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.