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.

Fundraising concert of Radnel Ofalsa, Raul Sunico sets repeat run on February 13

Due to public demand, the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (FCCP) brings back for a repeat run the online concert of tenor Radnel Ofalsa and pianist Raul Sunico this February 13, 2022, 8:00 PM.

The concert, billed as Ofalsa at Sunico, The 2nd Run, is this year's fundraising project of the FCCP for the benefit of its 28 music-artist scholars.

Tenor Radnel Ofalsa, a scholar of the FCCP since his college days at the University of Sto. Tomas Conservatory of Music, is currently taking his Masters in Voice at the Mannes School of Music in New York, USA.

Raul Sunico, one of the country's internationally renowned pianists, heads the FCCP's Scholarship Committee.

Joining Ofalsa and Sunico are FCCP scholars, sopranos Athena Marsha Macatangay and Donna Klariz Baluyut.

A minimum donation of P1000 deposited to the FCCP's Metrobank account 292 3 29280045 3, enables a viewer access the Zoom link to the concert. Send proof of deposit to fccpoffice@yahoo.com.ph for the link.

Tenor Radnel Ofalsa, pianist Raul Sunico perform in online fundraising concert

Following the success of the fundraising concert with violinist Adrian Ong, the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (FCCP) presents Ofalsa at Sunico, an online fundraising concert for FCCP scholars featuring tenor Radnel Ofalsa and pianist Raul Sunico on February 5, 2022, 8:00 PM.

Radnel Ofalsa, an FCCP scholar, is an alumnus of the UST Conservatory of Music and is currently taking his Masters in Voice at the Mannes College of Music in New York, USA.

Raul Sunico is the Scholarship Committee Director of the FCCP. Also featured in the online performance are sopranos Athena Marsha Macatangay and Donna Klariz Baluyut.

A minimum donation of P1000 deposited to the FCCP Metrobank account 292 3 29280045 3 will gain access to the online performance via Zoom. A copy of the deposit slip should be sent to fccpoffice@yahoo.com. FCCP members can add the donation amount to their annual membership fee.

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.