PPO sets 35th Concert Season with Maestro Yoshikazu Fukumura
After a successful 34th PPO concert season which was held last year, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra will be holding its 35th concert season for the year 2017-2018, still under the baton of Maestro Yoshikazu Fukumura at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines starting this coming September 15, 2017.
/IMAGE Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
This year’s concert is entitled “Romancing the Classics” for the PPO wanted to look back at the late 18th and early 19th century romantic centuries and promises its audience a wider variation in musical expressions for the maestro strongly believes that basics such as classics are the most important for satisfying an orchestra. This season, the maestro wants to diversify music more than last year, not limited classics to entice more and more patrons to come and listen to world-class performances.
During the Press conference with Maestro Fukumura, and Filipino interpreter, Mr. Rene
In an exclusive interview with Maestro Fukumura himself, he stated that the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra is the country’s leading orchestra and is widely regarded as on of the top musical ensembles in the Asia-Pacific region. All of its members are Filipinos because PPO is a government’s belongings and only collect additional members through auditions and add special guests if needed. The regular members are 60 and additional members are around 20.
He also added that even one absence would cause inconvenience to everyone, so he never compromises the laziness. He doesn’t worry that he is disliked by members. Every excellent orchestra has disciplines. For him, as a foreigner, especially because he’s not good at English, keeping discipline is difficult. But members are cooperative with him made efforts to realize that.
Some of the performances that will be highlighted in this year’s PPO concert consist of the following:
- Opening the season on September 15, 2017 is a Russian-born pianist, Yuri Shadrin as its soloist
- Cellist, Ray Wang will be the soloist on October 13, 2017
- Filipino saxophonist, Tots Tolentino under the baton of Filipino conductor, Gerard Salonga will be performing on November 17, 2017
- Uruguayan guitarist, Eduardo Fernandez will be the soloist on December 15, 2017
- Starting the year 2018 is a performance from Filipino trombone player, Ricson Poonin under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo Ranera on January 19, 2018
- Greek conductor, Stefanos Tsialis will lead the orchestra on February 16, 2018
- Filipino pianists Raul Sunico and Ingrid Santamaria will be the soloists on March 16, 2018
- Closing the season on April 13, 2018 is a Filipino trumpet player, Raymund De Leon as its soloist
Maestro Fukumura with some members of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra performers
Now the world has been globalized, and became narrowed, the maestro wishes that we as Filipinos continue to have a broader view of the world and go beyond borders. He thinks music is rooted in the Philippine soils, and Filipinos have gifted talents of music and potential ability. He wishes that they have confidence in their talents, and make use of it, and that they should be proud of having the oldest orchestra in Asia and unique abilities that are different from any other Asian countries.
Written By: Patricia Antoinette M. Nacianceno
Image Source: Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
