Cecile Licad's Lisztian affair with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra

When I first heard about this concert, my initial thoughts were, "Liszt... again?" I just came out of a concert featuring Liszt's 2nd concerto at the time, and being the borderline personality that I am, I figured I could do with some variety.

But after factoring in several things, I eventually got swayed into watching it: 1) I've been hearing a lot of buzz about ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra and its conductor, Gerard Salonga, and if I'd want to become the concert connoisseur I intend to be, I'd have to at least prime myself with all the orchestras around, this burgeoning entity a non-exception; 2) It's going to feature Cecile Licad, for chrissakes! Enough said! And: 3) BECAUSE TOTENTANZ (They had to hold the repertoire info from concert-goers beforehand to brew suspense. I guess it worked, to some degree.)

Okay--I know I've been rash in dismissing this concert to be another Liszt affair that features one of his not-so-stellar concertos, which is why I couldn't help but be guilty-excited the moment I learned that this notoriously difficult showpiece was in the set list. And who better to initiate me to a live Totentanz experience than one of the country's most renowned classical pianist--who, in all abashedness, I haven't seen perform live yet?

And so just like any other concert I've attended in the past, this will probably bring me some monumental firsts which are most certainly not worth forgetting.

I might have hyped over Totentanz a little bit too much, so just to let readers know, the concert also features other Liszt masterpieces, such as Symphonic Poem No. 2 Tasso, Lamento e Trionfo, S. 96, and his more famous concerto Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, S. 124, also to be played by Ms. Licad.

And as if that night could handle all the epicness in the world, ABS-CBN Philhamornic also lined up Beethoven's Egmont Overture op. 84 and Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre Op. 40, two perennial concert favorites.

So "The Pianist's Pianist" it shall be.

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PPO VIII: Mahler's Fifth

So why must you watch PPO's 2012-2013 season finale?

Two words: MAHLER's FIFTH. Enough said.

On April 4, 2013, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), under the baton of Olivier Ochanine, will cap off its 30th season with a concert billed as "Mahler's Fifth."  This is a momentous occasion for me, as it marks the end of my first season as a PPO regular (if I could actually call myself that). So this coming Friday, by hook or by crook, I'd be at CCP's Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo before 8PM to witness this once-in-a-lifetime performance by my favorite local orchestra.

For the past weeks, Maestro Ochanine has been stoking everyone's interest with Facebook posts which dropped several hints regarding the concert's program. I now know that Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony (the concert's namesake and centerpiece) is one of the most revered masterpiece in the entire orchestral music literature.  At over an hour in length, it is by no means an amateur's piece. In a Facebook post, Maestro Ochanine expressed his awe at the sheer grandeur of the work, stating: "I feel extremely lucky. This work is sublime. I feel unworthy, yet am excited to give it the best I can give." 

"The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra will dazzle concertgoers with this one for sure," he added.

For what it's worth, I am most excited to hear the symphony's 4th movement, the "Adagietto." It's probably the most exquisite piece of music my ears have ever heard and it never fails to bring me eargasms each time I play it. I can't wait to hear it live, just because I don't think I'll be able to hold back them tears once they get to the most dramatic part.

I heard Herbert von Karajan, the great Austrian conductor, once said that "a great performance of the Fifth is a transforming experience." I guess that could count a another reason for people to hear the PPO play Mahler's Fifth: to have a shot at transforming their dreary lives. I kid, of course. Then again, that might also be one of my reasons, so who knows?

Another factor which got me really pumped up for this concert is Gabriel Allan Paguirigan, an up-and-coming concert pianist who I hold in high regard. I've had the honor of watching him play Camille Saint-Saëns' piano concerto no. 2 in G minor last August, and I can't wait to watch him tangle fingers with Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto no. 2 in A major this coming Friday. He was chosen to be the guest soloist for the concert after he won in the 2013 Young Pianist Competition held last March 6, 2013, besting some of the country's best young pianists for the coveted spot.

Gabriel Allan Paguirigan
Image credit: NiceyArafiles.com

Apart from the abovementioned pieces, the PPO will also be playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Overture to Cossì Fan Tutte.  

Tickets are available at P1,000, P800, P500, P350, and P200, with discounts available to students, senior citizens and groups. Earlier this week, Maestro Ochanine announced that as a special promotion for the PPO's 2012-2013 finale, those who will purchase tickets at regular prices will be allowed to bring a companion for free.

For inquiries, call the CCP Marketing Department at tel. 832-1125 loc. 1806; CCP Box Office (832-3704) or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

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PTGP Seminar Series VI: The road towards the 2013 piano festival

On April 14, 2013, the Piano Teachers' Guild of the Philippines, Inc (PTGP) will host the sixth installment of its successful seminar series.  Themed "2013 Piano Festival: Composers of Nationalistic Themes," the seminar will be conducted by Prof. Mauricia Borromeo and will be held at the Rehearsal Hall of St. Scholastica's College, Manila.

Dr. Mauricia Borromeo is widely known and respected for being a long-time professor and dean at the University of Philippines' College of Music where she taught piano performance, music theory, and music education. She has since then become a sough-after resource speaker in various regional and national conventions and seminars on music education. True to her dedication in piano pedagogy, she has served two terms as the president of the PTGP.  Prof. Borromeo, alongside Fr. Manuel Maramba, OSB, currently acts the PTGP's adviser.

The seminar's theme is in congruence with PTGP's upcoming 2013 piano festival which will center on the works of composers of nationalistic themes.

Seminar fee is P100 for non-members and P50 for students. Admission is free to all guild members.

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The Maestro's Maestro: A night of French music with conductor Mark Gibson and violinist Gao Can

You've heard the maestro.  Now it's time to hear the teacher.

As suggested by its theme, "The Maestro's Maestro," the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's latest concert features Mark Gibson, Olivier Ochanine's conducting mentor, as he leads the PPO in its upcoming performance on March 22, 2013, 8PM, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tangahalng Nicanor Abelardo.

Image credit: http://ccmopera.com

Mark Gibson boasts of an impressive portfolio, having conducted various orchestras and ensembles in both opera houses and concert halls.  He is currently on his fourth year as Artistic Director of the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca and is currently the head Orchestral Studies program at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati—all while maintaining an active performing career across three continents.

Image credit: http://criticaclassica.wordpress.com

Joining the PPO is guest soloist Gao Can, a Chinese violinist who is considered as one of the most versatile young violinists in his country today.  He has received many domestic and international distinctions, including the Grand Prize during the 2006 China’s National Violin Competition, a special Recognition Award at the Michael Hill International Violin Competition in 2007, and the Second prize and a Special Award from the 2008 Naples “Alberto Curci” International Violin Competition.  His most recent achievement is the "Highest Violin Award" which he received during the 2009 Ima Hogg International Young Artist’s Competition.

The programme consists of selected works from great French composers.  The PPO will play George Bizet's Petite Suite from "Jeux d'Enfants," Maurice Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe," and Camille Saint-Saëns' "Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor" with Gao Can as the featured soloist.


Tickets are available at P1,000, P800, P500, P350, and P200, with discounts available to students, senior citizens and groups. To purchase tickets, call the CCP Marketing Department at tel. 832-1125 loc. 1806; CCP Box Office (832-3704) or Ticketworld at National Book Store (891-9999).

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Nostalgic Symphony: Oscar Yatco takes the baton in PPO homecoming concert

In continuing celebration of its 40th founding anniversary celebration, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra pays homage to its roots as it welcomes back one of the most important figures to have ever graced its colorful history--Prof. Oscar Yatco.  After almost three years, Yatco will once again lead the PPO in a concert on March 6, 2013, 8PM, at the CCP's Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater).

The repertoire consists of famous overtures by renowned Romantic opera composers Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi, both of whom are celebrating their 200th birth anniversary this year.  During the first part of the program, the PPO will perform I Vespri siciliani Overture by Verdi and also the Tannhauser Overture by Wagner.  The second part, however, slightly veers awat from the course as the PPO takes on Tchaikovsky's emotionally-charged  Symphony No. 6 Op. 74 in B minor (“Pathetique”).

