gen Corporation. Its program structure is inspired by El Sistema, which originated in Venezuela as an alternative after school activity to help at-risk children and to spark social change through music. OFY supports the musically talented, less privileged youth, and provides programs that focus on orchestral training and instrument support. It has performed in local and international venues and events. Currently, OFY is led by Gerard Salonga, Ang Misyon’s Music Director and Chief Conductor of Orchestras.

Roi Aldric Trawon

OFY gave me an opportunity to develop as a leader by challenging me to step up when the conductor is not present the organization as a whole also motivated me to see music education as a vehicle for social change.

-Roi Aldric Trawon, OFY Concertmaster 2012-2015

Admission to the concert is for free but tickets have already been committed. Additional tickets may be released to the public if ticket holders do not come.

Manila Symphony Orchestra champions Filipino music in 90th anniversary concert

Featuring:

Gabriel Paguirigan, piano

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Alexander Lippay

     Variations on the Philippine National Hymn

Rodolfo Cornejo

     Philippine Rhapsody No. 2

Antonino Buenaventura

     Symphony in C

Encore:

Antonino Buenaventura

     Mindanao Sketches A Village Festival Dance

The Manila Symphony Orchestra paid tribute to the Music of the Filipino at the concert that not only capped their 2015-2016 Season but also celebrated the orchestra’s 90^th anniversary. Led by principal conductor/music director Arturo Molina, the MSO performed at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium in UP Diliman rarely heard pieces by Alexander Lippay, Rodolfo Cornejo, and Antonino Buenaventura.

To open the concert, the MSO paid homage to their roots by performing Variations on the Philippine National Hymn, composed by the orchestra’s founder, Dr. Alexander Lippay.  The main theme of this piece comprised only of the first two thirds of the Philippine National Anthem. The variations that followed suit had the theme passed on to various instruments in a call and response fashion, dissonant figurations accompanied the melody, tonalities shifted to minor, time signature switched to triple meter, and even the melody inverted.

As the piece went on, I was expecting that the final third would be heard at last during the finale. But it wasn’t so. I don’t know if this was a deliberate omission by Lippay’s part in order not to break any law concerning the usage of the Philippine National Anthem during his time.

After looking back to the past, the second piece, Philippine Rhapsody No. 2 by Rodolfo Cornejo, looked towards the future with Gabriel Paguirigan, a young pianist who has won numerous competitions including the most recent NAMCYA. The single movement piece featured passages from popular Filipino folk tunes that. The work didn’t fully explore the full range of heights and depths that one could make of folk tunes. Nonetheless, the work is labelled as a rhapsody so I shouldn’t expect the grandeur and the contrasts of say, a concerto. Gabriel performed with the command that made him the First Prize winner of the inaugural Henrietta S. Tayengco-Limjoco Piano Concerto Competition just a week before this concert.

Antonino Buenaventura's Symphony in C made up the second half of the concert. This symphony was made in the typical western form and structure but was steeped in folk/national idiom. The sprinkling of mordents throughout the piece gave the music a very Asian/Filipino feel. For an encore, another Buenaventura piece, the second part A Village Festival Dance from Mindanao Sketches, was performed. The shouting and the clapping make this piece a crowd pleaser and undoubtedly one of the most popular orchestral music by a Filipino composer.

Overall, this evening was for discovering and unearthing music that have gathered dust in the archives/libraries and are itching to be performed on stage. I wish that there were program notes regarding these pieces in the souvenir program so that I would’ve been armed with some background information before hearing them for the first time. I do find it very strange that resources such as recordings and other related literature are almost nonexistent considering that these are Filipino pieces. It should be the other way around but that is not the case in here. And this concert by the MSO is a step towards the goal of having Filipino music at the forefront of the concert scene in the country.

With the concert celebrating the 90^th anniversary of the Manila Symphony Orchestra wrapped up, it’s time to relish the orchestra’s rich history and also look to forward to the next decade as they inch closer towards their centennial.

