MSO brings back Carmen in Tagalog, commemorates Conching Rosals birth centennial

With its centennial season still in full force, the Manila Symphony Orchestra commemorates more milestones with Opera at Kundiman: The Legacy of Maestra Conching Rosal concert happening on August 29, 2026 7:00 PM at the FEU Auditorium.

Conching Rosal

The concert puts spotlight on soprano Conching Rosal who, like the MSO, is celebrating centennial anniversary of her birth this year.

Manila Symphony Ochestra

Back in August 29, 1956 at the FEU Audiorium, Rosal portrayed the title role of Carmen at the premiere staging of the Tagalog version by Manuel Carballo Santiago and Vicente Liwag of Georges Bizet's opera.

Rachelle Gerodias-Park

The 1956 staging was directed by dancer/choreographer Trudl Dubsky-Zipper, the wife of Herbert Zipper who succeeded founder Alexander Lippay as the MSO's music director. This all the more makes MSO's upcoming concert the 70th anniversary celebration of this historic opera moment right at the equally historic venue where it all happened.

Michelle Mariposa

Headlining the concert that will feature selections from Carmen in Tagalog along with well-loved kundimans by Nicanor Abelardo, Francisco Santiago, Leopoldo Silos, Constancio de Guzman, and Manuel Velez are a quartet of the country's most heralded opera artists namely soprano Rachelle Gerodias-Park, mezzo soprano Michelle Mariposa, tenor Arthur Espiritu, and baritone Byeong-In Park. They are joined by the FEU Chorale and the FEU Dance Company. MSO Music Director Marlon Chen conducts.

Arthur Espiritu

Born in San Jose, Batangas in 1926, Conching Rosal discovered her love for singing in her parish church before pursuing formal studies at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music. She established herself as one of the Philippines' leading sopranos through acclaimed performances in productions such as Madama Butterfly, Aida, and Ang Kiri becoming one of the defining voices of 

Philippine opera from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Byeong-In Park

While Rosal earned acclaim on the operatic stage, she was equally devoted to kundiman. Through her concerts and recordings, she helped preserve and popularize many of the country's best-loved art songs, introducing generations of Filipinos to this treasured musical tradition.

Marlon Chen

The Far Eastern University (FEU) Auditorium served as the MSO's home throughout much of the 1950s. Celebrating its 98th anniversary this year, FEU remains one of the country's foremost educational and cultural institutions. Its auditorium, inaugurated in 1949, is a celebrated Art Deco masterpiece designed by National Artist for Architecture Pablo Antonio Sr.

FEU Chorale

Tickets are available at TicketWorld. Enter code CONCHINGEB20 for a 20% early bird discount valid until August 14, 2026, 11:59 PM. Standard discounts for students (50%); seniors, PWDs, and diplomats (20%) apply.

FEU Dance Company

The Manila Symphony Orchestra's Opera at Kundiman: The Legacy of Maestra Conching Rosal is presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. and Standard Insurance, co-presented by EastWest Bank, ACMobility, and BYD, in partnership with Far Eastern University.

MSO at 100 concert season: Looking back and beyond

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Back in January 22, 1926, a "Symphony Concert" was held at the Manila Grand Opera House by a newly organized orchestra made up of musicians from the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music and the Philippine Constabulary Orchestra with Dr. Alexander Lippay conducting. This orchestra eventually later came to be known as the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Exactly a century later, the MSO will celebrate this milestone with the 100th Anniversary Concert featuring the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Ryan Cayabyab.

But one does not celebrate 100 years of existence with just one concert (or two since the MSO also has Legacy, a concert featuring pianists Carmencita Sipin-Aspiras and Inna Montesclaros along with conductor Darrell Ang happening just three days later).

Charmers Bersaba, Gabriel Paguirigan, and Michelle Mariposa

Enter the Manila Symphony Orchestra at 100: A Celebration (1926-2026) Concert Season, a year long series of concerts that looks back at key moments from a century's worth of history while also looking beyond with young talents and new compositions taking a share of the spotlight.

Highlights of the season include the return of previous guest conductors like Alexander Vikulov and Thanos Adamopoulos. MSO's pride, violinists Jeanne Rafaella Marquez and Emanuel John Villarin, and cellist Damodar Das Castillo, will once again showcase their growth as artists when they take to the stage this season.

