PHILIPPINE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA FORTE: PPO 40th Concert Season – Concert VII “Finale”

PRESENTED BY:

The Cultural Center of the Philippines

DATE/ TIME/ VENUE:

April 11, 2025 | 7:30 PM

CCP @ Samsung Performing Arts Theater

DESCRIPTION:

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra brings its milestone 40th Concert Season, Forte, to a powerful close with masterful performances and a program of bold and compelling orchestral works, under the baton of Maestro Grzegorz Nowak.

The evening opens with Concerto for Orchestra, a newly commissioned work by Jeffrey Ching, the season’s Composer-in-Residence. Diomedes Saraza, PPO Concertmaster and Artist-in-Residence, takes center stage to perform Mendelssohn’s beloved Violin Concerto in E minor. The concert closes with Bizet’s Carmen Suite, featuring some of the opera’s most famous melodies. Don’t miss this grand season finale!

 

PROGRAM:

Jeffrey Ching                       Concerto for Orchestra (Commissioned Work)

 

Felix Medelssohn               Violin Concerto op.64 in E minor

Diomedes Saraza, Jr., violin

 

Georges Bizet                        Carmen Suite no.1

 

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

 

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 1                    Php 800

Balcony 2                    Php 500

Tickets are available at https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx?sh=PPOCON725

 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 COMPOSER:

JEFFREY CHING

PPO 40th Concert Season Composer-in-Residence

A distinguished graduate of Harvard, Cambridge, and London, Jeffrey Ching has composed over 300 works, including five symphonies and acclaimed operas such as Das Waisenkind and The True Story of King Kong. His innovative approach blends historical elements with contemporary themes, earning him numerous accolades, including the Jose Rizal Award for Excellence. Ching’s works have been celebrated internationally, with performances at prestigious festivals and venues. He is also set to premiere his opera Before Brabant in November 2024 at the Children’s Biennale in Manila, further showcasing his dynamic contributions to the world of music. At the invitation of Grzegorz Nowak, Jeffrey Ching will serve as the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s first composer-in-residence for the 2024-2025 season.

 

ABOUT THE SOLOIST:

Diomedes Saraza, Jr.

PPO 40th Concert Season

Concertmaster & Artist-in-Residence