Bandoneon player Rodolfo Mederos joins PPO in concert

April 24, 2015, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Rodolfo Mederos, bandoneon

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Arvo Pärt

     Fratres

Antonino Buenaventura

     Mindanao Sketches

Maurice Ravel

     El Alborada del gracioso

Ottorino Respighi

     Pini di Roma

Legendary Argentinean bandoneon player Rodolfo Mederos joins the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's closing concert of the season happening on April 24, 2015, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

The concert, to be led by the orchestra's principal conductor/music director Olivier Ochanine, features an eclectic selection of music from all over the world namely Fratres by Arvo Pärt from Estonia, Mindanao Sketches by Antonino Buenaventura from the Philippines, El Aborada del gracioso by Maurice Ravel from France, Pini da Roma by Ottorino Respighi from Italy, and various tango music from Argentina and South America to be performed by Mederos accompanied by the PPO. 

Bandoneon player Rodolfo Mederos

In 2000, Rodolfo Mederos was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in the category of Best Tango Album for Eterno Buenos Aires (1999), which featured him performing with a quintet comprised also of pianist Hernán Posetti, violinist Damián Bolotín, guitarist Armando de la Vega, and double bassist Sergio Rivas. His successive two albums Las Veredas de Saturno (2000) won a Gardel Award in 2001 while Tangos (2000), a collaborative album with Nicolás "Colacho" Brizuela, earned a Latin Grammy Award nomination in 2001. Mederos commenced the Comunidad-Intimidad-Soledad trilogy - Comunidad (2006), Intimidad (2007), and Soledad (2007) -- the first entry in which earned him a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Tango Album in 2007.

Aside from being a performer, Rodolfo Mederos is also a biologist, filmmaker, carpenter, teacher and collector. According to his official website, his forceful personality has produced a profound effect on tango, developing a style fraught with popular essence and emotion, and drawing from every single note he strikes a myriad of deep roots and good taste. He has never conceived tango to be a mere local expression, unlike other genres of folk compositions. As a composer, Rodolfo Mederos covers the gamut from popular to symphonic pieces for different instrumental groups. As a performer, he expresses deep-felt musicality. In addition, he has also carved out a career as a teacher and writer of both bandoneon-related matters as well as tango composition and orchestration.

The final concert of the 2014-2015 Sound Kaleidoscope Season of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra is a presentation of the Cultural Center of the Philippinesin cooperation with Stores Specialist, Inc., and the Embassy of Argentina.

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

+applicable service charges

For inquiries:

CCP Marketing Department 832-1125 local 1806

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

Manila Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to National Artist Buenaventura in Pastorale concert

September 27, 2014, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Regina Buenaventura, violin

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Col Antonino Buenaventura By the Hillside

Ludwig van Beethoven

     Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61

     Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, Pastoral

The Manila Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to National Artist for Music Col. Antonino Buenaventura in their upcoming concert entitled Pastorale happening this September 27, 2014, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

National Artist for Music Col. Antonino Buenaventura

The concert, to be conducted by MSO’s principal conductor and music director Arturto Molina, will feature a performance of Buenaventura’s By the Hillside, a tone poem evoking the landscapes of Baguio. Also taking to the stage this evening is Regina Buenaventura, the colonel’s granddaughter and a frequent MSO guest artist. She will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61. The only violin concerto composed by Beethoven, this piece nonetheless has been considered as one of the most important concertos in the violin repertoire. Though it may not be as flashy and as bombastic compared to other violin concertos (I do describe it as very polite), its lyricism and charm make it a favorite among audiences.

Violinist Regina Buenaventura

Rounding up the concert for will be Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also known as Pastoral. This piece ties everything up quite nicely since Buenaventura’s By the Hillside is an essay on the Pastoral symphony. This Beethoven work was also the very first symphony that the MSO played in their inaugural concert in 1926. And I think that the Pastoral symphony is also very timely since it also serves a reminder that after the storm (which our country has been plagued with for the past couple of weeks) there will come a time when the sun shines and things go back to normal.

Ticket prices:

P1200 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

MSO 523-5712, info@manilasymphony.com

TicketWorld 891-9999

Japan-Philippines Friendship Contemporary Music Festival Part 2

Conductor Tastuya Shimono

Featuring:

Kohei Nishikawa, yokobue

Irene Quiso-Ednave, soprano

Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo

Tatsuya Shimono, conductor

Programme:

Maki Ishii Symphonic Poem for Yokobue and Orchestra

Masashi Ishida Symphony No. 1

Herminigildo Ranera Philippine Symphonic Folk Songs

Antonino Buenaventura By the Hillside

Akira Ifukube Sinfonia Tapkaara

After the chamber music concert held at the Philam Life Auditorium, the Japan-Philippines Friendship Contemporary Music Festival hopped over to the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on the following night for the second concert of the festival featuring the Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo led by conductor Tatsuya Shimono.

This concert, a part of the celebrations for the 40th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, showcased contemporary music written by both Japanese and Filipino composers. Two of the pieces, Masashi Ishida’s Symphony No. 1 and Harminigildo Ranera’s Philippine Symphonic Folk Songs had their world premiere performances during that evening.

Yokobue player Kohei Nishikawa

The concert started with Maki Ishii’s Symphonic Poem “Gioh” for Yokobue and Orchestra, Op. 60 featuring Kohei Nishikawa at the yokobue and local soprano Irene Quiso-Ednave. The Yokobue is a Japanese traditional transverse flute and this piece of music gave the spotlight to this traditional instrument. The music which is unmistakenly Eastern in character tells the story of Gioh, a young and beautiful dancer who falls in love with Kiyomori, the head of the Heike clan. It seemed to me that soprano Quiso-Ednave’s vocals represented Gioh but it was the Yokobue that dominated the piece.

The next piece, Masashi Ishida’s Symphony No. 1 was definitely patterned after the western model. While the opening piece could’ve alienated some audience members due to its exotic nature, this symphony was very approachable and enjoyable. The same could be said of Herminigildo Ranera’s Philippine Symphonic Folk Songs, another accessible piece of music that was based on folk tunes from various parts of the Philippines.

Soprano Irene Quiso-Ednave

Having a Japanese orchestra perform Antonino Buenaventura’s By the Hillside gave this piece, which I think has been played too often, a new and fresh perspective. The last piece of the night, Akira Ifukube’s Sinfonia Tapkaara finally gave the orchestra the chance to show its muscle. Most of the works performed during this evening transported the audience into an otherworldly experience, especially with the Ishii symphonic poem. But this Ifukube composition, containing such aggressive rhythms as well as a divine lyrical section, combined ethnic influences with a European sound. It wouldn’t be surprising the audience found this piece the most appealing. The orchestra performed as an encore, Mike Velarde, Jr.’s Dahil Sa Iyo that displayed guest concert master’s Kazuhiro Takagi’s exceptional skills.

Violinist Kazuhiro Takagi

I learned during the cocktails after the concert, that the Orchestra Nipponica Orchestra is not really a professional orchestra like the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra or Manila Symphony Orchestra. I did notice that Takagi really stood out as concert master and the other violinists in his section didn’t even come close in matching his ability. There were a scattering of fine sounding musicians, but they were still very uneven as a whole. While it was interesting to see a foreign orchestra perform, I was a bit surprised and a little disappointed that the orchestra’s level wasn’t as high as I hoped it would be. I find it fortunate that they had a dynamic conductor in Tatsuya Shimono who was able to bring out something in them. I couldn’t imagine how they would sound like with a less than capable conductor. I guess that the last foreign orchestra to perform here in the Philippines, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, made me set my expectations too high.