Prof. Yatco, 81 years old and already based in Germany, started off in the industry as a violinist and was able to obtain his Teacher's Diploma for Violin from the College of Music at just 16 years old.  He went on to continue his violin studies at the prestigious Juilliard School of  Music under the tutelage of Ivan Galamian.  He also studied in Germany at the Munich Music Academy under Wilheim Stross.  

When he came back to the Philippines in 1964, he became a driving force behind the unprecedented development of the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO).  He was also instrumental in the early development the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, having been its conductor during the '80s back when the PPO was still newly established.

The "Nostalgic Symphony" concert will serve as Oscar Yatco's homecoming concert with the PPO.

Buy your tickets by calling the CCP Box Office at (632) 8323704/06 or by visiting www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.

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Shakespearean Delights: PPO pays tribute to the "Bard of Avon"

“Love like a shadow flies when substance love pursues

Pursuing that that flies, and flying what pursues.” 

― William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor

Boasting of a lineup that features music inspired by the literary works of no other than the "Bard of Avon" himself, PPO's latest offering is as Shakespearean as any concert could get.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), led by its musical director Olivier Ochanine, is finally set to stage its sixth show for its 30th concert season. The concert, themed "Shakespearean Delights," is slated on February 22, 2013, 8PM, at the Tanghalang Nicanor Aberlardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

In keeping with its title, the concert's repertoire was tailored to include orchestral works inspired by literary masterpieces from William Shakespeare's oeuvre. The programme consists of  Otto Nicolai’s “Overture to the Merry Wives of Windsor,” Felix Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and William Walton’s “Suite from Henry V”.

An exception to this Shakespearean streak, however, is Edvard Grieg's piano concerto in A minor, op. 16 to be performed by internationally renowned Filipino pianist Albert Tiu.  Tiu was invited to perform as a guest soloist in lieu of Korean soprano Hyunah Yu, who canceled her appearance within a short notice due to emergent medical concerns.

Pianist Albert Tiu

Image source: http://www.peterschaaf.com

For ticket information, visit http://culturalcenter.gov.ph or contact the CCP Box Office at (02) 832-3704.

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The Poet Speaks: A pre-Valentine treat from tenor Arthur Espiritu and pianist Najib Ismail

Can't wait to get all romantic on Valentine's Day? Warm up for the month's most anticipated celebration with some of classical music's most romantic songs delivered by two top brass Filipino musicians.

The Manila Chamber Orchestra (MCO) Foundation opens its 2013 Chamber Music Series with a concert entitled "The Poet Speaks" top billed by lyric tenor Arthur Espiritu and pianist Najib Ismail on Februray 6, 2013, 7PM at the Ayala Museum.  

Arthur Espiritu, hailed by critics to be the finest Filipino tenor in the world today, returns to the Philippines after his successful series of highly acclaimed performances as the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto at the Theatre St. Gallen in Switzerland.  This serves as another one of Espiritu's homecoming projects following his performance as Count Almaviva in last year's full-length production of The Barber of Seville at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Accompanying him at the piano is Najib Ismail, one of the country's most respected vocal repetiteur and chamber musician.  He took his undergraduate studies at the UST Conservatory of Music and pursued further studies in vocal accompaniment and operatic repetiteur at the Hong Kong Academy of the Arts. He is currently serving as a faculty at the UST Conservatory of Music.

The concert will feature Robert Schumann’s Liederkreis, Op. 39, Franz Liszt’s Three Petrarch Sonnets, S.270, and several arias from various operas.  Perfectly aligned with the upcoming Valentine's Day celebration, the repertoire promises to take audiences on a romantic ride as it attempts to explore the different aspects of love.

A portion of the proceeds from the ticket sales will be for the benefit of Unang Hakbang Foundation, a child-centric charitable organization.

Order your tickets by calling Ticketworld at (63 2) 891-9999, MCOF Secretariat at (63 2) 750-0768 or (63 920) 954-0053 and COEA at (63 2) 782-7164 or (63 918) 347-3027.

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Pasinaya 2013: A celebration of Tsinoy culture

With over 3,000 participating artists and 120 shows that cascade throughout the day in CCP's different halls and theaters, Pasinaya 2013 is a cultural celebration like you've never seen before.

The annual CCP Open House Festival, Pasinaya, is considered to be the largest one-day multi-arts festival in the country.  This year, the festival's theme is "Tsinoy!" and focuses on the Filipino-Chinese arts and culture.  There will be a wide range of shows to choose from: music, theater, dance, visual arts, film, and even literature.

All of CCP's nine resident companies will lead the performances, accompanied by various performing and art groups from Metro Manila and other regions.  Several Tsinoy talents, like singers Eva Marie & Richard Poon, opera singers Sherwin Sozon & Elaine Lee, and award-winning pianists Hansel Harel Ang & Denise Faith See will grace the stages with short albeit entertaining programs.  Also scheduled to perform are renowned Tsinoy performing groups Ling Nam Athletic Federation, Lion Cubs, and Philippine Buddha Care.

Apart from cultural performances, there will also be exhibits on Chinese traditional medicine, Chinese languages, Chinese horoscopes, and authentic Chinese street foods called "Komida Tsina".

Over 50,000 people are expected to attend this year's Pasinaya festival.  Hope you can all come and join the fun!


For more information, visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.

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Lorenzo Medel plays Rach 2 with MSO

Following his successful AHA debut last December 6, 2012, piano prodigy Lorenzo Medel is once again set to conquer the stage as he performs in a solo piano recital on January 12, 2013 at the Philamlife Auditorium, UN Avenue, Manila. He will be assisted by the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) under the baton of Prof. Arturo Molina.

The programme consists of pieces from divergent periods and styles, with selections from Liszt, Chopin, Bach, Bartok, Abelardo, Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff.  Medel will be playing Beethoven's tempestuous piano sonata no. 23 in F minor, or more commonly known as the "Appasionata."

The concert's centerpiece, however, is Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor, a well-loved classic which is considered to be a staple in many a pianist's repertoire. For a preview of Medel's "romantic" interpretation of the piece, here is a video taken during his recital last December 6, 2012 at UP Diliman's Abelardo Hall:



At the young age of 17, Lorenzo Medel is now at the vanguards of the Filipino classical music scene and is hailed by many critics as "one of the most promising young Filipino pianists today." He has also received many accolades from various award-giving bodies, including the National  Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA), the Piano Teachers' Guild of the Philippines (PTGP) annual piano competition, and the UP College of Music Piano Competition.  He was also the country's representative during the Steinway Competition held at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore. To date, he has given over 10 solo recitals, many of which received critical raves from some of the country's most respected music pundits.

Lorenzo Medel studies piano under the tutelage of Professor Mauricia D. Borromeo, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Music.


For ticket reservations, contact the MCO Foundation at 750-0768 or cel. no. 0920-954-0053.

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Things to get you stoking: What to expect in PTGP's Forte @ 40

With barely 2 weeks left until the PTGP's much-awaited Forte @ 40 concert, more people are finding themselves increasingly psyched up for this budding mega event. What has previously been grapevine information transmitted via hushed undertones is now a full-blown hype that's taking traditional and social media by storm.

Looks like everyone's stoked ... and rightfully so.

Just so the buildup doesn't come across as a vain attempt to oversell the whole thing, here's a rundown of the pretty cool things to expect come November 18 (and ostensibly, reasons why it should NOT be missed):

1) It features 40 pianos. Enough said.

And when you thought the 10 pianos in UST's annual "Sampung Mga Daliri" wasn't ambitious enough, try chocking up 40 in CCP Main Theater's stage. A concert of this magnitude is previously unheard of in our country; heck, it was even thought of to be impracticable at the very least! Well guess what? PTGP pushed the envelope to put all these qualms to rest. The sheer boldness of this undertaking had many people approaching me with manifest uncertainty and asking, "Hey Ludwig, is this concert even possible? How the hell would they fit 40 pianos in a single stage?"

I'd just shrug my shoulders and say, "Well, you better attend the concert to find out."

2) Piano-rapping eight year olds and stage-rocking grannies.

Yep. And a whole army of 'em too.

Apparently, PTGP wasn't bluffing when it claimed to round up as much as 300 pianists just for this concert.  And because the event celebrates four decades of piano pedagogy excellence, expect a conglomeration of only the best home-grown pianists available.

Audiences will get to see bigwigs such as the likes Dr. Raul Sunico, Harold Galang, and Fr. Manuel Maramba. And of course, expect a LOT of wunderkinds whose skills border the unreal. (This coming from an embittered 21-year old who can barely clunk chopsticks on the keyboard.)

3) Great, great music from divergent musical styles

Whether you're a faithful Mozartian classicist or a hardcore '90s rock connoisseur, you're sure to enjoy as this concert promises to dish out numbers that slake each one's discriminating musical tastes.

The repertoire consists of ten pieces that well represent Baroque, Classical, 20th century, Pop, and Filipino styles. I, for one, am particularly looking forward to watching Ryan Cayabyab's "Pop Medley."  With its lush harmonies that are distinctively Cayabyab and its dazzling display of virtuosity, this piece is truly a joy to behold.

One of the most interesting pieces lined up for the concert is "Contagion," a fantasy ensemble piece for eight pianos based on Nirvana's 1991 chart-topping hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." This magnum opus is penned by Kabaitan Bautista, a young up-and-coming Filipino composer whose flair for the avante-garde turned this headbanger anthem into a pianistic masterpiece.

The main course, however, remains to be the world premiere of Augusto Espino's "Mga Gintong Pamana."  Commissioned by the PTGP solely for this commemorative event, it is, according to the words of PTGP President Anthony Y. Say, "the finale and the most complex work [in the entire repertoire] as it is a compilation of Filipino works that were handed down to the succeeding generation and which we will be handling down to the next generation.”

4) Memories to last a lifetime.

At this point, I ask you to puh-lease cut me some slack for ending on such a sappy note.  After all, if not for anything else, this IS a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  It is an event that will be the meat of colloquies for the years to come; and much like any other "rare opportunity," it is something that when let past, can never be brought back again.

'Til then, we can only hope for a concert sequel featuring 50 pianos.  But since I'm no Madam Auring, I won't be taking any chances and I WILL watch this show by hook or by crook.

To order your tickets, call TICKETWORLD at (+63 2) 891-9999 or visit Ticketworld.com.ph.

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300+ pianists prep for record-breaking piano concert

Across the hall, necks craned and twisted to catch the facilitator’s cue.  Upon the indicative motion of the facilitator’s hand, a choreographed army of hands began to play in perfect synchrony. From the digits of children as young as eight to those whose crowns screamed out experience , music flowed in a relentlessly rapturous flourish—for this is, indeed, ensemble ... in the truest sense of the word.

Thus begins the journey towards the much-awaited grand 40-piano concert on November 18 this year at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. 

The monumental concert, which serves as the centerpiece of the Piano Teachers' Guild of the Philippines' (PTGP) Ruby Jubilee, is the first of its kind in the Philippines, breaking all previous records  for the most number of pianos in a single ensemble performance.  During the event, 40 pianos—10 grand and 30 upright—will be strategically set-up on stage and as many as many as 80 pianists will be playing simultaneously. 

The concert is participated in by students, teachers, concert artists, and even past competition winners—all of whom have contributed to the colorful 40-year history of the guild.

To ensure its success, PTGP officers have scheduled practices as early as July, working their way towards the auspicious event.  For the past weeks, rehearsals were slated and conducted at the Steinway Hall of Lyric Piano & Organ Corporation—one of PTGP's partners in the landmark occasion—in New Manila, Quezon City

A total of 320 participants are expected to grace the stage during the grand culminating activity, including internationally-renowned pianists such as Dr. Raul Sunico, Ross Salvosa, and Harold Galang; and budding concertists like Lorenzo Medel, Gabriel Allan Paguirigan, and Ma. Regina Montesclaros.


For more information, visit PTGP's official blog or like their Facebook page.

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