A Francophonie night of art songs, opera arias with Marielle Tuason

Pianist Gabriel Paguirigan,
Romanian Ambassador Răduţa Matache,
and soprano Marielle Tuason 

During her opening remarks, Romanian Ambassador Răduţa Matache told her colleagues and other guests to forget about work for the meantime and just enjoy a night of music as the Embassy of Romania and Alliance française de Manille presented Francophonie Opera Night featuring soprano Marielle Tuason and pianist Gabriel Paguirigan.

Soprano Marielle Tuason 

Setting work worries aside came easy as Marielle enchanted the audience with her performance of art songs in French namely Villanelle by Eva Dell'Acqua, Villanelle, H 82, Op.7 No.1 by Hector Berlioz, Plaisir d'amour by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini, and Oh! Quand je dors by Franz Liszt. She also gave a rendition of a Romanian piece, Ochi albaştri-s drăgălaşi. Op.41. Nr.3 by Eduard Caudella, that clearly delighted Ambassador Matache.

The second half of the recital showcased Marielle's coloratura prowess with a selection of arias in both French and Italian namely Chacun le sait from La fille du regiment by Gaetano Donizetti, Caro nome from Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, Prendi per me sei libero... il mio rigor dimentica from L'Elisir d'amore by Donizetti, and Je veux vivre from Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gounod.

Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente

Serving as the intermission, Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente gave an enthusiastic lecture about the history of opera, especially of French opera like how it flourished, the challenges it faced, and how it eventually attained importance and significance second only to Italian opera.

The performance was proceeded by a soirée wherein the Alliance française de Manille and a handful of Ambassadors announced upcoming Francophonie events lined up for the rest of March.

Xavier Leroux, Joseph Felix Assad, Fortune Ledesma,
Canadian Ambassador David Hartman, Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Rida El Fassi,
French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz, Romanian Ambassador Răduţa Matache,
Cambodian Ambassador Phan Peuv, Lao Ambassador Sonexay Vannaxay, and Marc Piton

Some of these events include Coffee Conversations with Virginie Bouyx and Jessica Zafra, which is also the next installment of Les Jeudis Culturels by the Embassy of France. A couple of Le Ciné Club special screenings, Güeros presented by the Mexican Embassy and Opinci & Povestea unui pierde-vară presented by the Romanian Embassy are also in store. All of these Francophonie events will take place at the Alliance française de Manille.

Tenor Kevin Gomez's send off concert at Manila Pianos

Manila Pianos Artist Series presents tenor Kevin Gomez and pianist Gabriel Paguirigan in Of Songs & Arias, a vocal recital happening on January 21, 2023, 6:00 PM at the Manila Pianos Showroom, Paseo de Magallanes, Makati.

The concert serves as a send off for Kevin Guzman as he is set to leave on February 2023 to Australia to take up Master of Music Studies, Major in Opera Performance at the Queensland Conservatorium, in Brisbane.

To be performed are art songs by Robert Schumann, Roger Quilter, Franz Schubert, Henri Duparc, and Richard Strauss as well as arias from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni, Gaetano Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore, Christoph Willibald von Gluck Paride ed Elena, Édouard Lalo's Le Roy d'Ys, and Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto.

Tickets are priced at P800. Discounted tickets at P500 are available for seniors, PWDs, students, and teachers. 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.

Lenten concert of rarely performed sacred music at the Ayala Museum

The Cultural Arts Events Organizers presents a Lenten concert De Profundis, an evening of rarely performed sacred music happening on April 13, 2019, 7:00 PM at the Ayala Museum. 

The concert marks the Philippine premiere of Johann Sebastian Bach's Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131, one of his earliest cantatas and with text from Psalm 130, De Profundis, hence the concert's title (which translates to English as "out of the depths").

Also included in the program are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore, KV 339 and Gabriel Fauré's Requiem in D minor, Op. 48 which will be performed unabridged.