Japan-Philippines Friendship Contemporary Music Festival Part 1

Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo concert celebrates 40th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation

Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo

February 9, 2013, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Kohei Nishikawa, yokobue

Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo

Tatsuya Shimono, conductor

Programme:

Maki Ishii Symphonic Poem "Gioh" for Yokobue and Orchestra, Op. 60

Masashi Ishida Symphony No. 1

Herminigildo Ranera Philippine Symphonic Folk Songs

Antonino Buenaventura By the Hillside

Akira Ifukube Sinfonia Tapkaara

Continuing the celebrations for the Japan-Philippines Friendship Contemporary Music Festival and of the 40^th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo will perform in a special concert featuring Japanese and Philippine contemporary music this February 9, 2013, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). Conductor Tatsuya Shimono leads the orchestra in the concert that also features yokobue player Kohei Nishikawa.

Yokobue player Kohei Nishikawa

Kohei Nishikawa will be the featured soloist in Maki Ishii’s Symphonic Poem for Yokobue and Orchestra. The yokobue is the Japanese traditional transverse flute. Other pieces to be played this evening are Masashi Ishida’s Symphony No. 1, Herminigildo Ranera’s Philippine Symphonic Folk Songs, Antonino Buenaventura’s By the Hillside and Akira Ifukube Sinfonia Tapkaara. I’ve read that the works by Ishide and Ranera will have their world premiere performances during this night.

Conductor  Tatsuya Shimono

According to the press kit, the Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo (ONT) was established in September 2002 as an orchestra to succeed the aspirations of the late Yasushi Akutagawa, one of the most famous Japanese composers who left outstanding achievements in the music culture in modern Japan through various music and social activities. Aside from actively performing orchestral works of Japanese composers and introducing lost or long-forgotten works of both Japanese and foreign composers, another key activity of ONT is promoting international exchange at the grassroots level by widely interacting in various countries, mainly in Asia, and in various areas, not only through performances, but also through commissioning of new compositions.

The Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo concert event is endorsed by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Japan, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, the Japanese Association Manila, Inc., the Daily Manila Shimbun and South Japan Broadcasting (Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan).

Ticket prices:

P1500 Orchestra Center

P1000 Orchestra Side

P800 Balcony I Center

P500 Balcony I Side

P300 Balcony II

For inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3704, 832-3706

TicketWorld: 8919999

Countdown to a Century

Featuring:

Nita Abrogar-Quinto, piano

UP Orchestra

Rodney Ambat, conductor

Edna Marcil Martinez, conductor

Programme:

Ludwig van Beethoven

     Coriolan Overture, Op. 62

     Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21

Nicanor Abelardo Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor

Benjamin Britten Simple Symphony, Op. 4

Antonino Buenaventura By the Hillside

The UP Orchestra returns to the Cultural Center of the Philippines for Countdown to a Century, a concert which signals the countdown to the UP College of Music’s 100^th Anniversary happening in 2016. The concert, a fund raiser for the UPCMUAA Student’s Recital Fund, was also a nice comeback for pianist Nita Abrogar-Quinto who has recovered from a serious illness.

For the first half of this concert that was held at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater), the orchestra was conducted by Rodney Ambat and they played a couple of pieces by Ludwig van Beethoven: the Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 and Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21. Even though these pieces aren’t my favorites from Beethoven, I was still able to notice that the orchestra was playing a lot better than the last time that I saw them.

The concert's second half, with Edna Marcil Martinez conducting this time, was more interesting for me. It included the highlight of the evening for me which was Nita Abrogar-Quinto’s performance of Nicanor Abelardo’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor. The audience that night was made up mostly of UP students, faculty and alumni so they knew the story of how a year before, a concert was held to raise funds for Quinto while she was still undergoing treatment for cancer. And now with her fully recovered, she was put into the spotlight as she played a piano concerto with the orchestra. That’s probably the reason why the orchestra had an inspired performance in which the audience responded with by giving them a standing ovation. After this piece, most members of the orchestra exited the stage until a trimmed down strings section was left. And then they played Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony, Op. 4, a very delightful piece that the orchestra clearly enjoyed especially the second movement which was all done in pizzicato. It was an easy, light and very entertaining piece that was a nice break from all the seriousness of the previous number.

