Trombone player Ricson Poonin performs at the CCP Special Concert Series

The Cultural Center of the Philippines presents trombonist Ricson Poonin for the second installment of the Special Concert Series 2022 happening on October 20, 202, 7:30 PM at the CCP's Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theater).

Ricson's program includes Joseph Guy Marie Roparts' Piece in E flat minor, Jacques Castérède's Sonatine for Trombone and Piano, Carolina Calvache's Trombonsillo, Vicente Marqueses' Milagros, Leopoldo Silos, Sr.'s Lagi Kitang Naalala, and the world premiere of Herminigildo Ranera's Pandemic Concert Piece for Trombone and Piano. Pianist Madeline Jane Banta will be the evening's collaborating artist.

The Pandemic Concert Piece was specifically composed by Ranera, Ricson's long time mentor, for this concert.

“Sir Hermie has been a big influence in my career,” Poonin said. “As my mentor, I would like to pay tribute to him by featuring his work here."

Trombonist Ricson Poonin 

Ricson is currently teaching trombone at St. Scholastica's College and at the University of Santo Tomas.

He also took part at the International Trombone Association's performance that set a Guinness Book of World Records for most number of trombone players performing at a single event at the Lincoln Center in New York.

A day prior to the concert, Ricson will conduct a Trombone Masterclass on October 19, 2022, 2:00 - 6:00 PM to be held also at CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez. For inquiries on the Masterclass, email artist.training@culturalcenter.gov.ph or call at 8832-1125 local 160.

Special Concert Series 2022 at the new CCP Black Box Theater

In what seems like ages ago, soprano Stefanie Quintin, trombone player Ricson Poonin, and guitarist Ivar Fojas were announced to headline the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Special Concert Series scheduled for the latter half of 2020. Inevitably, the concert series became one of the countless cancellations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two years later, the trio's respective performances will finally see the light of day with the return of the Special Concert Series 2022. The series will be among the first concerts to be staged at CCP's new Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theater).

Soprano Stefanie Quintin 

Kicking off the series on September 7, 2022, 7:30 PM is soprano Stefanie Quintin whose vast repertoire includes music from the Renaissance up to the present day. She has premiered and performed works by such composers as National Artist for Music Dr. Ramon P. Santos and the American composer Eli Marshall.

She has given solo performances at the Asia Europe New Music Festival in Vietnam, the Yilan International Arts Festival in Taiwan, the soundSCAPE Festival in Italy, the Baroque Festival in Singapore, and the International Bamboo Organ Festival in the United States (Philippines). Aside from the Trovillo-Graham Award for Voice and the Rey Paguio Scholarship, Quintin also won the Delphic Lyra Award for Traditional Music at the Third International Junior Delphic Games, and the PGMA Presidential Award for Culture and the Arts.

Stefanie will also conduct an online voice masterclass on September 8, 2022, 2:00-5:00 PM via ZOOM. Interested participants for the masterclass can call the CCP Artist Training Division at 8832-1125 loc. 1605 or email artist.training@culturalcenter.gov.ph.

The second concert of the series sees trombonist Ricson Poonin take to the stage on October 20, 2022 while guitarist Ivar Fojas wraps things up on November 11, 2022. All performances begin at 7:30 PM to be held at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez. Both Poonin and Fojas will also conduct their respective masterclasses with exact dates to be announced soon.

All live performances and events held at the CCP still adhere to health and safety protocols that can be viewed at https://bit.ly/staysafeatCCP

PPO's chamber music concert series finale on July 30

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra wraps up its Chamber Music Concert Series this July 30, 2021, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and PPO Facebook pages and at the CCP YouTube channel.

Featured artists at the seventh and final installment of the online concert series are trombone player Ricson Poonin and pianist Mary Anne Espina who will be performing Colors for Trombone by Bert Appermont.

The PPO Chamber Music Concert Series premiered on October 30, 2020 is the orchestra’s online alternative in bringing classical music to audiences here and worldwide during this time of the pandemic. The series also gave the orchestra members to perform chamber music which is music for small ensembles.

Visit the PPO and CCP’s Facebook pages and YouTube channel for previous performances of the PPO Chamber Music Concert Series.

PPO chamber music concerts return

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra resumes its chamber music concert series with the third installment streaming online this February 26, 2021, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the PPO’s Facebook pages as well as the CCP’s YouTube Channel.

Featured performers for this installment highlighting wind instruments are flautists Hercules Santiago, Edgardo Silangcruz, Rosemarie Poblete performing Johann Joachim Quantz’ Sonata for 3 Flutes No.116.