Leading the performers are soprano Stefanie Quintin andtheritone Cipriano "Zip" de Guzman, Jr. Both of them made waves last year with Quintin winning the Second Prize in the Professional Category at the 2nd ASEAN Vocal Competition in Singapore and De Guzman bagging the First Prize in the Open Category at the 17th Roma International Music Competition Grand Prize Virtuoso in Rome, Italy.

Joining them is the newly formed vocal ensemble PASIPO. Dedicated towards the art of virtuosic chamber music, the group will have its debut performance on this night. The ensemble is made up of Elle Tuason, Angelo Benipayo, Jasmin Salvo, Jane Wee, Leo Angelo Lanuza, Jan Briane Astom, John Philip Bautista, Airo Saret, and Carlo Miguel Bunyi. The multi-awarded Gabriel Paguirigan will be the evening's collaborating pianist.

Tickets are available at TicketWorld outlets, or through calling CAEO at 782-7164, (0918) 347-3027 or (0920) 954-0053.

Sopranos kick off Youth On Stage series at the Ayala Museum

Coinciding with the Women's Month this March, the Youth on Stage concert series for 2019 kicks off with Women in Opera happening on March 28, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Ayala Museum.

Featured in this concert are Myramae Meneses, Nerissa de Juan, Anna Dinnah Migallos, and Stefanie Quintin, four of the country's leading sopranos who have quickly made a name for themselves with breakthrough performances in various competitions and productions here and abroad. Collaborating with them is multiple award winning pianist Gabriel Paguirigan.

This concert marks the return of Myramae Meneses in the local scene since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Anna Migallos, a graduate of the Royal School of Music in London, was part of MusicArtes' production of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Medium. Stefanie Quintin won Second Prize (Professional Category) at the Second Asean Vocal Competition held in Singapore. Nerissa de Juan just starred as Maria Clara in Noli Me Tangere, the Opera  by J&S Productions at the Cultural Center of the Philippines earlier this month.

The four will portray 16 roles and perform arias from various operas by Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Leonard Bernstein, George Frideric Handel, etc.

Women in Opera is presented by the Cultural Arts Events Organizer and the Ayala Museum in partnership with Lyric Piano, DZFE.FM 98.7 The Master's Touch and National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

An American musical retrospective concert this Father's Day at the Ayala Museum

Celebrate Father’s Day with the music from well-loved American musicals at The American Songbook: A Retrospective on June 17, 2018, 6:00 PM at the Ayala Museum.

After the show's premiere at the Insular Life Auditorium for FilFest followed by a series of outreach concerts in Baguio, the production presented by Cultural Arts Events Organizers in partnership with the Ayala Museum goes to Makati in time for Father's Day.

Tenor Jan Briane Astom, sopranos Mheco Manlangit and Jasmin Salvo, with pianist Gabriel Allan Paguirigan, will perform songs by the pillars of American music such as George Gershwin, Jerome Kerns, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers as well as those of their successors namely Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Larson and Stephen Sondheim.

Tickets priced at P800 and P500 are available at TicketWorld outlets and CAEO through these numbers: (0918) 347-3027, (0920) 954-0053 or 782-7164 and 997-9483. Aside from the usual 50% student and 20% senior citizen discounts, there will be a 20% discount to all the fathers that can be availed for tickets purchased at the lobby prior to the show.

The American Songbook: A Retrospective is a production of Cultural Arts Events Organizers and the Ayala Museum with the support of Lyric Piano, and 98.7 DZFE-FM The Master's Touch.

Virtuoso youths on fire at NAMCYA's winners concert

Whoever said that classical music is now only for the old and that young people are no longer interested in it should’ve watched Konsyerto: Unang Hakbang. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He or she would’ve seen five promising young musicians who performed alongside the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, were met by a very enthusiastic audience and therefore would’ve dispelled the notion that classical music doesn’t connect with today’s youth.

The five young musicians featured in this concert, namely Andrew Constantino, Aaron Rafael Aguila III, banduria player Nikki Zen, Mishael Romano, and Gabriel Paguirigan were top prize winners at the annual National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA). 

The PPO, led by Herminigildo Ranera, set the tone with Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture from Der Freischütz, Op. 77, J. 277 and Gioacchino Rossini’s Overture from L'Italiana in Algeri to start each half of the concert.

Clarinetist Andrew performed the Allegro from Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 74, J.118. He had a presence on stage as he stood tall and was in great command as he went through the fast and difficult passages in this movement. I am more relaxed and not nervous at all whenever he had solos at the UST Symphony Orchestra. And seeing him as a soloist performing a concerto, I was very much at ease that he would nail everything. After his performance, I felt bad and disappointed with myself for abandoning learning how to play the clarinet.

Guitarist Aaron slowed and quieted things down with the very nostalgic Adagio from Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. This movement may not be the flashiest but sometimes, the quiet moments are the most emotionally affecting. In fact, I heard some audience members getting stirred as the popular theme reached its dramatic crescendo. I for once, wished that Aaron was able to play the entire concerto so that not only he would be able to showcase a wider range of technique and emotions but would also satisfy my craving for a live performance of the complete piece.

My unfamiliarity wih Nikki and the rare sight of the banduria playing alongside the orchestra made her performance of Niccolo Paganini’s Moto Perpetuo, Op. 11 one of my most awaited moments of the concert. It was the shortest piece of the night among the featured soloists but the constant flurry of notes with almost no chance for her to rest throughout the entire time. All these factors resulted with the audience bursting into applause and cheers once she was done.

Violinist Misha may be tiny but he was quite the showman as he performed the Allegro molto appassionato from Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. Looking very confident and playing without any inhibitions, he, at times, even played to the audience. I’ve told myself prior to the concert that I am still not yet ready for another dose of this piece after hearing around five violinists play this during a NAMCYA competition some years back. It was the only thing that held me back from truly enjoying Misha’s performance but it also made me await which piece he would perform with an orchestra next. That’s how confident I am with his chances of doing a concerto again.

While Misha’s music has been overplayed Gabby’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in E major, Sz. 119, BB 127 by Béla Bartók is definitely not. In fact, it was my first time to see this piano concerto performed live. And as expected, Bartók is not everyone’s cup of tea: a Philippine High School for the Arts told me after the concert that he liked it while an elderly concert organizer said that she doesn’t like Bartók. As for me, this piece may not excite me that much but I’m always up for piano concertos beyond the Rach, Tchaik, Schumann, Chopin, and the rest of the usual repertoire. I also wished that Gabby, performing like the veteran that he is despite his young age, played the entire piece instead of just the two movements of what I think is the most digestible among Bartók’s three piano concertos.

All five young musicians performed in a manner that was beyond their years. But the awkwardness that exhibited while entering and exiting the stage, shaking the hands of the conductor and concertmaster and taking their bows, reminded me that they’re all still young and had very little concert experience. But all is forgiven as this concert is just their starting steps towards becoming the future of classical music in here.

More NAMCYA excitement is on the way as the National Final Competitions happen this November 21-26, 2017 at various CCP venues.

NAMCYA winners concert, stepping stone for young virtuosos

Not every young musician can have the opportunity of being accompanied by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. But that’s one (and probably the coolest) perks in winning the top prize at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) and five winners from the past two editions get to do just, as they take to the stage with the PPO conducted by Herminigildo Ranera in Konsyerto: Unang Hakbang this September 24, 2017, 5:00 PM at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater), no less.

Founded in 1973, the NAMCYA has produced many artists who have become the pillars of the Philippine classical music scene throughout the decades. In recent years, the annual competition has become for me a good way to scout new and exciting talent and it's a thrill to be there somehow accompanying them every step of the way as they grow and mature as artists. And this upcoming concert is another opportunity as the featured soloists are a nice mix of new and familiar faces.