Jeffrey Solares conducts the MSO

Mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa, whose Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition win was the talk of the Philippine classical music scene back in March 2025, joins opera veterans tenor Arthur Espiritu, baritone Byeong In Park, and soprano Rachelle Gerodias at a concert at the FEU Auditorium that will also pay tribute to soprano Conching Rosal.

This season will also feature Ballet Manila, Venezuelan conductor Joshua Dos Santos, and  Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas.

Michelle Mariposa

For the past century, the MSO has been through a lot in the past century, including World War II and more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. But for MSO Executive Director Jeffrey Solares, the biggest challenge is the daily struggle to keep the orchestra going. He admits that the MSO still needs many things like salaries that allow the musicians to thrive and a concert hall that the orchestra can call its own.

MSO's history is prime material for a feature length film. In fact, the orchestra has already been a subject of the documentary An Orchestra in Search of a Home by Ida del Mundo, herself a former violinist at the MSO. The documentary narrated the struggles that the MSO encountered after getting evicted from St. Scholastica's College that has served as the orchestra's home base for several years.

Rachelle Gerodias

There is still so much to peel from MSO's storied past and more will be uncovered as the concert season unfolds. Here is the lineup of the Manila Symphony Orchestra at 100: A Celebration (1926-2026) Concert Season presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. and Standard Insurance.

Concert I: Centennial Opening: The Sleeping Beauty

March 13-15, 2026

Aliw Theater

Ballet Manila

Alexander Vikulov, conductor

RAd thoughts:

Not sure if this will be a full length Ballet Manila production with the orchestra at the pit or if this will be a usual orchestra concert with the added treat of Ballet Manila dancing key scenes from the ballet. If there will be different dancers per performance, then this can lead to multiple viewings.

Concert II: Centennial Rising Stars of the Philippines

May 30, 2026

Proscenium Theater

Jeanne Rafaella Marquez, violin

Damodar Das Castillo, cello

Joshua Dos Santos, conductor

RAd thoughts:

This will be Joshua Dos Santos' first time conducting the MSO. Trained under Venezuela's El Sistema, Dos Santos has played cello with the Simón Bolivar Youth Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra that went viral online for its festive encores. So it's fitting that Dos Santos leads this concert featuring two of the Philippines' rising stars: violinist Jeanne and cellist Damodar.

Concert III: Symphony of a Nation: 100 Years of Music, 80 Years of FilAm Friendship

July 4, 2026

Metropolitan Theater

Emanuel John Villarin, violin

Thanos Adamopoulos, conductor

RAd thoughts:

Also teased in this concert is a performance of Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 but no pianist has been announced so far. Camille Saint-Saëns' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor Op. 28 is programmed in this one so it's safe to say that this will be EJ's piece.

Concert IV: Legacies in Song: MSO’s 100 Years and the Voice of Conching Rosal

August 29, 2026

FEU Auditorium, Far Eastern University

Rachelle Gerodias-Park, soprano

Michelle Mariposa, mezzo-soprano

Byeong In Park, baritone

Marlon Chen, conductor

RAd thoughts:

The concert date is exactly 70 years after the opening night of the MSO's staging of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen translated in Tagalog that starred soprano Conching Rosal in the title role. Expect this to be very much rooted in history. And for a more historic experience, a guided tour of the Far Eastern University campus before the concert is highly recommended.

Concert V: Centennial Finale Gala: Philippine Master Composers, Past, Present, and Future

October 24, 2026

Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University

Marlon Chen, conductor

RAd thoughts:

World premiere of a new work by Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist for Music. Need I say more?

Concert VI: MSO 100 Centennial Finale

January 2027

Venue TBA

Camille Thomas, cello

Marlon Chen, conductor

RAd thoughts:

Camille Thomas was previously scheduled to perform with the MSO for the 2020-2021 Concert Season, specifically in January 2021. We all know what happened with this one. So after what will be a six year wait, she will finally set foot in the Philippines.

The program, performers, date, and venue are subject to change.

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.

Rachelle Gerodias, Byeong-In Park online fundraising concert returns online

The online fundraising concert Build My Church on a Song featuring soprano Rachelle Gerodias and baritone Byeong-In Park returns for an encore viewing from October 25, 2020, 8:00 PM until November 8, 2020, 11:00 PM at the Santuario de San Antonio Parish's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

This concert, first available to view online last October 4, 2020 up to October 11, 2020 is a part of this year's FrancisFest celebrations that aims to raise funds for the construction of the St. Clare de Assisi Parish in Dagat-dagatan that will service the neighboring cities of Malabon and Navotas and for other outreach programs as well.

