MSO I: Ode to Stars

Arturo Molina conducts the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin 

Jiovanni Tabada, double bass

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Lucio San Pedro Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan

Giovanni Bottesini Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass

Gustav Holst The Planets, Op. 32

John Williams

     Overture from E.T the Extra-Terrestrial

     Theme from Star Wars

The gloomy weather outside was no match for the colorful evening presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra during the opening concert of their 2013-2014 Concert Season dubbed as Color Your World. The MSO did color the night even before the first note was played through the brightly colored gowns worn by the female members of the orchestra. The whole orchestra looked resplendent as they debuted their new look for this season on stage inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

The concert entitled Ode to Stars which was conducted by Arturo Molina started with the ethereal, airy and dreamy Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan by Lucio San Pedro. For some, the music was so soothing that it almost lulled them into sleep. Thank goodness that at one point, there was a lively dance, representing the revelry of the people during the night. And it did serve as a break from the dreaminess of the whole piece. Acting concertmaster Sara Maria Gonzalez had some exquisite violin solos in this piece as well.

Violinist Gina Medina
and Double Bassist Jiovanni Tabada

The orchestra’s regular concertmaster, Gina Medina and double bassist Jiovanni Tabada were the featured soloists for the next piece which was Giovanni Bottesini’s Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass. The unusual pairing of instruments, representing the extremes of the strings section resulted in a very interesting piece of music and performance. The almost playful banter between the string's smallest and the biggest instrument gave way to interesting duet passages as well. Tabada’s double bass ventured into high registers that almost had him going beyond the fingerboard. My favorite part during the performance was when Medina was playing the melody while Tabada accompanied her with arpeggios that looked very tricky when played with the double bass.

And then we were off to outer space during the second half with Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Op. 32. The MSO changed the order of the movements a bit and tucked Jupiter, the most popular and most often played part, towards the end. Many in the audience probably wasn’t prepared to hear the piece in its entirety, so I noticed some of them shifting in their seats at around Saturn which was played as the fourth movement. But what interested me most in this performance was where the women’s chorus, composed of members of Viva Voce, would be placed during the Neptune part. Traditionally, they perform offstage and hidden from the audience. It made me curious as to how they would receive their cues from the conductor if they would be hidden. It turned out that the chorus was placed at the upper left boxes and some of the audience had to crane their necks to look above to see them. Well, it was apt that people had to look up since the night had this intergalactic, heavenly bodies theme to it. Normally, this Neptune part ends the piece. But with the women’s chorus fading out towards the end, it’s not the climactic ending that most people would expect from a major work such as this. And I think that this made the decision to have Jupiter as the final movement of this piece so that they would have this explosive end. The people responded really well by the end of The Planets that I think that they almost forgot that there were supposed to be two John Williams’ pieces yet to be played: themes from the films E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Star Wars. MSO executive director Jefrey Solares told us in jest before that people demanded a John Williams piece to be part of the concert and I guess that they caved in to popular demand. But giving into it was worth it since these two pieces were very much applauded prompting a huge chunk of the audience to give the orchestra a standing ovation.

The Color Your World MSO 2013-2014 Concert Season continues with The Trumpet Calls featuring Belgian guests: trumpeter Manu Mellaerts and conductor Thanos Adamopoulos happening on July 6, 2013, 8:00 PM at the Santiago Francisco Hall at the BDO Complex.

Text by RAd

Photos by the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Manila Symphony Orchestra launches 2013-2014 Concert Season

The Manila Symphony Orchestra is set to bring color to our world through music via their 2013-2014 Concert Season dubbed as Color Your World. The orchestra had a press conference recently at the Ayala Museum launching the new season which will now be held mostly at the Santiago Francisco Hall at the South Tower of the BDO Corporate Center.

Guest artists for this season include a couple of Belgians: Thanos Adamopoulos who will be conducting the MSO once again and trumpeter Manu Mellaerts. Both will be performing in a concert co-presented by the Embassy of Belgium. Netherlands-trained double bassist Jiovanni Tabada and violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr. who recently graduated from the Juilliard School will also be among the guest soloists this season. Several MSO musicians to be featured as soloists include concertmaster Gina Medina, oboist Jayson Pagtakhan, clarinetist Randolf Lopez, horn player Celso de Leon, and bassoonist Noel Singcuenco.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra

This season will also celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi through a concert extravaganza featuring his works. This concert will put the spotlight on a mixture of veteran and up-and-coming vocalists that include sopranos Camille Lopez-Molina, Tanya Corcuera and Myramae Meneses, tenor Ivan Niccolo Nery and baritone Noel Azcona. Prof. Arturo Molina conducts the Manila Symphony Orchestra for the whole season with the exception of the concert featuring guest conductor Adamopoulos.