The last piece of the evening was By the Hillside by Antonino Buenaventura and it was a bit strange to hear this piece just a few days after it was also played by the Manila Symphony Orchestra during their latest concert. Because of this, the concert ended not on a high note as I hoped it would be since the UP Orchestra’s performance paled in comparison compared to the MSO's rendition which was still fresh in my mind back then. But this was just a minor detail since the orchestra did have a competent overall performance and I did feel that they worked hard in preparation for this evening and it did show. I do hope that as the UP College of Music’s centennial approaches, the UP Orchestra will be better every time that I see them.

MSO III: Re-formation

Diomedes Saraza Jr. with the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Featuring:

Diomedes Saraza Jr., violin

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 107 Reformation

Antonino Buenaventura By the Hillside

Aram Khachaturian Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 46

The Manila Symphony Orchestra has been having a remarkable season so far with their past two concerts enjoying great attendance and positive feedback. And the momentum continued with their third concert of the season to the point that they even mounted a matinee concert which is an interactive one catered to students and newcomers. But I wasn’t able to see that one since it was the evening concert that I had planned to watch.

Despite the lousy weather and a slight fever, I still managed to arrive at the Philam Life Auditorium to see this concert since I couldn’t afford to miss a live performance of the Aram Khachaturian’s violin concerto which I haven’t seen before. And having Diomedes Saraza Jr. as the soloist just made it more difficult to pass this up and I didn’t mind getting more sick the day after by attending this concert.

After having guest conductor Thanos Adamopoulos during the MSO’s previous concert, Arturo Molina resumes conducting duties for this one. Normally, a symphony would not be the ideal concert opener but they stuck to the reformation theme and started the evening with Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 107 also known as Reformation which is in line with the orchestra’s 10^th year anniversary since its rebirth. This piece is one of Mendelssohn’s works that I’m not really familiar and as always, I’m open to the idea of knowing more in the world of classical music.

The next piece that was played was Antonino Buenaventura’s By the Hillside and this is one Filipino piece that is regularly played. This may be a short piece compared to the Mendelssohn symphony but it sounds more epic which was how the orchestra played it this evening due to the excellent acoustics of the Philam Life Auditorium. I remember that they played this piece before and I wasn’t able to appreciate it back then because of the less than ideal acoustics.

Diomedes Saraza Jr. greets the audience after the concert

I had to admit that the real reason why I risked getting sicker to attend this performance was Diomedes Saraza Jr.’s take on Aram Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 46. I’ve been very much interested on seeing live performances of Khachaturian’s concertos and I’ve recently seen pianist Rene Dalandan perform the piano concerto. That’s one ticked off the list and I couldn’t be happier that the violin concerto would just come a few weeks later.

This piece had a more exotic flavor to it compared to other concertos and Saraza, wearing an equally unusual white suit with black shirt underneath, played with like he owned the piece. Whoever would perform this next would have a hard time matching the high standard that Saraza Jr, the MSO and conductor Molina have set with this performance. The audience wouldn’t let Saraza Jr. perform just the concerto so they demanded encores from him and he obliged with a piece from tango legend Carlos Gardel entitled Por una Cabeza which he played with the Orchestra. And then he showed why he is one of the most promising young violinists in the country with an effortless rendition of Eugène Ysaÿe’s Violin Sonata No. 3, Op. 27.

Violinists Diomedes Saraza Jr. and Gilopez Kabayao

This evening was one of those moments when I go into a concert feeling not so well, but for a couple of hours, the music and the atmosphere inside the hall gave me an extra dose of strength and I forget that I was actually a bit sick. As expected, I felt worse the day after and was unable to go to any events scheduled for that day. But that’s just a small price for me to pay considering what I’ve witnessed the night before.