Soprano Mheco Manlangit, tenor Radnel Ofalsa, conductor Herminigildo Ranera at PPO season finale

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's Metamorphosis finally nears its completion with its season finale happening on April 28, 2023, 8:00 PM at the Metropolitan Theater.

Conducting the season ending concert is the PPO's Resident and Associate Conductor Herminigildo Ranera whose composition, Lola Basyang Miniature Suite, makes its world premiere on this night.

Two of the country's most promising singers, soprano Mheco Joy Manlangit and tenor Radnel Del Rio Ofalsa, will be the concert's featured soloists performing various arias including L'espoir renaît dans mon âme from Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, Prendi, per me sei libero from Gaetano Donizetti’s L'elisir d’amore, Si, ritrovarla io giuro from Gioacchino Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Je dis que rien ne m’epouvante from Georges Bizet’s Carmen, and Quoi! vous m'aimez? from Donizetti’s La fille du regiment.

Other music to be performed at the concert includes Dmitri Shostakovich's Festive Overture, Op. 96 and Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, B. 178, From the New World.

This concert caps the PPO's 38th performance season dubbed Metamorphosis that saw five conductors take to the podium in their quest to become the PPO's next Principal Conductor and Music Director.

Guitarist Aaron Aguila in recital at Manila Pianos

The Manila Pianos Artist Series presents guitarist Aaron Aguila in recital on April 15, 2023, 6:00 PM at Manila Pianos Showroom at Paseo de Magallanes, Makati.

Billed as Papuri, the recital will see Aguila perform classical works, hymns, and his own compositions.

The concert program includes Manuel de Falla's Danza del Molinero from El sombrero de tres picos, Agustín Barrios Mangoré's Vals, Op. 8, No. 3, Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's Over The Rainbow, Martin Nystrom's As The Deer, Stuart Townend's How Deep The Father’s Love For Us, John Newton's Amazing Grace, Thomas Chisholm's and William Runyan's Great is Thy Faithfulness, Horatio Spafford and Philip Paul Bliss's It is Well with My Soul, and Aaron Aguila's compositions namely Bagong Umaga, Ulan, Tahan, Reverie, and Salamat.

Tickets are priced at P500 each with discounted tickets at P400 available for PWDs, seniors, and students. Reservations can be made via GCash payment to 0917-4158876 under the name of Richard S. After paying, send confirmation, along with payer's name and number of tickets to the same number. Reserved tickets can be claimed at the gate on the day of the performance.

The search is on for AOV International Choral Festival entries

The Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival has announced its search for entries as the biennial choral competition returns this July 20-23, 2023, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit, Makati.

The categories in the competition include Folk Song, Equal Voices, and Mixed Choir. Choirs can participate in any or all the categories as long as they fulfill the necessary requirements for each category.

Choirs can submit their application, adressed to Joey Vargas, Festival Director via snail mail at Artist Training Division, Arts Education Department, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City 1300 Philippines or through email at secretariat@aovchoralfestph.com. The deadline for submission of application is on June 01, 2023.

The application must include: fully accomplished application form; audio/video recording of two (2) to three (3) songs of different genres, recorded within the last six (6) months prior to application; recent profile and photo of the choir taken within the last six (6) months prior to application; and recent profile and photo of the conductor taken within the last six (6) months prior to application.

To be submitted after notice of the choir’s acceptance: repertoire per category; five (5) clear copies of each of the music scores (to be returned after the competition); permit for the use of original/photocopied original scores; and registration fee – US$300 for non-Filipino choirs, and  P10,000 for Filipino choirs.

Two winners from this competition will be chosen to participate in the Asia Choral Grand Prix.

The Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival is produced by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in partnership with the Philippine Madrigal Singers. The choral competition is named after National Artist Andrea O. Veneracion, founder of the world-renowned choir recognized as the first in the world to win the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice in 1997 and in 2007.

For inquiries and more details, visit the AOV website at https://aovchoralfestph.com.