The MSO also has a promo wherein subscribers can win an iPad mini. One has to subscribe to and attend all five concerts to be eligible to win. A subscriber can let someone else use his pass if he couldn’t make it to the concert himself. This promo was intended to encourage subscribers to make full use of their subscription.

The press conference was held prior to the fifth and last concert of the Rush Hour Concert Series that was held at the ground floor lobby of the Ayala Museum. Previous concerts featured various sections and all the sections finally got together for the last concert of the series that also served as the MSO 2013-2014 Season Launch. The audience was treated to a variety of music ranging from the Baroque era up to the 20^th Century. The orchestra also offered a teaser of their upcoming season by playing the Finale from Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G major and Mars from Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Op. 32. Both of these pieces will be played in its entirety at a couple of their concerts this season.

Conductor Arturo Molina

The concert series were aimed towards office workers in Makati as a way to pass the time while waiting for the rush hour traffic subside. And I was pleasantly surprised when I saw unfamiliar faces enjoying the performance and the concert regulars were nowhere to be seen. This means that the Rush Hour Concert Series was able to reach out to a new audience that the MSO and I hope will eventually check out the orchestra's upcoming season.

Here is the schedule of MSO's Color Your World 2013-2014 Concert Season:

June 8, 2013

Ode to Stars

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin 

Jiovanni Tabada, double bass

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Lucio San Pedro Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan

Giovanni Bottesini Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass

Gustav Holst The Planets, Op. 32

John Williams
     Overture from E.T the Extra-Terrestrial
     Theme from Star Wars

July 6, 2013

The Trumpet Calls

Featuring:

Manu Mellaerts, trumpet

Thanos Adamopoulos, conductor

Programme:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 Haffner

Johann Nepomuk Hummel Trumpet Concerto in E flat major, S. 49

Franz Schubert Symphony No. 9 in C major D. 944 Great

August 10, 2013

Spectacle

Featuring:

Diomedes Saraza Jr., violin

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Antonín Dvořák Carnival Concert Overture, Op. 92, B. 169

Béla Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2, BB 117

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36

September 14, 2013

Verdi’s Opera Extravaganza

Featuring:

Camille Lopez-Molina, soprano

Tanya Corcuera, soprano

Myramae Meneses, soprano

Ivan Niccolo Nery, tenor

Noel Azcona, baritone

Arturo Molina, conductor

January 14, 2014

Classics (The MSO Turns 88)

Featuring:

Jayson Pagtakhan, oboe

Randolf Lopez, clarinet

Celso de Leon, horn

Noel Singcuenco, bassoon

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 88 in G major, Hob. 1/88

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon, K. 297b

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21

All concerts will be held at the Santiago Francisco Hall at the South Tower of the BDO Corporate Center except the June 8 concert Ode to Stars which will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Gina Medina and Jiovanni Tabada headline MSO’s opening concert

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin 

Jiovanni Tabada, double bass

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Lucio San Pedro Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan

Giovanni Bottesini Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass

Gustav Holst The Planets, Op. 32
John Williams
     Overture from E.T the Extra-Terrestrial
     Theme from Star Wars

For the second time in three years, the Manila Symphony Orchestra will hold its opening concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). This concert billed as Ode to Stars will feature soloists Gina Medina (violin) and Jiovanni Tabada (double bass) performing Giovanni Bottesini’s Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass.

The MSO also takes advantage of the bigger CCP stage as they prepare to perform a monumental work of music: Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Op. 32. The suite’s Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity is immensely popular and mostly played on its own. But the audience will now have the chance to hear the orchestra play the suite in its entirety. In keeping with the night’s theme of heavenly bodies, the orchestra will also perform Lucio San Pedro’s Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan. and music from the films Star Wars and E.T. the Extra Terrestrial by John Williams. Prof. Arturo Molina conducts in this concert.

Violinist Gina Medina

Concertmaster Gina Medina is a familiar face and presence in the country’s classical music scene. She has performed as soloist with the Manila Symphony Orchestra and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for the past few years. She is also an active chamber music performer as well. Jiovanni Tabada on the other hand, is still relatively unknown in the country. The MSO hopes that this concert will introduce Jiovanni to the Filipino audience.

