PHILIPPINE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA FORTE: PPO 40th Concert Season – Concert V “Hope”

PRESENTED BY:

The Cultural Center of the Philippines

DATE/ TIME/ VENUE:

February 14, 2025 | 7:30 PM

CCP @ the Metropolitan Theater

 DESCRIPTION:

Join us for a powerful evening of music and reflection at PPO Concert V: “Hope.” This special Wings of Hope: Warsaw-Manila Peace Tribute features a program that blends iconic works with new compositions celebrating peace and solidarity.

Renowned pianist Konrad Binienda will perform Richard Addinsell’s Warsaw Concerto, followed by the Heroic and Tragic overtures by Andrzej Panufnik. A highlight of the evening is Roxanna Panufnik’s world-premiere Wings of Hope, a commissioned work that thoughtfully weaves together passages based on the historic Polish National Knight’s hymn and the Filipino lullaby Ili Ili Tulog Anay, integrating indigenous Filipino rhythms. Binienda also brings Chopin’s Allegro de Concert to life, and the night culminates with Henryk Górecki’s poignant Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, featuring soprano Małgorzata Trojanowska. Stunning visuals by Adam Ustynowicz will complement this unforgettable concert, offering a moving tribute to global unity and hope.

PROGRAM: Wings of Hope: Warsaw-Manila Peace Tribute

Richard  Addinsell                                Warsaw Concerto

                                                              Konrad Binienda, piano

 

Andrzej Panufnik                                  Heroic Overture

 

Andrzej  Panufnik                                 Tragic Overture

 

Roxanna Panufnik                               Wings of Hope (commissioned work)

 

Chopin (orch. Konrad Binienda)               Allegro de concert

                                                                   Konrad  Binienda,piano

 

Henryk  Mikolaj Górecki                            Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, op.36

                                                                   Małgorzata Trojanowska, soprano

 

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

 

Visuals by Adam Ustynowicz

 

TICKET INFORMATION:

Ticket Prices:

Orchestra Center        Php 3,000

Orchestra Sides          Php 2,500

Loge Center                Php 2,000

Loge Sides                 Php 1,500

Balcony                       Php 800

Tickets are available at https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx?sh=PPOCON525

 Discounts:

20% for Senior Citizens, PWD, Government & Military Personnel, and Athletes

For ticket inquiries, group discounts, and subscriptions:

• Call the CCP Box Office at + 63 931 033 0880 or email

salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph.

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

PPO 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.

ABOUT THE SOLOISTS: 

KONRAD BINIENDA, Piano

Konrad Binienda is a concert pianist, composer, and educator known for his evocative interpretations of romantic music, particularly the works of Frederic Chopin. Renowned for his charismatic performances and deep connection to his cultural heritage, Binienda’s orchestration of Chopin’s Allegro de Concert op. 46 is widely regarded as the most authentic rendering of the composer’s style. His collaborations with leading orchestras like the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra, as well as his recital performances at Carnegie Hall, have earned critical acclaim. A prolific composer, Binienda premiered his own Piano Concerto in 2022, and his compositions, including Dumka for string orchestra, have been met with standing ovations. Binienda, a graduate of Harvard University and the Cleveland Institute of Music, is a sought-after lecturer, masterclass instructor, and juror at international competitions.

MALGORZATA TROJANOWSKA, Soprano

Małgorzata Trojanowska is a distinguished soprano and vocal educator, known for her wide-ranging opera and oratorio repertoire. A graduate of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, she has earned accolades in national and international singing competitions and performed in renowned venues across Poland, Germany, Italy, and beyond. Trojanowska’s operatic roles include leading parts in works by Purcell, Handel, Mozart, Puccini, and Moniuszko, while her oratorio performances encompass masterpieces by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, and more. She has also premiered contemporary Polish compositions and recorded multiple albums. Since 2019, Trojanowska has been a faculty member at the University of Białystok and the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

ROXANNA PANUFNIK, Composer

Roxanna Panufnik (b. 1968) is a renowned British composer known for her diverse works spanning opera, ballet, choral, orchestral, and chamber music. Celebrated for her Coronation Sanctus, commissioned for King Charles III’s Coronation, she blends cultural influences and promotes interfaith musical dialogue. Honored with the Gloria Artis Medal and an Ivor Novello Award, her works are widely recorded and published by Peters Edition Ltd.

ABOUT THE VISUALS CREATOR

ADAM USTYNOWICZ, Film Producer & Director

Adam Ustynowicz is a visionary film producer and director known for his groundbreaking work in space exploration, aviation, and science. A graduate of the Łódź Film School, Ustynowicz gained international recognition as an assistant to Bernardo Bertolucci on The Last Emperor and later founded one of Poland’s first independent film production companies. His 1990 documentary on Stanisław Lem won top honors at the Montreal International Festival of Films on Art, and his series Ad Astra was presented to Pope John Paul II. Ustynowicz’s landmark project, Chopin. The Space Concert, was performed aboard NASA’s Endeavour mission and won the Grand Prix at the Monaco Film Festival. His work continues to focus on global peace, environmental protection, and fostering international cooperation, exemplified in his latest collaboration on the symphonic concert, Wings of Hope.