Special Concert Series III: Raymond De Leon

Trumpeter Raymond de Leon

Featuring:

Raymond de Leon, trumpet

Raul Sunico, piano

Programme:

Oskar Böhme Trumpet Concerto in F minor, Op. 18

Jean-Baptiste Arban Variations on a Theme from Bellini’s Norma

Jeno Hubay Scènes de la Csárda No.4 Hejre Kati, Op.32

Vladimir Peskin Trumpet Concerto No. 1 in C minor

Camille Saint-Saëns Le Cyne 

Vittorio Monti Csárdás

US based trumpeter Raymond de Leon’s guest stint during the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert performing Arutiunian’s trumpet concerto back in December 2012 made such a splash that a solo concert featuring him seemed inevitable. Important family matters led to the postponement of the concert, but after a lengthy delay, Raymond’s concert did finally happen at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

Raymond de Leon, accompanied by pianist Raul Sunico, prepared a mix of unfamiliar and rarely played trumpet concertos that included Oskar Böhme’s Trumpet Concerto in F minor, Op. 18 and Vladimir Peskin’s Trumpet Concerto No. 1 in C minor, and some transcriptions for the trumpet like Jean-Baptiste Arban’s Variations on a Theme from Bellini’s Norma and Jeno Hubay Scènes de la Csárda No.4 Hejre Kati, Op.32, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Le Cyne and Vittorio Monti’s Csárdás.

The couple of trumpet concertos he performed expanded my horizons as I only know Hummel, Haydn and the Arutiunian that he did before. There were a handful of times while listening to the piano parts when I wondered how the actual orchestration would’ve sounded in these pieces. It also made me note that I couldn’t recall ever hearing a trumpet sonata before. The trumpet transcriptions of the popular tunes Saint-Saëns’ Le Cyne and Monti’s Csárdás gave me more insight on the timbre, range, scope and limitations of the trumpet. The trumpet has a penetrating sound but Raymond was able to make it sound so tender during his two encores which was Sa Ugoy ng Duyan by Lucio San Pedro and the Canadian Brass arrangement of Amazing Grace.

One thing that I noticed throughout the concert was that he was gasping for breath through his mouth. The quick gasps, especially in between the tricky phrases, were audible even from where I was seated inside the Little Theater. A possible explanation came to light after the show during the meet and greet. Seeing Raymond up close made me notice his reddened nose which made me suspect that he could’ve been suffering from a nasty cold. I could only imagine how difficult it was for him to get through the whole concert where breathing is so essential. And for that, Raymond deserves and extra pat on the back for a job well done.

US based trumpeter Raymond de Leon performs at CCP’s Special Concert Series

Trumpeter Raymond de Leon

January 29, 2014, 7:30 PM Performance

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

January 30-31, 2014, 1:30 & 3:30 PM Workshop/Masterclass

Silangan Hall

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Raymond de Leon, trumpet

Raul Sunico, piano

Programme:

Oskar Böhme Trumpet Concerto in F minor, Op. 18

Jean-Baptiste Arban Variations on a Theme from Bellini’s Norma

Jeno Hubay Scènes de la Csárda No.4 Hejre Kati, Op.32

Vladimir Peskin Trumpet Concerto No. 1 in C minor

Camille Saint-Saëns Le Cyne 

Vittorio Monti Csárdás

Award winning trumpet player Raymond de Leon had a successful performance as the featured guest of the PPO during their De Leon and Arutiunian concert back in 2012. De Leon now returns for a solo concert this time, as one of the featured artists of the CCP Special Concert Series. The concert, originally scheduled for last September 2013, will now happen on January 29, 2014, 7:30 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater).

De Leon will be performing Oskar Böhme’s Trumpet Concerto in F minor, Op. 18, Jean-Baptiste Arban’s Variations on a Theme from Bellini’s Norma, Jeno Hubay’s Scènes de la Csárda No.4 Hejre Kati, Op.32, Vladimir Peskin’s Trumpet Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Le Cyne , and Vittorio Monti’s Csárdás. Accompanying him in this concert is pianist Raul Sunico.

After the concert, on January 30 and 31, Raymond will give a trumpet masterclass at 1:30 PM and workshop at 3:30 PM at the CCP’s Silangan Hall. Participants are requested to come and bring their trumpets for the trumpet choir.

A three-time first prize winner of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), Raymond was a semi-finalist in the 1st Calvia International Trumpet Competition in Mallorca, Spain in 2003. He won Third Prize in the International Trumpet Guild Solo Trumpet Competition in New Jersey in 2006 and won First Prize in the Seattle Philharmonic Don Bushell Concerto Competition in 2011. This led to his debut with the Seattle Philharmonic on March 2012, playing the Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto. Raymond has performed and toured in Europe, U.S.A., and Asia with international orchestra players and competed in international music competitions.

He studied at the University of Santo Tomas where he became a recipient of the Benavidez Award, twice, for International Excellence in Music. He also worked as a recording artist with Global Recording Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Gerard Salonga.

He served and performed as a soloist in the U.S. Army with the 56th Army Band stationed at Joint Base Lewis - McChord in Washington. Raymond’s successful stint with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra performing the Arutiunian trumpet concerto as soloist of the fourth PPO season concert in December 2012 drew raves from the audience and critics.

