A FESTIVE SYMPHONY: Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Special Concert

PRESENTED BY:
The Cultural Center of the Philippines in cooperation with The Brain Foundation of the Philippines.

DATE / TIME / VENUE:
December 5, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Samsung Performing Arts Theater

DESCRIPTION:

Celebrate the season with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in this special benefit concert. Marking the 200th anniversary of Johann Strauss II, the program sparkles with Strauss waltzes and polkas, beloved arias, Handel’s Messiah, and highlights from Carmina Burana. Featuring soprano Katarzyna Dondalska, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and PPO under Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, this concert is for the benefit of The Brain Foundation of the Philippines.

PROGRAM:

TICKET INFORMATION:

For tickets:

• • Contact Ms. Annie Fetalvero at +63 929 464 6469 or email The Brain Foundation Secretariat at secretariat@brainfoundationphilippines.com.
  • Call/text CCP Box Office at + 63 931 033 0880
    or email salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph
  • Visit https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx?sh=AFESTSYM25 

ABOUT THE PHILIPPINE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA:

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra is the country’s leading orchestra. It was established in 1973 as the CCP Philharmonic Orchestra, which was originally intended to accompany performing artists at the CCP Main Theater. In 1979, it was reorganized through the efforts of former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos together with Maestro Oscar C. Yatco. The PPO has since collaborated with renowned Filipino and foreign artists either as soloists or conductors. It continues to promote music appreciation among Filipinos through its regional outreach concerts and workshops. The PPO is now headed by its new Music Director and Principal Conductor, Maestro Grzegorz Nowak.

ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR:

GRZEGORZ NOWAK
Music Director and Principal Conductor
Polish conductor Grzegorz Nowak is the new Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. A much-sought-after conductor with a long career in opera and concerts, Maestro Nowak is a highly-esteemed Permanent Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. He was the music director of the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, Poland, from 2017 to 2020, and other orchestras in Poland, Germany, Switzerland, and the USA. For years, he was able to record orchestral music in over 80 CDs that have received awards and 5-star ratings.

Grzegorz Nowak’s career propelled to international level after he won various prestigious awards and prizes. He has performed alongside many of the most widely respected soloists of our time, including Martha Argerich, Yefim Bronfman, Nigel Kennedy, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Gil Shaham and Krystian Zimerman, and has worked with such singers as Janet Baker, Kathleen Battle, Marilyn Horne, Gwyneth Jones, Sherrill Milnes and Anja Silja.

KATARZYNA DONDALSKA, soprano
Katarzyna Dondalska is an internationally acclaimed coloratura soprano celebrated for her virtuosity and sparkling stage presence. A prizewinner at major competitions such as the ARD International Music Competition and Cardiff Singer of the World, she is renowned for roles like the Queen of the Night, Zerbinetta, Olympia, and Rosina, performed in leading opera houses across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Her extensive concert career has taken her to world-class venues – from Avery Fisher Hall and the Disney Concert Hall to major halls throughout Canada and Europe – alongside acclaimed orchestras and artists. A prolific recording artist with twelve albums and frequent appearances on European radio and television, she was honored as the Warmia and Mazury Icon of 2018 and now serves as Professor of Voice at the Art Academy in Szczecin.

THE PHILIPPINE MADRIGAL SINGERS, choir
The Philippine Madrigal Singers, the National Performing Arts Company for Choral Music, is a world-renowned choir recognized by UNESCO as Artists for Peace. Founded in 1963 by National Artist Andrea O. Veneracion and now led by Mark Anthony Carpio, the group is celebrated for its virtuosity, distinctive semi-circle performance style, and championing of Filipino choral works. They have won top prizes at the world’s leading competitions, including the Grand Prix at the 2016 Concurso Internazionale di Guido d’ Arezzo in Italy, and are the first choir to win the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice (1997 and 2007), as well as the first Asian choir to receive the BrandLaureate Premiere Award by the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation (2012). They continue to inspire audiences worldwide and nurture the next generation of choral musicians.