Double Bassist Jiovanni Tabada

According to the MSO’s facebook page, Jiovanni received his basic music training on double bass in 1996 at Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation in Cebu. Four years later, he was awarded a full grant to study in one of the best conservatories in Europe, the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2009, Jiovanni graduated from the Royal Conservatory with a Masters Degree in Music, Major in Double Bass, with distinction. He has performed with the Sinfonia Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra, the Holland Sinfonia, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He now resides in his hometown, Cebu, and is contributing to its growing music scene. He is currently the music program director of Sistemang Pilipino, an outreach program for children. At Sistemang Pilipino, he strives to promote his vision that music is for everyone.

Ticket prices:

P1200 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

P600 Balcony I

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

-20% early bird promo available until May 30, 2013 only

For inquiries:

523-5712, (0916) 408-7549, sales@manilasymphony.com

Chinese cellist Guo Qiele joins MCO Foundation’s 2013 Chamber Music Festival

March 6, 2013, 7:00 PM

Ayala Museum

Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street

Greenbelt Park, Makati

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin

Guo Qiele, cello

Mary Anne Espina, piano

Programme:

Antonín Dvořák Piano Trio No. 3 in F minor, Op. 65

Astor Piazzolla The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires

The MCO Foundation and the Ayala Museum present another night of chamber music as Chinese cellist Guo Qiele joins violinist Gina Medina and pianist Mary Anne Espina in Turning Point: A Chamber Music Evening this March 6, 2013, 7:00 PM at the Ayala Museum.

Cellist Guo Qiele

The trio of Medina, Qiele and Espina is set to perform Antonín Dvořák’s Piano Trio No. 3 in F minor, Op. 65 and Astor Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires in this concert. The Dvorak piano trio is a serious work that is characterized with a tragic, conflicted and stormy music reminiscent of Brahms’ works. The Piazzolla piece on the other hand depicts the four seasons for a porteño (resient of Buenos Aires) through tango music which Piazzolla is very famous for.

Violinist Gina Medina

There is no doubt that local music enthusiasts will be looking forward to seeing cellist Guo Qiele in this concert. Just 16 years old, Guo Qiele was named as one of the "Ten Talented Young Artists of China" when he was just 14 years old. He is currently under the tutelage of another sensational cellist Qin Li Wei in Singapore. The two other musicians, Gina Medina and Mary Anne Espina, almost need no introduction. Gina Medina, current concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Orchestra, has been featured as a soloist and a chamber music performer for years now. Mary Anne Espina, also a frequent collaborator of Medina, is one of the most sought after and dependable collaborating artists today. She was recently part of the orchestra during The Phantom of the Opera’s sold out run last year.

Pianist Mary Anne Espina

The MCO Foundation is a 28-year old non-stock, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of classical arts. This concert is made possible through the support of Ayala Museum together with Lyric Piano and Organ, BusinessWorld, HighLife, HerWord and DZFE FM 98.7.

Ticket prices:

P1000 Center

P600 Side

For inquiries:

MCOF 750-0768, (0920) 954-0053

Allan 782-7164, (0918) 347-3027

Ticketworld 891-9999

An Evening of Chamber Music opens the 2012 Cultural Arts Events Organizer concert season

February 25, 2012, 8:00 PM

Philam Life Auditorium

UN Avenue, Manila

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin

Wilfredo Pasamba, cello

Mary Anne Espina, piano

Quartetto Espressivo

     Joseph Brian Cimafranca, violin

     Sara Maria Gonzales, violin

     Rey Casey Concepcion, viola

     Gary Graham Gonzales, cello

Programme:

Anton Arensky Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32

Ernest Chausson Concerto in D major for Piano, Violin and String Quartet, Op. 21

The Cultural Arts Events Organizer invites all music lovers to An Evening of Chamber Music slated on February 25, 2012, 8:00 PM at the Philam Life Auditorium, United Nations Ave., Manila.