Guitarist Aaron Rafael Aguila III

Crazy as it seems, this upcoming concert will be my first time to see guitarist Aaron Rafael Aguila III, 1^st Prize winner 2016 Guitar Senior Category, perform on stage despite knowing him for quite some time now. In fact, it was only during the lunch with NAMCYA Secretary General Renato Lucas that I got to see him perform before my very eyes. I’ve first met Aaron not as a performing musician but as one of the organizers from Independent Philippine Art Ventures putting up the concert of Tomonori Arai and Duo Trussardi over at the College of Music in UP Diliman where he hails from. The very popular Adagio from Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez will be Aaron’s piece for the concert.

Andrew Constantino, (1^st Prize winner 2015 Woodwind Clarinet Category C) first came to my attention back in 2013 when he took a masterclass under Marcel Luxen and earning praises from the visiting Belgian clarinetist. A year later, he was featured soloist with the PPO at the Sunsets at Makiling concert and had his first professional debut in MCO Foundation’s Young Artist Series at the Ayala Museum. Just recently, he had massive exposure on television as a finalist at Eat Bulaga’s Music Hero segment. In Unang Hakbang, Andrew will be back to his classical music roots with the Allegro from Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 74, J.118.

A new face for me, Nikki Zen Obmasca, the 1^st Prize winner Solo Rondalla from 2012 and 2016, will be playing a transcription for the banduria of Niccolo Paganini’s Moto Perpetuo, Op. 11. Rondalla and solo banduria are not often featured outside the NAMCYA and occasional rondalla festivals, so this is a great chance for me to expand my music horizons beyond the usual western orchestral instruments. The rondalla tradition is very strong outside of Metro Manila, especially in the Quezon Province where Nikki comes from, and competitions for this category has seen busloads from the provinces make the trek to the CCP to lend support and cheer for their respective ensembles.

I can still recall the first time I saw Gabriel Allan Paguirigan back in 2010 at the Piano Teachers Guild of the Philippines’ Beethoven Concerto Competition Winners’ Concert wherein he placed 3rd. Since then, I haven’t heard him place aside from 1^st at any of the solo piano competitions that he has entered. His impressive winning streak, including 1^st Prize wins at 2011 Category B and 2015 Senior Category at NAMCYA, has resulted in a handful of performances with both the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and Manila Symphony Orchestra. As the most veteran among the soloists, Gabby will be playing two movements, Adagio religioso and Allegro vivace, from the rarely heard Piano Concerto No. 3 in E major, Sz. 119, BB 127 by Béla Bartók.

During last year’s competition, Gerard Salonga gave me the heads up about Mishael Romano who has been having violin lessons with his US based teacher via Skype. There was much buzz around him, being virtually unknown here in Metro Manila. But his 1^st Prize winning performance at the 2016 Junior Strings category proved that the hype is real. And his upcoming rendition of Allegro molto appassionato from Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 will be one of the most awaited portions of the concert.

“All I can say is that I'm really excited. And since it's my first time being accompanied by an orchestra, I don't know what to expect. But, for sure, I'll enjoy it”, says Mishael when I asked him what his thoughts are about making his debut with an orchestra.

Just like the title of the upcoming concert suggests, this is just the early steps for these musicians. This also marks as a teaser and a prelude to the upcoming NAMCYA National Final Competitions happening on November 21-26, 2017 at various CCP venues. And then the countdown begins as NAMCYA celebrates 45 years in 2018.

Revisiting Mario Lanza’s legacy in concert

I first became aware of who Mario Lanza was through the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures, one of the most disturbing movies that I’ve ever seen. The film, featuring two deranged teenage girls who imagine Mario Lanza in their fantasy world (the two eventually end up as murderers), was hardly the ideal way to get acquainted with the legendary Hollywood actor credited to bringing opera music to the masses.

Soprano Stephanie Aguilar

But now, a chance to relive Mario Lanza in all his glory comes our way as soprano Stephanie Aguilar and tenor Nomher Nival perform in a concert entitled The American Song Book: Mario Lanza Revisited happening this June 1, 2017, 6:30 PM at the Ayala Museum. Collaborating artist for this evening will be award winning pianist Gabriel Paguirigan.

Tenor Nomher Nival

The American Song Book: Mario Lanza Revisited is presented by the Ayala Museum and the Cultural Arts Events Organizer with the support of Lyric Piano and 98.7 DZFE The Master’s Touch.

