PHILIPPINE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA VERSATILE: PPO 41st Concert Season Concert III “Concerto”

PRESENTED BY:
The Cultural Center of the Philippines

DATE / TIME / VENUE:
October 17, 2025 | 7:30 PM
CCP @ Metropolitan Theater

DESCRIPTION:

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 3rd concert of its 41st season, Concerto, promises a powerful evening of musical storytelling and orchestral mastery. The program opens with the world premiere of Jeffrey Ching’s Creation Fugue and Arctic Chase from his opera Frankenstein, a bold and imaginative work. Celebrated cellist Tomasz Strahl then takes center stage for Schumann’s soulful Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129. The evening concludes with Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, a thrilling display of orchestral color and complexity.

Tomasz Strahl is a renowned Polish cellist, professor, and recording artist known for his performances with leading orchestras and his numerous award-winning albums. He serves as a professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, his alma mater

Under the baton of Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, this evening promises to showcase the versatility and virtuosity that define the PPO’s 41st season. Don’t miss this unforgettable night of music.

PROGRAM:
Jeffrey Ching Creation Fugue and Arctic Chase (from the opera, Frankenstein) – World Premiere

Robert Schumann Cello Concerto, op.129, A minor
Tomasz Strahl, cello

Witold Lutosławski Concerto for Orchestra

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

TICKET INFORMATION:

• Call/text CCP Box Office at + 63 931 033 0880
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Discounts:
20% for Senior Citizens, PWD, Government & Military Personnel, and Athletes

Subscription:
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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.

TOMASZ STRAHL
Cello

Tomasz Strahl is one of Poland’s leading cellists, known for his expressive artistry and wide-ranging repertoire. A graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, he continued his studies in Vienna under Tobias Kühne. His career took off after winning top prizes at major competitions, including the 5th International Nicanor Zabaleta Music Competition in Spain. As a soloist, he has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Polish National Radio Symphony and the Warsaw Philharmonic, under conductors like Krzysztof Penderecki and Jerzy Maksymiuk. Also active in chamber music, he is a long-time collaborator with violinist Krzysztof Jakowicz and pianist Krzysztof Jabłoński in the Chopin Duo. Strahl’s award-winning discography spans classical and contemporary works, and he performs on a historic 1778 Leopold Widhalm cello.