The concert features two (2) of the most beautiful but rarely played chamber music compositions  during the Romantic Period– the Anton Arensky’s fiery First Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 32 and the heartwarming Ernest Chausson’s Concerto in D major for Piano, Violin and  String Quartet, Op. 21.  These masterpieces will be performed by seven (7) of the country’s distinguished musicians namely, pianist Mary Anne Espina, violinist Gina Medina, cellist Wilfredo Pasamba and Quartetto Espressivo of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

Pianist Mary Anne Espina

Known for her “impeccable musicality and sensitivity”, Espina is one of the most sought after chamber musicians in the country today.  A 2008 Aliw awardee, Espina continues to team up with outstanding local and international artists in major concert and recital venues in the country. 

Violinist Gina Medina

As a distinguished violinist, soloist and chamber performer, Medina has gained a vital seat in the Philippines’ classical music circle.  Her commanding musical techniques and precarious abilities never cease to awe her audiences.

Cellist Wilfredo Pasamba

Pasamba, considered one of the finest Filipino cellists today, is a graduate of Moscow Conservatory of Music. He has performed in all major music centers in the world.

Quartetto Espressivo

Quartetto Espressivo, the resident string quartet of Manila Symphony Orchestra, consists of Joseph Brian Cimafranca, violin; Sara Maria Gonzales, violin, Rey Casey Concepcion, viola and Gary Graham Gonzales, cello – all graduates of St.Scholastica’s College School of Music.

Don’t miss this musical coup. This concert is made possible in partnership with Vision Classic, Lyric Piano and Organ, BusinessWorld, Nethal Marketing and TIEZA.

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Sides

P600 Loge Center

P500 Loge Sides

For inquiries:

Cultural Arts Events Organizer 781-7164, (0918)347-3027

MCO Foundation 750-0768, (0920)954-0053

TicketWorld 891-9999

Filfest's 5th season opener pays tribute to Angel Peña

February 11, 2012, 8:00 PM

Insular Life Auditorium

Insular Life Tower

Filinvest, Alabang

Featuring:

Renato Lucas, cello

Gina Medina, violin

Jonathan Coo, tenor

Sheryl Ann de Dios, piano

Rommel Cruz, bass

Kasilag Guitar Trio

Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino Big Band

Mel Villena, music director

The Filfest Cultural Foundation, in cooperation with its staunchest partners, Insular Life and BMW ushers in 2012, the 7th Philippine International Jazz Festival and its 5th season themed Southern Exposure with a special concert that honors the legendary classical and jazz composer and musician, Angel Matias Peña. 

Composer, arranger and double bassist Angel Peña was born in 1921 and began his musical career as a guitarist. Through hard work and discipline, he made his way to the forefront of the Philippine music scene from the 1930’s to the 1960’s associating with the likes of the Tirso Cruz Orchestra, Federico Elizalde, Lito Molina and The Executives Band to name a few. He jammed with His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. 

Angel Peña

In the 1970’s, he was accepted as a double bassist of the prestigious Honolulu Symphony Orchestra where he performed until his retirement in the late 1990s. He is a most sought after arranger and an award winning composer whose works include Igorot Rhapsody, Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra, Bagbagtulambing Jazz Fantasy, and the immortal kundiman, Iyo Kailan Pa Man. 

A Tribute to the Maestro will showcase selected Peña compositions that include the premiere perfomances of Manalig Ka Sinta, with text by Bayani de Leon and A Piece for Cello and Piano and Arigato Guzaimasu, a quartet for violin, cello, piano and double bass. Aside from the classical compositions, also to be featured are his notable works for jazz orchestra such as Peace Beyond, RoTo, Café Espresso and GABE. Featured artists in this special concert are cellist Renato Lucas, violinist Gina Medina, tenor Jonathan Coo, pianist Sheryl Ann de Dios, bassist Rommel Cruz, the Kasilag Guitar Trio and Manila’s premiere jazz orchestra, the Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino Big Band led by its music director Mel Villena. 

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra

P500 Balcony

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

Marie 585-3823, (0917) 817-7261, (0918) 941-9472

USTSO in Concert

Pinoy Violinists members from UST

Featuring:

Linda Montessa, piano

Reynaldo Reyes, piano

Gina Medina, violin

University of Sto. Tomas Symphony Orchestra

Herminigildo Ranera, conductor

Programme:

Giuseppe Verdi Overture from La forza del destino

Frédéric Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21

Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S.124

Manuel Infante Danses Andalouses

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade, Op. 35

The UST Symphony Orchestra (USTSO) conducted by Herminigildo Ranera recently had a concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines featuring pianists Reynaldo Reyes and Linda Montessa and also violinist Gina Medina. I was a bit surprised about this concert since I only found out about it around three weeks before the date of the performance itself. And with USTSO being a resident company of the CCP, I expected a lot more from them in terms of promotion and publicity for this concert.