Ticket prices:

P800 Orchestra Center

P600 Orchestra Side

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For performance inquiries:

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

For workshop inquiries:

CCP Artist Training Division 832-1125 local 1604/1605, ccp.artist.training@gmail.com

PPO IV: De Leon and Arutiunian

Trumpeter Raymon de Leon

Featuring:

Raymond de Leon, trumpet

Iñaki Etxepare, cello

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Herminigildo Ranera, conductor

Programme:

Bedřich Smetana Die Moldau (Vltava)

Édouard Lalo Cello Concerto in D minor

Alexander Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto in A flat major

Ferde Grofé The Grand Canyon Suite

An evening filled with picturesque music filled the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) when the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra had their latest concert of their 30^th Milestones Season entitled De Leon and Arutiunian. The title, referring to guest musician Raymond de Leon and composer Alexander Arutiunian, is a bit misleading since the concert had a lot more than just that. Also featured during that night was another guest musican, Spanish cellist Iñaki Etxepare, and PPO’s associate conductor Herminigildo Ranera who led the orchestra with pieces from Bedřich Smetana, Édouard Lalo and Ferde Grofé.

The concert started with Bedřich Smetana’s Die Moldau (Vltava) that brought the audience to a journey as the river takes is course. The music shifts from tranquil, to majestic, to turbulent and back to calm once again which such clarity that one doesn’t need to know anything about the piece to appreciate it. Then it was cellist Iñaki Etxepare who performed next Édouard Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor. Unfortunately, this concerto for the cello is one of those pieces that don’t excite me as much as say, Elgar’s. As much as I want to enjoy Iñaki’s performance, it was difficult because of my bias regarding the piece. But the audience clearly liked the piece since they applauded after every movement of this piece. Personally, I enjoyed his encores a lot more. His first encore was Ricercata Trovadora by Samuel Maynez which was composed specifically for him. Iñaki requested a piece of cello music that he could sing along with. And this singing caught the audience, including myself, by surprise. The second encore he did was Aurtxo Seaskan by Gabriel Olaizola which is a lullaby. This was exactly the same piece he did as an encore when he was here almost three years ago. And I fondly remember him acting like he had fallen asleep by the end of the piece back then. But he didn’t do it this time.

Cellist Iñaki Etxepare

After the interval, it was time for yet another concerto, this one Alexander Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto in A flat major featuring Raymond de Leon. This was a sprightly piece that showcased the nimbleness of Raymond with the trumpet. And he topped that performance with his first encore which was Carnival of Venice featuring his own set of variations. He showed off impeccable triple tonguing that drove the audience to applaud mid-performance. And for his second encore, he slowed things down with Over the Rainbow composed by Harold Arlen but playing the jazzy trumpet version by Allen Vizzutti. The last piece of the night was The Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofé which again is another piece that evoked images and this time around, of the popular American attraction which is the Grand Canyon (obviously). Just like the piece by Smetana, this piece went through different moods but there was a movement in the piece that I do find amusing and peculiar for it depicted a journey of a cowboy atop a donkey. Thinking how a donkey ride found its way in a piece portraying the splendor of the canyons always bring a smile on my face and I did smile when the orchestra got to that section. People did smile a lot when it came down to the orchestra’s final encores as Ranera led the audience in singing O Come All Ye Faithful and Joy to the World. I think that nobody expected that they would be participating in a little sing along by the end of the concert.

Iñaki and RAd

This PPO concert, the fourth in their 30^th concert season and the last for this calendar year, was definitely an entertaining one. It was nice seeing Iñaki once again after almost three years. I may not be a huge fan of Lalo’s cello concerto but I liked it a lot more compared to the Haydn cello concerto that he played back in 2010. The year 2012 is almost at an end and seasons by various performing companies have wrapped up for now and will resume once 2013 starts rolling. CCP has lined up a lot of promising shows for 2013 and PPO will resume its concert season with no other than Maestro Ryan Cayabyab. Now, that is a great way to start 2013.

Trumpeter De Leon and cellist Etxepare perform at Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s December concert

Trumpeter Raymond de Leon

December 14, 2012, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Raymond de Leon, trumpet

Iñaki Etxepare, cello

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Herminigildo Ranera, conductor

Programme:

Bedřich Smetana Die Moldau (Vltava)

Édouard Lalo Cello Concerto in D minor

Alexander Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto in A flat major

Ferde Grofé The Grand Canyon Suite

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes trumpeter Raymond de Leon and Spanish cellist Iñaki Etxepare as guest artists for their fourth concert of their 30^th Season Milestones happening this December 14, 2012, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Centerof the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). Herminigildo Ranera, the PPO’s associate conductor leads the orchestra in performing pieces by Bedřich Smetana, Édouard Lalo, Alexander Arutiunian, Ferde Grofé.

Cellist Iñaki Etxepare

US based Raymond de Leon, a winner of three First Prize awards in the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) plays Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto in A flat major. Iñaki Etxepare plays Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor. He last performed in Manila back in February 2010 with the UST Symphony Orchestra and as the other half of the Pik Nik Cello Duo. Other pieces to be performed this evening will be Smetana’s Die Moldau (Vltava) and Grofé’s The Grand Canyon Suite. Since Ranera will be conducting this time, it will be interesting to see if there would still be a pre-concert lecture prior to the performance.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

This concert billed as De Leon and Arutiunian is also co-presented by the Spanish Embassy in the Philippines, Instituto Cervantes de Manila, and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

Conductor Herminigildo Ranera

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