Opera gala concert for MSO's 97th anniversary

The Manila Symphony Orchestra ushers in the new year with Opera Gala: The MSO's 97th Anniversary Celebration on January 22, 2023, 8:00 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit, Makati.

The gala sees the MSO, under the baton of Marlon Chen, perform with some of the country's leading opera singers namely sopranos Rachelle Gerodias and Bianca Lopez-Aguila, baritone Byeong In Park, tenor Ivan Niccolo Nery, as well as the Philippine Vocal Ensemble.

The program includes pieces from Gioachino Rossini's the Barber of Seville and La Cenerentola; Gaetano Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore; Vincenzo Bellini's Norma; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte; Giaccomo Puccini's Manon Lescaut, Tosca, and Turandot; Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco, La Traviata, La forza del destino, and Otello; and Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier.

Tickets to Opera Gala: The MSO's 97th Anniversary Celebration are available at TicketWorld.

Met Opera in HD returns to cinemas

The Cultural Center of the Philippines with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc., and Ayala Cinemas bring Metropolitan Opera productions in HD back to the big screen this October 2022-February 2023.

CCP President Margie Moran-Floirendo

Silenced for two years because of the pandemic, the Met Opera in HD series returns for its 7th season bringing five Metropolitan Opera productions recorded live, with additional behind the scenes footage, to the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas.

Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente

 Dr. Jaime Laya
Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. President

A reception was held last September 27 to officially relaunch of the Met Opera in HD Season 7 screenings. The reception was followed by a private screening of La Traviata, replacing the previously announced Carmen due to technical difficulties. The La Traviata that was shown was still hampered by technical issues as well with the audio getting muted for around a second at random parts of the opera. It will be a letdown if these issues persist at the regular screenings.

Regular screenings begin on October 4, 2022 with Georges Bizet's Carmen. Clémentine Margaine stars in the title role, with Roberto Alagna singing Don José, Aleksandra Kurzak as Micaëla, and Alexander Vinogradov as the toreador Escamillo. Conductor Louis Langrée leads the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in this Richard Eyre production.

On November 15, 2022 sees the screening of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata which is the first Live in HD appearance of conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin as the Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director. This new production by Michael Mayer stars Diana Damrau as Violetta, Juan Diego Flórez as Alfredo, and Quinn Kelsey as Germont.

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites will be shown on December 6, 2022. The Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts this John Dexter production that stars Isabel Leonard as Blanche de la Force, Erin Morley, Adrianne Pieczonka, and Karen Cargill as some of Blanche’s fellow sisters, David Portillo as Chevalier de la Force, and Karita Mattila as Madame de Croissy.

A rare encore performance at the Met can be seen with Gaetano Donizetti's La fille du régiment on January 10, 2023. Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena stars as the young lovers Marie and Tonio. Joining them are Stephanie Blythe as the Marquise of Berkenfield, Maurizio Muraro as Sgt. Sulpice, and award-winning actress Kathleen Turner in a cameo appearance as the Duchess of Krakenthorp. This Laurent Pelly production is conducted by Enrique Mazzola.

Wrapping up the 7th season is Camille Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila showing on February 7, 2023. Roberto Alagna and Elīna Garanča star in the title roles with Laurent Naouri as the High Priest of Dagon, Elchin Azizov as the Philistine king Abimélech, and bass Dmitry Belosselskiy as the Old Hebrew. Sir Mark Elder conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in this new production by Darko Tresnjak.

Soprano Bianca Lopez-Aguila and pianist Michelle Nicolasora

All screenings will be at Greenbelt 3 Cinemas. Tickets for each screening are priced at P450 available at the ticket booth or can be booked online via www.sureseats.com.

CCP presents first live performance in 2022 with PPO concert

The Cultural Center of the Philippines, through its Office of the President, presents its first live performance this 2022 with PPO Concert at the CCP Grounds happening on March 11, 2022, 6:00 PM at the CCP grounds/front lawn.

The free concert that is open to the public will see the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Herminigildo Ranera, performing a variety of music ranging from classical, Broadway, kundiman, and Filipino hit songs.

Joining the PPO are some of the country's premier vocalists such as Lara Maigue, Bo Cerrudo, Robert and Isay Seña, and the Nightingales, composed of Bianca Lopez-Aguila and Bernadette Mamauag.

Covid-19 health protocols will be strictly observed at the event. All attendees must be fully vaccinated and must wear a face mask for the duration of the concert.

PPO Concert at the CCP Grounds is part of the CCP Office of the President’s Sining Handog program that aims to bring world-class productions to a wider Filipino audience. This also signals the start of the CCP’s transition towards reopening its doors and bringing back live performances. The concert will also be live-streamed at the CCP, CCP Office of the President and the PPO's Facebook pages.