No to Ochanine's exit! September: A concert season

On Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. in the Philamlife auditorium, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra will open its 30th season with Shostakovich’s Suite for Variety Orchestra, Nielsen’s Aladdin Suite and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances under PPO music director-conductor Olivier Ochanine.

On Oct. 19 at the CCP main theater, Ochanine will conduct Bottesini’s Concert No. 2 with double bass player Kurt Muroki as soloist, Prokofieff’s Lieutenant Kiji Suite and Hohvaness’ Mysterious Mountain Symphony.

On Jan. 25, 2013, the Maestro will usher in the New Year with Ryan Cayabyab’s New Work for Violin and Orchestra featuring PPO’s Associate Concert Master Dino Decena as soloist, Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll and Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 (“Spring”).

On Feb. 22, with Ochanine on the podium, Korean soprano Hyunah Yu and tenor Arthur Espiritu will interpret “Shakespearean Delights”, songs inspired by Shakespearean plays; the orchestra will render Mendelssohn’s Mid-summer’s Night’s Dream and Walton’s Suite from Henry V.

The PPO Concert Season ends on April 19 with Ochanine wielding the baton at the CCP main auditorium over Mahler’s Fifth, with the yet-to-be-announced winner of the PPO Piano Concerto Competition as soloist, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5.

Regretfully, Maestro Ochanine’s contract with the PPO will expire sometime in 2013.

On his initial performance, I commented: “His ability to arouse and hold attention was as obvious as his lively rapport with the orchestra. While focusing on melody and form, he held a long sustained pianissimo throughout, ranging from loud to infinitely soft, almost inaudible pianissimo, making the superbly controlled rendition an incredible feat in dynamics.”

Through the breadth and extensive range of Ochanine’s succeeding programs, both foreign and Filipino, he has fully risen to the highest expectations. How fervently the cognoscenti hope the Maestro’s contract will be renewed!

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Young Filipino cellist Antoni Josef Inacay will conclude the CCP’s Special Concert Series on Sept. 26 in the Little Theater at 7:30 p.m.

Inacay completed his Bachelor of Music degree under mentors Wilfredo Pasamba and Renato Lucas at SSC. While pursuing his degree, Inacay became a member of the Asian Youth Orchestra on its 2001-2 Asian tours. He joined the SE Asian Youth Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble workshop in Thailand in 2005 and 2008. In 2005, he won the top NAMCYA prize.

Soon after graduation, he performed as a chamber musician with pianists Christine Coyiuto, JE Cruz, Mary Anne Espina and Greg Zuniega, violinist Gina Medina and the Clarion Ensemble.

While enrolled recently in Rhonda Rider’s Studio at the Boston Conservatory, he obtained his MA degree, then became a member of the Boston Conservatory Honors Quartet. He later participated in several international music festivals, and played in master-classes of world renowned cellists.

On Sept. 21, he will interpret Beethoven’s Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A Major, Debussy’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, and Brahms’ Sonata for Cello and Piano in F Major. Assisting pianist will be Mary Anne Espina, a UST summa cum laude graduate with an MA degree.

On Sept. 27 at 6 p.m., the St. Paul’s U. music department, headed by Sr. Maria Anunciata Sta. Ana, will present “Memories of Broadway” at the Fleur-de-Lis auditorium which was known years back as “Herran on Broadway”.

Faculty members Ronan Ferrer, Thea Perez, Nenen Espina, Elisanta Cortes will be joined by voice students in songs from past Broadway musical productions; e.g., Sound of Music, Brigadoon, Show Boat, Carousel, Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar.

Accompanists will be Melissa Taqueben, Jenny Joey Medina, Eloise Gonzalo and the St. Paul U. Manila Chorale.

On Sept. 25, 6 p.m. at the Vibal Publishing House, eminent visual artist and tenor Allan Cosio will render Schubert’s “The Farm Maid of the Mill”, a song cycle to poems by Wilhelm Muller. Nestor Mata will read; pianist Cherrie Platon will assist.

On Sept. 21 or 22, 8 p.m. at the F. Santiago Hall or the Philamlife auditorium, respectively, the Tokyo Sinfonia’s American director Robert Ryker will conduct the Manila Symphony Orchestra in a yet-to-be-announced program.