The American Song Book: Mario Lanza Revisited

June 1, 2017, 6:30 PM | Ayala Museum

Featuring:

Stephanie Aguilar, soprano

Nomher Nival, tenor

Gabriel Paguirigan, piano

Ticket prices:

P1000 | P700

Discounted rates for Ayala Museum members, AGC employees, ARC members, senior citizens and students are available

For inquiries:

Ayala Museum 759-8288 local 8272, concerts@ayalamuseum.org

CAEO (0917)347-3027

TicketWorld 891-9999

Manila Symphony Orchestra champions Filipino music in 90th anniversary concert

Featuring:

Gabriel Paguirigan, piano

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Alexander Lippay

     Variations on the Philippine National Hymn

Rodolfo Cornejo

     Philippine Rhapsody No. 2

Antonino Buenaventura

     Symphony in C

Encore:

Antonino Buenaventura

     Mindanao Sketches A Village Festival Dance

The Manila Symphony Orchestra paid tribute to the Music of the Filipino at the concert that not only capped their 2015-2016 Season but also celebrated the orchestra’s 90^th anniversary. Led by principal conductor/music director Arturo Molina, the MSO performed at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium in UP Diliman rarely heard pieces by Alexander Lippay, Rodolfo Cornejo, and Antonino Buenaventura.

To open the concert, the MSO paid homage to their roots by performing Variations on the Philippine National Hymn, composed by the orchestra’s founder, Dr. Alexander Lippay.  The main theme of this piece comprised only of the first two thirds of the Philippine National Anthem. The variations that followed suit had the theme passed on to various instruments in a call and response fashion, dissonant figurations accompanied the melody, tonalities shifted to minor, time signature switched to triple meter, and even the melody inverted.

As the piece went on, I was expecting that the final third would be heard at last during the finale. But it wasn’t so. I don’t know if this was a deliberate omission by Lippay’s part in order not to break any law concerning the usage of the Philippine National Anthem during his time.

After looking back to the past, the second piece, Philippine Rhapsody No. 2 by Rodolfo Cornejo, looked towards the future with Gabriel Paguirigan, a young pianist who has won numerous competitions including the most recent NAMCYA. The single movement piece featured passages from popular Filipino folk tunes that. The work didn’t fully explore the full range of heights and depths that one could make of folk tunes. Nonetheless, the work is labelled as a rhapsody so I shouldn’t expect the grandeur and the contrasts of say, a concerto. Gabriel performed with the command that made him the First Prize winner of the inaugural Henrietta S. Tayengco-Limjoco Piano Concerto Competition just a week before this concert.

Antonino Buenaventura's Symphony in C made up the second half of the concert. This symphony was made in the typical western form and structure but was steeped in folk/national idiom. The sprinkling of mordents throughout the piece gave the music a very Asian/Filipino feel. For an encore, another Buenaventura piece, the second part A Village Festival Dance from Mindanao Sketches, was performed. The shouting and the clapping make this piece a crowd pleaser and undoubtedly one of the most popular orchestral music by a Filipino composer.

Overall, this evening was for discovering and unearthing music that have gathered dust in the archives/libraries and are itching to be performed on stage. I wish that there were program notes regarding these pieces in the souvenir program so that I would’ve been armed with some background information before hearing them for the first time. I do find it very strange that resources such as recordings and other related literature are almost nonexistent considering that these are Filipino pieces. It should be the other way around but that is not the case in here. And this concert by the MSO is a step towards the goal of having Filipino music at the forefront of the concert scene in the country.

With the concert celebrating the 90^th anniversary of the Manila Symphony Orchestra wrapped up, it’s time to relish the orchestra’s rich history and also look to forward to the next decade as they inch closer towards their centennial.

PPO VIII: Mahler’s Fifth

Pianist Gabriel Paguirigan and conductor Olivier Ochanine
with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Featuring:

Gabriel Allan Paguirigan, piano

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture from Così Fan Tutte

Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, S.125

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5

For the past three years, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of principal conductor and music director Olivier Ochanine has been ending its season with a piece of epic proportions that was taxing and challenging for both the orchestra and the audience (Shostakovich 5, Mahler 1 and Rite of Spring). And to close out this season, the PPO’s 30^th Concert Season (entitled Milestones) that also marked the PPO’s 40^th Anniversary as well, it all ended with Mahler’s Fifth, a piece that is well loved for its popular fourth movement Adagietto. This concert held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) also featured the performance of pianist Gabriel Allan Paguirigan who is the winner of the PPO’s Young Pianist Competition.

The evening started with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture from Così Fan Tutte. Ochanine presented this classic overture in a light and fresh manner that effectively countered the summer heat that the entire country was experiencing. Then it was Gabriel’s turn to take center stage with Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, S.125. I was definitely pleased when I learned that this was going to be his concerto. Compared to Liszt’s first piano concerto, the second is more subtle and more poetic. And I was more interested to hear this rarely played piece since I got sick and tired of so many Liszt 1 performances during the composer’s bicentennial anniversary back in 2011. Gabriel showed great improvement compared to his previous performance at the Classical Champs concert. His Liszt 2 showed great balance of dazzling virtuosity along with nuanced and sensitive musicality. But I had to say that the almost inaudible piano that he used had me struggling to hear his soft and delicate passages. It  pleased me also that he chose the third movement Animé from Maurice Ravel’s Sonatine for his encore. He handled this complex and technically difficult piece nicely with finesse that it looked like a walk at the park for him.

On the other hand, the final piece of the night was hardly a walk at the park at all. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 is a major work of over an hour that is an exhausting endeavor for the orchestra to play and the audience to listen to. I may be right to think that a lot in the audience was really looking forward to the Adagietto but they had to sit through three long movements before getting there. And the first two movements consisting of a funeral march and a turbulent storm, aren’t the most entertaining pieces of music to hear. I noticed that most of them started to falter in listening during the Scherzo which I felt was a bit of a shame since the brilliant solo horn might've gone unnoticed by them. But it’s definitely rewarding taking everything in and getting lost in the music. The PPO under Ochanine was able to evoke a myriad of emotions ranging from the sorrow, hopelessness and despair to passion, love and triumph. The major work that they played during the orchestra’s last concert, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé had me scratching my head but Mahler’s Fifth definitely moved me.

The PPO finally closed out its 30^th Concert Season and while this was billed as a milestone year for the orchestra, it didn’t feel celebratory enough. I’d like to believe that the 40^th Anniversary activities will continue on towards the first part of the upcoming season. And that this will result in every concert becoming a buzz event that would be talked about long before it occurs and long after it’s done.

Text by RAd
Photo by Orly Daquipil

2013 Young Pianist Competition winner Gabriel Paguirigan performs with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Pianist Gabriel Allan Paguirigan

April 19, 2013, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Gabriel Allan Paguirigan, piano

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture from Così Fan Tutte

Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, S.125

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5

The music of Gustav Mahler closes out the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 30^th Concert Season Milestones this April 19, 2013, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). This concert, billed as Mahler’s Fifth, will also feature Gabriel Allan Paguirigan, the winner of the PPO’s 2013 Young Pianist Competition.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

The PPO will perform Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 marking the second time in three years that principal conductor and music director Olivier Ochanine chose to cap a PPO season with a Mahler symphony. He previously conducted Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 Titan during the Poom and Mahler I concert that closed out his first full season with the PPO.

This concert will also mark the second time that pianist Gabriel Allan Paguirigan will perform with the PPO. His first played with the PPO during the Classical Champs: The Young Music Idols concert after winning the 2011 National Music Competitions for Young Artists. Gabriel will perform Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, S.125. The Overture from Così Fan Tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will also be performed at this concert.

