Pundaquit Festival presents Drama't Emo

MANILA, Philippines - Celebrate the sights and sounds of summer as Casa San Miguel in San Antonio, Zambales presents the 17th concert season of Pundaquit Festival, the country’s longest-running community-based arts program.

Pundaquit Virtuosi, the resident string ensemble led by international violin virtuoso Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, will present Drama’t Emo today as part of Casa San Miguel’s 17th founding anniversary celebration.

The concert will revive the immortal compositions of the Romantic Era including Dvorak’s American string quartet, Beethoven’s string quartet op 18, Brahms’ string sextet in b-flat major and Mendelssohn’s octet in E-flat major.

Founded in 1993, the arts festival develops local young talents through workshops, performances, exhibits and residency programs for visiting artists. Titled R/Evolution, the program fosters excellence and empowerment through enlightenment and direct mentorship.

Cellist David Eggar, 2011 Grammy Awards nominee for his arrangement of Itsbynne Reel, a track on his Kingston Blues album, serves his week-long summer residency culminating with a concert on April 15.

Regarded as a crossover artist, he will jam with the Pundaquit Virtuosi and Aeta tribes from Botolan who will play indigenous music.

The festival mounts its annual offering of Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ on Good Friday, (April 22) and an Easter concert on April 24 featuring the Minstrels of Hope Choir.

Concerts will be at the newly-renovated Ramon L. Corpus Hall of Casa San Miguel.

The annual summer camp unreels on May 1 to 28 and culminates on June 14 with a grand showcase of the yearlong efforts of Casa San Miguel’s 120 scholars and recent works of resident artists.

Pundaquit Festival Season 17 is supported by Starbucks Coffee, D and L Industries in partnership with Sony, Lyric Pianos, The Philippine STAR and DZFE The Master’s Touch.

For details, call 681-8304.