This will be followed by Victor Ewald’s Quintet No. 1 to be performed by trumpet players Edwin Matias and Glober Calambro, French horn player Jay Ar Mesa, tuba player Benedicto Dela Peret Jr., and trombone player Ricson Poonin.

The PPO Chamber Music Concert Series premiered back in October 2020 with orchestra members in small ensembles as an online alternative during this time of the pandemic when PPO’s season concerts are not yet possible.

Ricson Poonin's aria, Tchaikovsky's swan song highlight PPO's January concert

Trombone player Ricson Poonin with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

After almost three weeks since the year started, I was finally back in my regular seat at the Cultural Center of the Philippines having my fill of new music in the form of a symphonic sea battle and a rare trombone spotlight courtesy of Ricson Poonin and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

Led by Associate conductor Herminigildo Ranera, the concert got off to a good start when the opening horn solo in Manuel Maramba OSB’s Symphony Ode “La Naval” went without a hitch. Usually spotty, the horn section were faultless this time and it set the tone for the rest of the evening. The piece started out solemnly depicting people of Manila in fervent prayer as the Spanish-Filipino naval fleet prepare for battle against the invading Dutch fleet. The tension escalated as the battle commenced highlighted with two groups of the brass section positioned at both sides of the lower boxes. Their antiphonal dialogue provided a unique stereo surround sound although they somehow drowned out the strings in the process. And as expected, the battle eventually ends in a victory for the defending fleet and the piece ends with the whole orchestra in a resounding triumphant note.

Next up was trombone player Ricson Poonin who played Ferdinand David’s Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 4. I have not heard about the composer nor heard any of his works prior to this one so I was really all ears during the performance. Just like the Maramba piece, this was also very accessible and quite short with the typical fast-slow-fast three movements albeit without a pause. I made sure that I savored the rare moment of hearing the trombone as the featured solo instrument in this piece.

Trombone player Ricson Poonin
and conductor Herminigildo Ranera

Since the concertino just clocked at around 15 minutes, Ricson had to do an encore which was Nessun Dorma from Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot. I bet that I wasn’t the only one who was surprised when he sang the first part before letting the trombone take over bringing this famous aria to its victorious end.

Four years may be too soon for me to see the PPO perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathétique" again since I last saw it but I wasn’t complaining at all during this concert. One of the symphonies that I get to appreciate more as I grow older, the lush strings and the sweeping melodies got through to me as expected. This time, I was able to focus more on the second movement’s unusual “waltz” as the orchestra meticulously navigated through the 5/4 meter. Not surprisingly, most of the audience applauded at the end of the third movement but the best part for me was yet to come. One couldn’t help but feel dragged down by despair as the symphony cried and wailed before it ended with such a somber note.

Thankfully, Ranera brought the audience out of their despair by leading the orchestra with Johann Strauss I’s Radetzky March, Op. 228 for an encore. With the audience clapping along even though they were not yet instructed to do so, it finally felt like a proper welcome to the New Year after battling it out at sea and plunging into the depths of despair.

Ricson Poonin's trombone leads PPO's 2018 opener

Nothing says that everything is back to normal after the holiday break more than being at my regular seat watching the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra as their 35^th concert season resumes this January 19, 2018, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Back with the PPO after studying at the Hopkins Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Ricson Poonin and his trombone will be on the spotlight performing Ferdinand David’s Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 4. Other pieces to be performed on that night include Manuel P. Maramba OSB’s Symphony Ode “La Naval” and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 "Pathétique".

My unfamiliarity with the Maramba and David pieces will have me browsing through the program notes while waiting for the concert to start. It is uncertain if Associate Conductor Herminigildo Ranera, who will lead the orchestra on this night, will have one of his pre-concert lectures that could be a great source of information and background for these rarely performed pieces.

On the other hand, the deeply personal Tchaikovsky piece is very familiar to me and I am gearing myself for the upcoming performance of this by listening to the composer’s entire 6 symphony cycle. Whether this self-induced Tchaikovsky symphony overload makes me a more pleasant or unpleasant person to interact with remains to be seen. Either way, owing to the somber end to the Tchaik 6, I expect Ranera to prepare a suitable encore to ensure that the audience will leave the CCP in high spirits.

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra 35^th Concert Season 2017-2018

Romancing the Classics Concert V
January 19, 2018, 8:00 PM | Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Featuring:

Ricson Poonin, trombone

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Herminigildo Ranera, conductor

Program:

Manuel P. Maramba OSB
     Symphony Ode “La Naval”
Ferdinand David
     Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 4
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
     Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathétique"