PPO serenades Filipinos with UK Tour repertoire in Concert II: Le Retour

 

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) reprises the repertoire from its successful tour across the United Kingdom (UK) in CONCERT II: LE RETOUR, slated on September 19, 2025, at 7:30 PM, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City.

Revisiting British classics in PPO’s Concert II: Le Retour

Led by the commanding Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, Concert II: Le Retour ushers in the brilliance of the PPO with their iteration of Georges Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1. To familiarize himself with the sounds of southern Spain in the early 19th century, Bizet went to great lengths in constructing the world he borrowed from Prosper Mérimée’s novella of the same name. 

Bizet, however, passed three months after the premiere of Carmen. Unbeknownst to him, his friend Ernest Guiraud compiled the opera’s remarkable moments into two orchestral suites.

PPO’s Concert II: Le Retour sustains its beautiful momentum with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. Inspired by George Meredith’s poem of the same title, Vaughan Williams creates the vivid image of a soaring lark through his melodies. Diomedes Saraza, Jr., PPO’s very own guest concertmaster and artist-in-residence, performs the solo violin that had captivated hearts in the UK.

Composed before World War I, Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending portrays a simpler England, one devoid of war and industrial change. It was received with admiration after Marie Hall played the violin under the guidance of conductor Adrian Boult in 1921. Over time, it evolved to be one of the most beloved British classics.

With Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite: Waltz, the PPO continues its excellent display of Filipino artistry in Concert II: Le Retour. Arguably among the most well-known orchestra pieces, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake: Waltz draws elements from the Russian and German folklore of a young princess transforming into a swan.

When Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered in 1877, its production was uninspired and underwhelming. Later in 1895, Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov gave the ballet a new choreography attuned to the intricacy of Tchaikovsky’s music.

PPO’s Concert II: Le Retour concludes the night with an exhilarating rendition of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5, op.67, C minor. Beethoven had already begun composing his Fifth Symphony as early as 1804. Often interpreted as “fate knocking on the door,” the piece’s four-note opening motif has been referenced across musical genres as it elaborates on human perseverance in the face of adversity.

Filipino pianist Rowena Arrieta returns for PPO Concert VI: Homecoming this March 14

 

Laureate pianist Rowena Arrieta makes a triumphant return to her homeland with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) for the highly anticipated sixth installment of its 40th concert season. Dubbed “Homecoming,” PPO Concert VI shares the warmth of home through musical brilliance on March 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater.

ECHOES OF LITHUANIA IN PPO CONCERT VI: HOMECOMING

The PPO Concert VI: Homecoming opens with Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis’ Miške (In The Forest), commemorating the Lithuanian composer’s 150th birth anniversary. When the Nazis occupied his hometown in Lithuania, he turned to art. Čiurlionis created approximately 400 compositions and 300 artworks, blending music and visual arts.

The Lithuanian cultural hero composed his first symphonic poem, “Miške (In The Forest),” for a competition in Warsaw in 1901. It was introduced in the first concert season of the war period, cementing Čiurlionis’ status as one of Lithuania’s patriotic figures.

AN ARIA OF LOVE

The PPO Concert VI: Homecoming continues its melodic journey with George Bizet’s Carmen Suite no. 1. Drawn from the composer’s celebrated opera “Carmen,” this suite’s vivid orchestration conveys the tragic destiny of a free-spirited gypsy woman who had an affair with a young soldier.

THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED COMEBACK OF ROWENA ARRIETA

Arrieta will be playing Franz Liszt’s Totentanz (Dance of Death) in PPO Concert VI: Homecoming. Composed in 1849, the dramatic piano and orchestra work is based on “Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)” from the Requiem Mass. Arrieta will showcase her world-class technical skills through the piano variations of “Totentanz”.

TRULY A PINOY PRIDE

Arrieta was hailed the “youngest and most promising of 82 contestants” in the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow. After winning the competition’s Fifth Prize and Special Prize in 1982, she received the title “Laureate”. To this date, Arrieta is the only Filipino to attain this honor.

Arrieta began playing the piano at age two, learned to read notes at age three, and wrote her first composition at age five. She received her first musical training in the Philippines under the tutelage of Philippine Women’s Conservatory of Music’s Leonila Celino, the University of the Philippines College of Music’s Regalado Jose and Reynaldo Reyes, and Carmencita Arambulo of Greenhills Music Studio.

One of the first graduates of the Philippines High School for the Arts (PHSA), Arrieta received her Master’s Degree from the renowned Moscow State Conservatory. She received the highest honors under the tutelage of Russian National Artist Yevgeny Malinin in 1985. While in Russia, she also earned a degree in Russian Language Pedagogy. She later pursued Professional Studies at the Manhattan School of Music as a student of Dr. Solomon Mikowsky and as a recipient of the Elva Van Gelder Memorial Scholarship.

Arrieta’s accolades include being one of the Ten Outstanding Women in the National Service (Philippines, 1989), Presidential Awards in Performance (Philippines, 1978–1979), and Second Prize as a songwriter in the 1979 Metro Pop Music Festival (Philippines).

Since 1990, Arrieta has been a faculty member of the National Piano Teachers Guild (USA). She was then inducted into the Hall of Fame of the U.S. National Piano Teachers Guild in 2009.

PPO CONCERT VI: HOMECOMING TAKES FLIGHT

The PPO Concert VI: Homecoming unfolds with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, a renowned violin and orchestra work inspired by George Meredith’s poem of the same title. Composed in 1914, the piece portrays the image of a lark in flight. In “The Lark Ascending,” Vaughan Williams makes use of sweeping melodies to evoke a sense of freedom.

PPO guest concertmaster and artist-in-residence Diomedes Saraza Jr. will perform this exquisite work, highlighting its emotional depth.

PPO’S ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE DIOMEDES SARAZA JR. JOINS CONCERT VI: HOMECOMING

Before becoming PPO’s guest concertmaster and artist-in-residence, Saraza Jr. was a 3-year-old playing the violin with his father. His formal training began at St. Scholastica’s College in Manila. Through a full scholarship, Saraza Jr. received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School in New York.

At 19 years old, Saraza Jr. was the first Filipino Outstanding Academic Achievement awardee of former U.S. President Barack Obama’s Education Awards Program. He then pursued a Master of Musical Arts degree as a full scholar at Yale University. At Yale, he received the Brodus Erle Prize and successfully debuted at Carnegie Hall with the PPO.

But aside from being a concert violinist and chamber musician, Saraza Jr. is a dedicated educator. He served as associate and assistant concertmaster of The Juilliard Orchestra and Juilliard Lab Orchestra. He was also a former faculty member of St. Scholastica’s College Manila and the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra.

MUSICAL TALES OF HOME

The PPO Concert VI: Homecoming concludes with Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite, an orchestral arrangement of unforgettable moments from the composer’s ballet “Swan Lake”.

An evening of exquisite musical storytelling, PPO Concert VI: Homecoming holds a diverse repertoire that transcends time and borders. Under the baton of Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, this unmissable concert harnesses music’s power to shape and preserve cultural identities.

Tickets for PPO Concert VI: Homecoming on March 14 are priced at Php 3,000, Php 2,500, Php 2,000, and Php 1,500. They are now available online via TicketWorld. To enjoy up to a 25 percent discount, be a PPO subscriber. You may also email salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph or call the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Box Office at +63931-033-0880 for ticket concerns.

For updates on PPO’s future performances and CCP events, follow the CCP and PPO’s official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Visit the CCP website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph for updates on future masterclasses, performances, and other events.