There were many things about this concert that left me surprised and baffled but I still made sure that I was able watch their performance with interest since their programme featured one of my favorite piano concertos of all time. As expected, the concert held at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) opened with an overture and the one that they played was from La forza del destino by Giuseppe Verdi. They played this piece decently without any indication of how the rest of the concert would turn out to be.

Next came the piano concertos which were my most anticipated part of the concert. First up was Linda Montessa who played Frédéric Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 which is one of my favorite piano concertos of all time. It was my first time to hear of Montessa so I was curious to see how she played. After her performance was Reynaldo Reyes’ turn and he played Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S.124. It would be very interesting for me to see him play a concert after seeing him perform at a couple of recitals playing Beethoven sonatas. And I wasn’t surprised at all with the Liszt piece that was played since it’s the composer’s bicentennial anniversary but three Liszt concertos in three months is already pushing it too far.

I felt that their pianists were only able to show a glimpse of what they were capable of since both were past their prime. It left me wondering how different the performances would have been had they played these pieces during their peak. I was hoping that the orchestra would somehow be able to step up knowing that they’d be playing with veterans but I didn’t feel any connection between them and the soloists. I felt sad since I was really hoping for the best from everyone. The Chopin piece wasn’t able to tell a story and the youthful vigor of the Liszt was sorely missed which was really unfortunate.

Thankfully, Montessa and Reyes were able to show what they were capable of when they played Manuel Infante Danses Andalouses on two pianos. During the performance of this piece, there was at least a connection between them and they performed better together despite the less than optimum sound from the second piano used by Reyes.

The last piece that the orchestra played was Scheherazade, Op. 35 by Nikoali Rimsky-Korsakov featuring Gina Medina performing the solo violin parts. Medina as the soloist was again surprising since she is the concert master of the Manila Symphony Orchestra and the orchestra accompanied Horacio Nuguid in a concert the day before. And this was probably the reason why she wasn’t the concertmaster during that performance. Nevertheless, the USTSO was able to show what they are capable of with this piece. I think that Medina should be given credit since it really did feel like she was able to inspire the orchestra into doing their best. The Scheherazade was played a lot better compared to the previous pieces in the programme. For an encore, the USTSO played the ever reliable Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms. Overall, it turned out to be a very uneven concert but I learned not to expect too much from student orchestras since the members still have school work to worry about and their skill level is not yet at par with the pros.

Apart from the performances, I was able to observe the audience and they were mainly composed of UST music students and alumni with a very large number of enthusiastic and well dressed freshmen which was very amusing to see. Many of them will aspire to be part of the USTSO and will no doubt be working hard to achieve that goal. I just hope that when that time comes, they will be able to play a lot better than what they saw. But it’s still early in the school year and this current batch of the USTSO still has a number of concerts for them to redeem themselves.

Violinist Gina Medina and pianist Mary Anne Espina to perform in a fundraising concert

Violinist Gina Medina

May 28, 2011, 6:00 PM

UP Balay Kalinaw International House Conference Hall

University of the Philippines

Diliman, Quezon City

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin

Mary Ann Espina, piano

Programme:

Fritz Kreisler Praeludium and Allegro in the style of Pugnani

                   Rondino on a Theme of Beethoven

                   Liebesleid

                   Schön Rosmarin

Enrique Granados Spanish Dance No. 5 in E minor *

Manuel de Falla Danse Espagnole *

Potenciano B. Gregorio, Sr. Sarung Banggi **

Nicanor Abelardo Cavatina

Antonio Molina Hating Gabi

Constancio de Guzman Bayan Ko †

* arranged by Fritz Kreisler

** arranged by Gilopez Kabayao

† arranged by Redentor Romero

The May 28, 2011 Concert of violinist Gina Medina and Mary Anne Espina at the UP Balay Kalinaw is a fundraising concert for the legal fund of detained cultural worker Ericson Acosta, former editor of the Philippine Collegian, the official student publication of the University of the Philippines.

Pianist Mary Anne Espina

Ticket prices:

P1000 (with buffet dinner)

P500 (concert only)

For inquiries:

musicnewsservice@yahoo.com

748-4152, (0906) 510-4270