Strings take spotlight in PPO's chamber music concert series

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra brings more chamber music performances online with the fourth installment of its Chamber Music Concert series premiering this March 26, 2021, 8:00 PM at the PPO Facebook page and the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Facebook page and YouTube channels.

The strings take the spotlight in this edition starting with cellist Giuseppe Andre Diestro and double bassist Ariston Payte III performing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata for Cello and Double Bass in B flat Major, K. 292 (196c).

Violinists Berny Dulce Payte, Ma. Angelica Uson, Ayesa Cruz, and Gemma Bicaldo team up for Ignaz Lachner’s Quartet for Four Violins in G Major, Op. 107.

World premiere film screening in Dante Alighieri's 700th anniversary celebrations

In commemoration of the 700th death anniversary of Dante Alighieri, the Philippine-Italian Association, Dante Alighieri Society in Manila, and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, under the Auspices of the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines, along with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the National Library of the Philippines, present the world premiere of Dante, per nostra fortuna/Dante, Our Luck screening online on March 25, 2021.

Massimiliano Finazzer Flory

Produced by Massimiliano Finazzer Flory who was last seen in the country starring in Being Leonardo da Vinci, an Impossible Interview at the Leonardo in Manila event back in November 2019, the film takes the viewer to the scenes of the Divine Comedy through the narration of Finazzer Flory, contemporary dance choreographed by Michela Lucenti, and cinematography inspired by Gustave Doré’s famous lithographic works.

Initially conceived as a theatrical stage production but got transformed into an experimental film due to the pandemic, Dante, per nostra fortuna/Dante, Our Luck will have its premiere screening on March 25 in Ravenna, a symbolic date and venue as this is when and where Dante passed away.

The film will also be screened simultaneously in the Philippines (and also in other territories) and will be available for viewing for 24 hours starting at 7:00 AM on March 25. The film will be in Dante’s Italian with English subtitles and can be accessed through https://www.facebook.com/Dante700Philippines

The screening is the initial offering of the celebrations of Dante’s 700th anniversary with more events to come throughout the year.

Dante, per nostra fortuna/Dante, Our Luck is presented by the Philippine-Italian Association, Dante Alighieri Society in Manila, and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, under the Auspices of the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines, along with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the National Library of the Philippines, and the participation of University of the Philippines Diliman - Film Institute; De la Salle university in Bacolod - Institute of the Moving Image; Ateneo de Naga; Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan; MINT College; AIMS, etc. The vide-dance festival, The Fifth Wall, and the students organization UP EURO.

PPO Spotlight presents Lenten special

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra presents a Lenten special for its fourth installment of the PPO Spotlight Virtual Pocket Performances series streaming on March 19, 2021, 8:00 PM at Cultural Center of the Philippines YouTube channel and the PPO’s Facebook page.

The program for this installment includes How Great Thou Art by Carl Boberg to be performed by cellist Roland Guerrero, Tanging Yaman by Nonong Buencamino and Manoling Francisco to be performed by violinist Michael Del Rosario, Ave Verum Corpus by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to be played by French Horn player Ernani Pascual and Angelita Pasamba’s arrangement of Lift Up Your Hands by Cecille Azarcon–Picasso to be played by a string quartet composed of violinists Christian Tan and Ma. Angelica Uson, violist Ferdinand Dumlao, and cellist Herrick Ortiz.

The PPO Spotlight Virtual Pocket Performances series, a project of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, premiered back in February 2021 and will run up to July this year.

PPO Spotlight premieres new episode on March 5

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra continues its PPO Spotlight: Virtual Pocket Performances with a new selection of popular/easy listening tunes performed by members of the orchestra to be steamed online on March 5, 2021, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the PPO’s various social media pages and channels.

The third installment will feature familiar tunes that have stood the test of time starting with flautist Edgardo Silangcruz performing What a Wonderful World by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss that was popularized by Louis Armstrong. The duo of violinist Ma. Angelica Uson and trumpet player Glober Calambro will perform Pie Jesu from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem.

Clarinetist Hernan Manalastas, trumpet player Edwin Matias, French horn player Ramon Alcantara, and contrabassist Arnel Jacinto team up for the Italian protest folk song Bella Ciao that was recently heard at the Netflix hit series Money Heist.

Lastly, violinist Ayesa Cruz and harpist Madeline Jane Banta pair up for a rendition of Moon River by Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer.