A unique blend of musical performances awaits audiences as the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra performs a series of concerts for its 31st Concert Season under the baton of its Music Director, Olivier Ochanine at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Theater. Each concert begins at 8:00PM.
On September 6, the PPO opens the season with “Guzman & Pathétique”, led by Maestro Ochanine as it performs the “Flute Concerto in D Major” of Antonio Vivaldi, “Les Préludes” of Franz Liszt and Peter Tchaikovsky’s final work, his 6th Symphony – also known as the ‘Pathétique’.
On October 11, PPO Associate Conductor Herminigildo Ranera conducts a program of Filipino works, including the “Suite Pastorale” of San Pedro. Also on the program are the jazzy ‘La Création du Monde’ of Milhaud and the “Slavonic Dances, Op.46” of Dvorak.
In partnership with the Israel Embassy, the PPO’s November 14 concert features pianist Yossi Reshef as soloist for Schumann’s Piano Concerto. To celebrate the 200 years since his birth, Wagner’s “Overture to The Flying Dutchman” and “Overture to Rienzi” round out the concert.
For December 13, conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura returns to conduct a program of Beethoven, Saint-Saens and De Falla. Cellist Ray Wang joins the PPO for the Saint-Saens “Cello Concerto”. Selections from De Falla’s “3 Cornered Hat, Scenes and Dances” are also on the programme.
Following many requests, the complete Four Seasons of Vivaldi is the main feature of the PPO’s January 17, 2014 concert. Soloists for this concert are PPO Assistant Concertmaster Joanne Ruth Livioco and her brother, violinist Jonathan David Livioco, Concertmaster of the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. Also on the program is the Symphony No. 2 of Carl Nielsen, entitled “The Four Temperaments”.
Former PPO Music Director Eugene Castillo conducts the PPO on February 21 in the “Symphony No. 5” of Jean Sibelius, while violinist Roger Wilke joins the PPO for the romantic concerto of Johannes Brahms. To top it off, Castillo leads the PPO in “The Fall of The Leaf” of Gerald Finzi.
A stellar conductor from Taiwan, Maestra Apo Hsu leads the PPO on March 14 in the Symphony No. 5 of Sergei Prokofiev. Also from Taiwan is oboist Wanchen Hsieh, who plays the lovely Martinu “Oboe Concerto” with the PPO. Maestra Hsu also leads the orchestra in Yarnell’s “Yosemite and the Range of Light”.
On April 11, the PPO closes its season with a fun programme at the movies. To open this concert, the orchestra premieres the work of the winner of the PPO 2013 Composition Competition, to be announced. The programme also features some popular classics from the film music repertoire, along with the stunning “Also Sprach Zarathustra” of Richard Strauss, whose 150th birth anniversary will be commemorated in 2014.
Ticket prices are PhP1,500/PhP1,200/PhP800/PhP500, with discounts available to students, senior citizens and groups. Subscription packages are also available for eight or four shows. For inquiries and subscriptions, call the CCP Marketing Department at (+632) 8321125 loc. 1806; the CCP Box Office at (+632) 832 3704; or Ticketworld at National Bookstore at (+632) 8919999.
