The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), the resident orchestra of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), launches its 40th concert season titled Forte with a series of performances celebrating Filipino culture and universal themes.
Under the direction of acclaimed music director Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, the season opens with CONCERT I: FIESTA! on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Guest violinist Shlomo Mintz will perform Max Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1,” alongside the premiere of Jeffrey Ching’s “Fiesta Contrapuntistica,” and Richard Strauss’s “Ein Heldenleben.”
Concert II: Triumph will take place on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m., featuring Grammy Award-winning cellist Sara Sant’ Ambrogio. The program includes Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espanol, op. 34,” Edward Elgar’s “Cello Concerto, op. 85,” and Robert Schumann’s “Symphony no. 2, op. 61.”
Concert III: Fantasy is set for Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m., featuring violin prodigy Andrea Obiso. The concert will present Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Violin concerto no. 3, op. 61,” and Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony no. 5.”
Concert IV: Europa will be held on Jan. 17, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., showcasing majestic melodies with Cleveland concertmaster David Radzynski. The program includes Zoltán Kodály’s “Dance of Galanta,” Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto no. 1,” and Dvořák’s “Symphony no. 8, op. 88.”
Concert V: Hope, on Feb. 14, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., will feature soloist Malgorzata Trojanowska and captivating visuals by Adam Ustynowicz. The evening will include Richard Addinsell’s “Warsaw Concerto” and Andrzej Panufnik’s “Heroic Overture.”
Concert VI: Homecoming will take place on March 14 at 7:30 p.m., celebrating Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis with works such as “Miške (in the forest),” Franz Liszt’s “Totenantanz,” and Johannes Brahms’ “Symphony no. 4, op. 98.”
The season concludes with concert VII: Finale, featuring another commissioned work by Jeffrey Ching and celebrated Filipino violinist Diomedes Saza Jr. The finale will include Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Violin concerto no. 1” and Witold Lutosławski’s “Concerto for Orchestra” on April 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Concerts, except concert V, will be held at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati, with concert V concluding at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
Tickets are priced between P500 and P3,000. For more information and ticket purchases, visit the CCP’s official website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.
