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.

A Jeffrey Ching classic and soloist Andrea Obiso in PPO Concert VII: FINALE

 

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) masterfully closes its 40th concert season, dubbed Forte, featuring internationally acclaimed soloist Andrea Obiso and a new concerto from Jeffrey Ching, on April 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City.

PPO Concert VII: Finale will be an evening of compelling orchestral works under the baton of Maestro Grzegorz Nowak.

Another classic from PPO’s first composer-in-residence Jeffrey Ching

The PPO Concert VII: Finale commences with composer Jeffrey Ching’s “Concerto for Orchestra,” a newly commissioned work by the orchestra. At the invitation of Maestro Nowak, Ching became the PPO’s first composer-in-residence.

Studying music, Sinology, and Philosophy at Harvard, Cambridge, and London, Ching was the composer-in-residence at the Tongyeong International Music Festival (2010), the Singapore International Festival of Music (2016), and the Mendigorría International Music Festival in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2023.

One of his operas, “Before Brabant,” was first staged at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2013. Under the direction of multi-nominated Alberto Rodriguez, it received premier animation and lighting effects. It was showcased at the CCP Children’s Biennale in Manila in November 2024.

Armed by his fondness for historical narratives, Ching wrote over 300 compositions. In 2010, his opera “Das Waisenkind” won the Theater Erfurt Audience Prize in Germany. It was also nominated for the Kyoto Prize as it blended Eastern and Western traditions through music.

Renowned soloist Andrea Obiso graces PPO Concert VII: Finale

Italian violinist Andrea Obiso joins PPO Concert VII: Finale for a night of dreamy melodies. Since 2020, he has served as Concertmaster of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He has also performed with top orchestras, including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and the Bayerische Rundfunk Symphonie Orchester.

Obiso toured extensively across Europe, Asia, and the USA as a distinguished soloist. With technical skills helmed by masters Boris Belkin and Midori Goto, his repertoire spans over 30 violin concertos.

Playing a Joseph Guarneri del Gesù violin crafted in 1741, Obiso carries 284 years of musical history with him in each performance.

For PPO Concert VII: Finale, Obiso interprets Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Violin Concerto No. 3”. Saint-Saëns was already 45 years old when he finished writing the composition. Integrating virtuosity in three parts, he demonstrated refined musicality in the piece. The violin is immediately put into action with his luminous writing. Slowly, Violin Concerto No. 3 ascends to a solo recitative, perfectly sustaining the orchestra’s momentum.

The staccato rhythm of Saint-Saëns’ piece continues PPO Concert VII: Finale with Spanish flavor through Georges Bizet’s “Carmen Suite”. Derived from Bizet’s operatic masterpiece of the same title, the atmospheric composition includes five instrumental sections describing a gypsy woman and her fiery love for freedom. Bizet’s Carmen Suite closes the curtains of PPO Concert VII: Finale with its score bursting with passion.

PPO Concert VII: Finale marks a remarkable beginning for the orchestra. The momentous closing of the orchestra’s 40th season brings another milestone as PPO gears for a nine-concert tour in the United Kingdom in May.

Join the PPO for a night of soaring melodies on April 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City. Now available at TicketWorld, tickets are priced at Php 3,000, Php 2,500, Php 2,000, and Php 1,500. Enjoy up to 20 percent discount as a PPO Subscriber. For more information, email salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph or call the CCP Box Office at +63931-033-0880. 

Follow the CCP and PPO’s official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts for updates on the orchestra’s future concerts and performances. For more information on world-class masterclasses, workshops, performances, and other events, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph).