Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra of Filipino Youth in joint concert and conference

April 30, 2015, 6:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz, piano

Chi-Ying Hung, piano

Brian Berino, piano

Thristan Mendoza, marimba

Jade Riccio, soprano

Malvin Beethoven Macasaet, tenor

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra

Orchestra of the Filipino Youth

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Gerard Salonga, conductor

The Cultural Center of the Philippines, ABS-CBN and First Philippine Holdings present the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth under the batons of Gerard Salonga and Olivier Ochanine in Ang Sistema, in a fund raising concert and conference, or a concerence on April 30, 2015, 6:00 PM at the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). Guest artists include Filipino concert pianist Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz, Taiwanese pianist Chi-Ying Hung, NAMCYA 1^st Prize Winner in marimba Thristan 'Tum-Tum' Mendoza, soprano Jade Riccio, tenor Malvin Beethoven Macasaet, and 12-year-old pianist Brian Berino.

The conference part of the concerence will have annotations as well as question and answer segments conducted by Jamie Bernstein, director of the film documentary Crescendo: the Power of Music and the daughter of the legendary quintessential Artist Leonard Bernstein, and Tricia Tunstall, author of Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music. The concert portion will feature a vast array of works written by the great classical music masters from the 18^th Century to the present, from Ludwig van Beethoven to Leonard Bernstein, from traditional to popular.

This concerence will benefit Ang Misyon, Inc. (AMI) - the non-stock, non-profit mother foundation of Sistema for the Filipino Youth (SFY) and the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth (OFY). Inspired by the global phenomenon El Sistema, SFY is an after-school music program that offers children from deprived communities the opportunity to achieve their full musical potential through the Classical Music discipline, with the ultimate hope of creating a positive impact on their respective communities. The OFY is a donor-based youth orchestra comprised of fifty five of the SFY Scholars, handpicked from various ensembles that already exist, and are spread throughout the Philippines. AMI provides the Scholars with free music education, performance allowances, transportation assistance, meals, instruments, and uniforms. AMI was born to help eradicate poverty in the Philippines through social change, simultaneously enhancing the country’s identity by creating career paths in classical music orchestral performance and redeveloping its arts and culture scene.

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra Center Prime

P800 Orchestra Center

P600 Orchestra Side

P300 Balcony I

P100 Balcony II

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

+applicable service charges

For inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

CCP’s Kaisa sa Sining welcomes new regional partners

CCP officials with the new Kaisa sa Sining regional partners

The Cultural Center of the Philippines welcomed a new batch of regional partners as the CCP expands its Kaisa sa Sining Regional Art Centers. The ten new partners recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding joining the initial batch of nine.

Soprano Gereberne Lozada

The new regional partners are the following: City of Koronadal-South Cotabato, La Salle University-Ozamiz City, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges-General Santos City for Mindanao; Province of Capiz, City of Calbayog-Samar, Holy Name University Tagbilaran City-Bohol, and Cebu Arts Council for the Visayas; Developmental Initiatives for Bicolano Artists-Naga City, Heritage City of Vigan-Ilocos Sur, and University of the Philippines Los Baños-Laguna for Luzon.

Indak Bambino

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding were highlighted by messages from CCP President Raul Sunico, CCP Vice President and Artistic Director Chris Millado, and representatives from each of the new regional partners. Numbers by soprano Gereberne Lozada from Capiz, singers Bayang Barrios and Cooky Chua, and dance troupe Indak Bambino from Batangas entertained the guests during this occasion.

Indak Bambino

One of Kaisa sa Sining’s major projects from last year was the nationwide tour of Badong: Salvador Bernal Designs the Stage exhibit. For this year, Ampalaya The Musical, a production hailing from one of the first batch of regional partners, Siliman University, Dumaguete will be brought to Manila and be staged at the CCP Main Theater.

Bayang Barrios and Cooky Chua

The specific goal of Kaisa sa Sining is to broaden public participation in the arts, promote and showcase artistic excellence and facilitate a dynamic collaboration between the CCP and among the regional centers, universities or colleges. The key areas of the said partnership includes training & apprenticeship, touring & move-over productions, sharing of relevant cultural resource materials, access to arts & cultural information, venues & facilities; and participation in major cultural events.

For inquiries:

CCP Cultural Exchange Department 832-1125 local 1708-1709

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

Coffee table book features 25 leading female Tagalog romance writers

Publishing house Precious Pages Corporation celebrates its 25^th Anniversary via the release of its coffee table book 25 Most Precious featuring 25 female authors who have made their mark at the publisher’s Precious Hearts Romances line of romance novels.

The 25 writers featured in the book are Martha Cecilia, Amanda, Maureen Apilado, Jinky Jamolin, Rose Tan, Vanessa, Elizabeth Mcbride, Camilla, Jasmine Esperanza, Dawn Igloria, Laurice del Rio, Noelle Arroyo, Sheena Rose, Claudia Santiago, Sofia, Sonia Francesca, Heart Yngrid, Victoria Amor, Dream Grace, Angel Bautista, Belle Feliz, Mandie Lee, Aya Myers, Maricar Dizon, and Luna King who are considered to be among the best-selling, most prolific, and most pioneering in the Filipino romance novel genre.

It turned out to be an unusual and interesting experience for me as I was able to get my hands on a copy of the book (thanks to Precious Pages Corporation) and read about the writers first before getting to read any of their works. For the fans of Precious Hearts Romances (and the various imprints), it is the other way around with them already reading hundreds of titles and then getting rewarded for their loyalty and unending support with the release of this 160 page, hard bound, limited edition coffee table book featuring their favorite writers.

The introductions mentioned how difficult it was to trim down the numerous writers they’ve had into just 25. But it was never a question who ended up as the first featured writer which was Martha Cecilia, dubbed as the Queen of Filipino Romance. The entry, written by her daughter Nina Martinne Cajayon, recounted her Martha Cecilia’s attempts in writing her first novel, the challenges and intrigues she faced as her career bloomed, how she treated her readers like family, and up to the time when her health declined until she passed away. It did get me curious to check out her works. I initially thought that it was going to be difficult for me to figure out where to start since Precious Pages Corporation released around 50 new titles each month. Thankfully, the book provided a perfect solution for me as it mentioned Martha Cecilia’s first novel, Dugtungan Mo Ang Isang Magandang Alaala, and it wasn’t difficult for me to find a copy for a wide selection of her novels remain in print.

A regular copy of a Precious Hearts Romances novel is inexpensive, making it very affordable to everybody across the socio-economic spectrum even if there are dozens of new titles released every month. The novels are a quick and relaxing read, very ideal for those moments whenever one finds himself/herself waiting in line (which is a common occurrence here in the Philippines). A bit of escapist fantasy with the two leads always having a happy ending (after going through some speed bumps), it wasn’t difficult at all for me to see why these novels have become popular for more than two decades.

Now, I need to finish reading Dugtungan Mo and the other random title that I’ve picked up. Then it will be time for me to get over to the next writer and eventually check out their works as well. The limited edition coffee table book 25 Most Precious, published by Precious Pages Corporation, is now available in Precious Pages retail stores.