Soprano Rachelle Gerodias and baritone Byeong-In Park

The concert features the real life couple of Rachelle and Byeong-In performing opera arias, musical theater showstoppers, Filipino tunes and sacred music.

Donations are still welcome via bank deposit to:

SSAP Foundation Inc.

BPI 0291-0395-96

Or through Paypal:

http://tinyurl.com/paypalssap

For inquiries or more details, please send a message to ssap_info@yahoo.com.

Rachelle Gerodias, Byeong-In Park headline fund raising concert

The powerhouse couple of Filipina soprano Rachelle Gerodias and Korean baritone Byeong-In Park will lend their voices at a fund raising concert as part of the FrancisFest celebrations this year.

The concert, billed as Build My Church on a Song, is set to premiere on October 4, 2020, 8:00 PM and will be available for viewing until October 11, 2020, 11:00 PM at the YouTube and Facebook pages of Santuario de San Antonio Parish.

Baritone Byeong-In Park and soprano Rachelle Gerodias

Ever since sharing the stage at a production of Così fan tutte in Singapore, Rachelle Gerodias and Byeong-In Park have been the classical music scene's powerhouse couple on and off the stage. Both have been featured in numerous concerts and opera productions here and abroad with Rachelle's Madly Filipina solo concert in October 2018 and Byeong-In's role as Enrico in this year's Lucia di Lammermoor opera at the CCP among the more recent, notable ones.

This year's FrancisFest celebrations is centered on the theme of Come Build My Church that aims to encourage the public to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order, in continuing to build the Lord's Church to serve more communities.

The major beneficiary of this fund raising will be the St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Dagat-dagatan, Malabon-Navotas, that is to begin construction in 2021 in time for the commemoration of 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. This Parish aims to serve 40,000 families in the neighboring cities of Malabon and Navotas.

Other beneficiaries of this event will include the various SSAP Parish Outreach Programs, carried out by the Social Services and Development Ministries namely the Philippine General Hospital and Rizal Medical Center (for Hospitals), Makati City Jail and Taguig City Jail (for Restorative Justice), scholarship, livelihood, eco-justice, relief and rehabilitation, and pastoral care for Franciscan vocations.

Here are several ways to make donations for FrancisFest.

BANK/ONLINE DEPOSIT

Account Name: SSAP FOUNDATION, INC.

Bank/Branch: BPI Forbes Park Branch

Account No.: 0291039596

Send proof of deposit/transaction indicating FrancisFest on deposit slip to indayespinosa@yahoo.com or viber to 0926-715-1054 for proper acknowledgement and monitoring.

PAYPAL/CREDIT CARD

Accepts Paypal, Visa and Mastercard

http://tinyurl.com/paypalssap

Choose FrancisFest from the dropdown menu for the purpose of donation.

CHECK

Please make check payable to: SSAP FOUNDATION, INC.

Checks are accepted at the Parish Office during office hours on Sundays at 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM and on Tuesday - Saturday at 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

For check pick-ups, please call Accounting at 8843-8830 to 35 local 6 or 0926-715-1054 and look for Brandy.

CASH

Cash donations are accepted at the Parish Office during  Office Hours on Sundays at 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM and on Tuesday- Saturday at 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

For inquiries, contact Tina, FrancisFest 2020 Solicitation Committee Head via email cit.sunshines@gmail.com or through mobile/Viber: 0917-819-1649.

Rachelle Gerodias, Byeong-In Park, Dingdong Fiel deliver fireworks in Bastille Thursday

Pianist Dingdong Fiel, soprano Rachelle Gerodias, and baritone Byeong-In Park

An intimate performance by the trio of baritone Byeong-In Park, soprano Rachelle Gerodias, and pianist Dingdong Fiel made for a very enjoyable Bastille Thursday, the latest installment of Le Jeudis culturels presented by the Embassy of France and the Allliance Française de Manille.

Byeong-In Park

Coming off the heels of the Bastille Day celebrations, this evening was filled with music, not just limited to those in French or by French composers, that celebrate the universal values of liberté, égalité, and fraternité.

The first half was dedicated to art songs like Claude Debussy's Trois Chansons, L 99, Gabriel Fauré's Après un rêve, Op. 7, No. 1, Franz Schubert's Du bist die Ruh D. 776; Op. 59, No. 3, Robert Schumann's Liebeslied, Op. 51 No. 5, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Net, tolko tot kto znal, Op. 6 No. 6.

Art songs have never been my strongest suit and all that were performed were not familiar to me at all. But this really led me to listen closely about the way the Rachelle and Byeong-In sang. Never have I seen the two of them perform in such an intimate setting. The multi-purpose hall at the Alliance is small (hence the limited number of seats) and has a low ceiling. Right off the bat, I noticed that there was a certain delicateness with how they sang knowing that there were no audiences in the balconies to worry about. In fact, French Ambassador Nicolas Galey was seated just about a meter in front of them.

Due to Audio Visual Attaché Martin Macalintal's prodding, Dingdong Fiel whipped up a solo of Debussy's Feux d'artifices, prelude for piano, L. 131/12 , a last minute addition to the program, to close out the first half.

Rachelle Gerodias

The second half were devoted to arias and duets from various operas like Libiamo ne' lieti calici from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata, Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre aka Toreador aria from Georges Bizet's Carmen, Je veux vivre! from Charles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, Ernesto de Curtis' Torna a Surriento, O mio babbino caro from Giacomo Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Bess, You is My Woman from George Gershwin.'s Porgy and Bess. Both the performers and the audience were more relaxed clearly enjoying the night, thanks to the generous cocktails served courtesy of Giffard.

The audience were really in good spirits after the last number was performed that the two had to oblige with encores which were the Merry Widow Duet from Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow and Mutya ng Pasig by Nicanor Abelardo. Had I enjoyed a few more cocktails, I would've shouted that Byeong-In perform a Korean song.

Dingdong Fiel, RAd, Rachelle Gerodias,
and Byeong-In Park

Of all the four editions of Le Jeudis culturels that I've attended so far, Bastille Thursday has been the most enjoyable by a mile. It also didn't hurt that Rachelle, Byeong-In, and Dingdong have been good friends of mine and there was no way I could've missed this despite the heavy rains and other events that happened on the same night.

Commemorating and celebrating Philippine-Korea connections through music

Moon Yang Sook Gayageum Ensemble, Byeong-in Park, Rachelle Gerodias,
Jens Lindemann with Jong-hoon Bae and the Soecho Philharmonic Orchestra,
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

A special music event, the Korean War Memorial Peace Concert, that gave tribute to the veterans of the Korean War and also celebrated the 70th Anniversary of Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Korea was recently held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, The Patriotic Cultural Association of Korea, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the concert featured performances and collaborations by musicians from the Philippines, Korea, and even Canada.

Korean Ambassador Dong-man Han 

The evening saw fifteen string musicians and a keyboardist from the Seocho Philharmonic Orchestra from Korea joining forces with members of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. This combined orchestra was led by Korean conductor Jong-hoon Bae.

The music started with Korean tunes like Ji-su Lee's Arirang Rhapsody performed by the joint orchestra. Korean baritone Byeong-in Park, a familiar figure to CCP audiences,  followed singing Il-nam Jang's Bee Mok (Gravestone of Unknown Heroes), a Korean folk song commemorating Korean War Veterans. Canadian trumpet player gave a rousing performance of the 2nd and 3rd movements of Joseph Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E flat major that made me wish the program allowed him to perform this music in its entirety.

Traditional Korean music instruments took to the stage as Yang-sook Moon then led her 11 member Moon Yang Sook Gayageum Ensemble with Harmony for Peace. This medley included Freddie Aguilar's song Anak midway and it got the audience applauding once the popular tune was recognized. Seeing a live gayageum performance is rare enough and to watch an ensemble was a sight to behold especially when seeing out how the various parts of the music were distributed to each member of the ensemble.

The second half of the concert shone the spotlight on the members of Seocho Philharmonic Orchestra with a performance of the 3rd movement of Summer of Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons with Kyung-ah Kim (who was also that night's concertmaster) as the soloist. Just like in Lindemann's previous performance, I wish that the entire Summer concerto was performed at the very least.

Next was Filipina soprano Rachelle Gerodias who went all Violetta from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata with the aria È strano... Sempre libera complete with an impressive high E flat that got the audience showering her with applause. I was caught off guard when I heard her husband Byeong-in singing off stage as Alftedo since I anticipated the cello principal to play his part.

Byeong-in then went on stage again to sing the Korean folk song Bat No Rae (Boat Song) before bringing back his wife Rachelle for a duet of Libiamo ne' lieti calici, the famous drinking song from La Traviata. There is no one in the Philippine performing arts scene who best exemplifies Philippine-Korean relations than these two renowned classical/opera singers.

Before performing his next number, Jens Lindemann told the audience how he traveled across the world just to be at this concert. And he did some sort of traveling, towards the audience and across the stage, while playing a medley of Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla and Malagueña by Ernesto Lecuona.

The Arirang Fantasy by Sung-whan Choi was scheduled to be the finale. But the orchestra, now with Lindemann sitting in with his fellow trumpeters, delighted the audience with an encore of Marcos Valle's Summer Samba. I like to believe that it was this piece that paved for good weather allowing me to arrive home without encountering a single drop of rain.

The concert was indeed entertaining and enlightening, a good selection of familiar music performed alongside with those that were new to my ears. But it must not be overlooked why this concert took place in the first place. As Korean pop culture continues immense popularity especially among the youth, what happened decades ago during the Korean War must never be forgotten. Especially considering how the Philippines played a part by sending 7,420 troops to fight for the freedom and peace that Korea enjoys right now.

Himig ng Bayan: a refresher course on National Artists for Music

As part of the celebrations for the National Heritage Month, a Gala tribute for National Artists for Music was held earlier this month at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The show, billed as Himig ng Bayan, paid tribute to the fourteen National Artists for Music with performances that satisfactorily covered everyone namely Antonio Molina, Jovita Fuentes, Honorata "Atang" dela Rama, Antonino R. Buenaventura, Lucrecia Kasilag, Lucio D. San Pedro, Levi Celerio, Felipe Padilla de Leon, Jose Maceda, Ernani Joson Cuenco, Andrea O. Veneracion, Francisco Feliciano, Ramon P. Santos, and Raymundo Cipriano "Ryan" Cayabyab.

Of the fourteen, only two, Santos and Cayabyab still survive. And it was only fitting that they were in attendance that night.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra led by Herminigildo Ranera opened the tribute with Buenaventura's Mindanao Sketches. Soprano Rachelle Gerodias performed Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal (by Cuenco and Celerio) and Kay Tamis ng Buhay (Padilla de Leon).

Violinist Coke Bolipata performed a movement from Lucrecia Kasilag's Violin Concerto No. 2 and Antonio Molina's Hatinggabi. Cayabyab's Pepe en Pilar performed by the PPO was an interesting choice considering the vast number of works that were available.

Tenor Cristiani Rebada then gave tribute to Fuentes through his performance of Ay, Kalisud before wrapping up the first half with Cuenco and Celerio's Kalesa wherein he was joined by dancers from Danspace Ballet School.

The second half began with Himig Sanghaya Chorale performing Maceda's Udlot-udlot, the only unfamiliar piece for me that night. The Philippine Madrigal Singers paid tribute to their founder Veneracion and composers Francisco Feliciano, Ramon Santos, and Lucio San Pedro with performances of Pokpok Alimpako and Pamugon (Feliciano), Tuksuhan (Santos), and Sa Mahal Kong Bayan (San Pedro).

Rebada returned onstage for a tribute to dela Rama and Abelardo with a rendition of the latter's Bituing Marikit. The popular Sa Ugoy ng Duyan (San Pedro/Celerio) was then performed by Gerodias with Danspace Ballet School dancers. The gala was capped by all the performers with Cayabyab's patriotic O Bayan Ko.

The show, directed by Dennis Marasigan, indeed covered a lot of ground although it just skimmed the surface regarding the enormous combined catalogue of the National Artists. What left me a bit wanting was that there were no recordings nor clips (if ever they exist at all) of Jovita Fuentes and Atang dela Rama. While the composers' respective legacies could go on indefinitely through performances of their works (especially those with existing scores), the vocalists like Fuentes and dela Rama do not enjoy this and their greatness could only be gathered through what were written about them. This made me appreciate more of the videos of Celerio making music with leaves.

The gala tribute served as a refresher course for me with some works coming back to me upon hearing them again after what seemed like ages. But there is still a lot of work to be done regarding making these works known to the general public. Prior to the show at the cocktails, I found myself conversing with two teenage girls who couldn't even name a single National Artist, not even Ryan Cayabyab.

I am all for tributes such as this but the real work is out of the theater and into the classrooms primarily. Exposing the young to these National Artists (not just limited to music) and their works do not only instill Pinoy Pride but they serve to encourage the creation of new works that take into major consideration Philippine sensibilities and aesthetics.

Tribute to National Artists for Music at the CCP

The Filipino Heritage Festival Inc., in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, presents Himig ng Bayan, a tribute to the National Artists for Music this May 9, 2019, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The works of these National Artists will be performed by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Herminigildo Ranera, soprano Rachelle Gerodias, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, violinist Coke Bolipata, tenor Cristiani Rebada, Himig Sanghaya Chorale, and Danspace Ballet School. The production will be under the direction of Dennis Marasigan.

For ticket inquiries, e-mail heritagemonth@yahoo.com.ph

Past and recent winners share the spotlight in NAMCYA's 45th anniversary concert

Diomedes Saraza Jr., Rachelle Gerodias, Gerard Salonga, Renato Lucas,
Andrew Fernando, Nicole Pugeda, Radnel Ofalsa,
and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra

The celebrations for the 45^th anniversary of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) continued with a concert featuring past and recent winners that was recently held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The one night affair, billed as Bayan ng Musika, Alay ng NAMCYA, featured violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr., soprano Rachelle Gerodias, baritone Andrew Fernando, soprano Nicole Pugeda, tenor Radnel Ofalsa, and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Gerard Salonga and Renato Lucas.

Violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr., conductor Gerard Salonga,
and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra

To kick things off, Gerard Salonga led the orchestra with a delightful Overture from Così fan tutte, K. 588 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Then it was Diomedes Saraza Jr. (2002 1^st Prize Violin Category) who took to the stage performing Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. This piece has been a popular choice among violinists at the NAMCYA. There was a year when 5 out of the 7 competitors had this piece. It was a taxing experience to sit through that many and with just a piano accompaniment to boot. But not taxing at all was Diomedes Saraza, Jr. breezing through it with such security during the concert. His encore was an upgrade of his staple, Willy Cruz’s Sana’y Wala Ng Wakas, performed that night with the orchestra.

Baritone Andrew Fernando, soprano Rachelle Gerodias,
conductor Renato Lucas, soprano Nicole Pugeda, tenor Radnel Ofalsa,
and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra

The second half had Renato Lucas conducting the orchestra with an interesting mixed bag of Filipino songs, arias and rarely heard Filipino short orchestral pieces namely Jullio Nakpil’s Salve Patria and Rosendo Santos’ Maglalatik that evoked images of processions and celebrations in rural areas.

Soprano Nicole Pugeda (2017 2^nd Prize Senior Voice Category) performed Ano Kaya ang Kapalaran by Francisco Santiago showcasing a rich timbre still retaining that sparkle and lightness of youth. Her luscious lower tones were heard in great effect especially when in contrast with Rachelle Gerodias during their duet of Duo des fleurs/Sous le dôme épais aka the popular The Flower Duet from Léo Delibes' opera Lakmé.

Tenor Radnel Ofalsa (1^st Prize Senior Voice Category) did the challenging Ecco, ridente in cielo from Gioachino Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. He is clearly one of the young tenors whose range is impeccable and when he finds more polish in his runs, I won’t be surprised if he gets substantial roles in opera productions soon.

As always, baritone Andrew Fernando (1998 2^nd Prize Voice Category) had such physical and vocal presence on stage with his performance of Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre, the Toreador song from Georges Bizet’s Carmen. He remained in character throughout the aria and it would not have been difficult for people to figure out what his character was all about despite not knowing any French nor the story of Carmen.

As a staunch supporter of young and upcoming talent through the Klassikal Music Foundation, Andrew made sure that he didn’t overpower Radnel and let the younger one shine too in their duet of Au fond du temple saint from Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles/The Pearl Fishers.

I do have to commend soprano Rachelle Gerodias (1990 2^nd Prize Voice Category) who exemplified what professionalism is that night, giving a masterful performance despite a most difficult personal circumstance. Her take on Nicanor Abelardo’s Mutya ng Pasig was impassioned. Having heard performances of this song with just a piano accompaniment throughout the years has made me forget how much more moving this music could be with an orchestra. She also capped the program with an English version of Mein Herr Marquis, aka Adele's Laughing Song from Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus.

Encore was I Love You So from Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow with the four singers that gave the audience an idea on how NAMCYA has paved the way for musicians to achieve greater things beyond the competition. See who follows their footsteps as the 2018 NAMCYA National Finals Competition happens this November20-25, 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.