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

P500 Balcony I Center

P350 Balcony I Side

P200 Balcony II

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

CCP Marketing Department 832-1125 loc. 1806

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

Classical Champs: The Young Music Idols

Jimmy Tagala Jr., Maria Jeline Oliva
and Gabriel Allan Paguirigan

Featuring:

Maria Jeline Oliva, violin

Jimmy Tagala Jr., violin

Gabriel Allan Paguirigan, piano

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Alexander Borodin In the Steppes of Central Asia

Henryk Wieniawski Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22

Camille Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

In a cruel twist of fate and a sense of déjà vu, the weather wreaked havoc once again and I almost didn’t make it to the concert of the 2011 National Music Competitions for Young Artists with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The day before the concert, heavy rains submerged most of Metro Manila especially Roxas Boulevard near the CCP and cast doubt on whether the concert would still take place. Thankfully, the skies cleared and most of the roads became passable already allowing violinists Marie Jeline Oliva and Jimmy Tagala Jr. as well as pianist Gabriel Allan Paguirigan to take center stage and perform their respective concertos with the PPO under the baton of Olivier Ochanine. Yet it was still a monumental task for me to get to the CCP since roads were still impassable in my place but some stroke of luck was on my side and I was still able to make it. Last year, a similar situation made me miss the concert entirely which was quite remarkable considering that the concert actually pushed through despite classes up to the college level being cancelled.

Violinist Maria Jeline Oliva

Considering that there was a possibility that the weather could turn nasty that evening prompting others to stay at home, the concert had a pretty decent number of people watching. The evening started with Alexander Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia, a piece that evokes images of a caravan of Central Asians protected by Russian troops. The sublime themes of this piece were clear to me but I’m not sure if the others in the audience were that attuned. The piece ended quietly with the Russian theme played by the flute which is probably not what the audience expected hence the muted response from them when this piece concluded. I think that they grew too accustomed to lively overtures that usually served as opening pieces to concerts. As I prepared to watch this concert, I made it a point not to expect too high for this considering that the soloists are still very young and not yet professionals. Although the performances didn’t completely blow me away, the three soloists showed a lot of promise and definitely lived to their billing as musicians to watch out in the future.

Pianist Gabriel Allan Paguirigan

Going to the soloists, Jeline Oliva, winner of Violin Category B, played Henryk Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22 which is a piece I’m not really familiar with. If this was the same concerto that she performed during the competition, I could no longer remember. She nonetheless has shown tremendous growth compared to the time when she competed as a finalist at Pilipinas Got Talent a few years back. During the NAMCYA concert though, her sound was a bit tentative and weak, and not able to project too well from where I was sitting. I think that the nerves possibly got in the way a bit in her performance. But still, playing a whole concerto with the PPO at the CCP would cause someone with a weaker nerve to succumb to the pressure but Jeline got through it. Piano Category B winner Gabriel Paguirigan’s concerto, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 is a piece already familiar to me. He is still a developing musician and for me, it felt like he let loose during the second and third movements of the concerto. It’s actually hard to resist since the last two movements of the piece consist of a playful scherzo and a fiery tarantella. The final piece, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 is the most familiar of all the pieces performed during this concert. Jimmy Tagala, the winner of Violin Category C, had the enormous task of playing one if not the most popular concerto in the violin repertoire. Being the oldest among the soloists, he showed onstage much finesse along with a healthy dose swagger and sounded tremendously better when I first heard him when he had a masterclass with Ray Chen months ago. At times during the third movement, I felt that he played too fast for my liking and he somehow lost some steam during the finale. But still, a fine showing from a young man who could well join the ranks of esteemed violinists in the country like his mentor Gilopez Kabayao.

Violinist Jimmy Tagala Jr.

The upbeat atmosphere during the meet and greet after the concert made me forget all the difficulty that I had to go through just to watch the performance. Jeline, Gabriel and Jimmy all relished their moment as they signed autographs and posed for photos with the very appreciative audience. I forgot the difficulty and uncertainty that I had to go through just to make it to the concert. And I felt a bit guilty for lowering my expectations coming into the concert. Now it remains to be seen how things will fare for these three if they decide to compete once again at the NAMCYA in the future.