Four Hands at the Opera, trumpet, violin, song, harp, film, flute, jazz festivals

On July 13, 7:30 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater, four famous Italian opera composers ­ Rossini, Verdi, Donizetti and Puccini  will be interpreted in four fantasies based on their operas by conductor-pianist-composer Luciano Bellini and by pianist and recording artist Antonella Vitelli.

Bellini is the permanent conductor of the Nova Philharmonia and guest conductor of many European, Latin-American and Asian orchestras, and his works have been performed extensively in Western countries, the Middle and Far East, and SA. He and Vitelli co-founded the Italian Pianistic Duo.

Being Verdi’s bicentenary, his overture to “Forza del Destino” and two piano works will also be rendered by them.

The concert is presented by the CCP, the Phil-Italian Association and the Italian Embassy.

On July 6-7 in the Little Theater at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., the Philbanda Wind Orchestra, the PPO Woodwind Quintet, flutists David Johnson, Olivier Ochanine, Adolfo Mendoza, Jina Suh, Raymond Sarreal and Sonny Yangco will perform. On July 7 at 7:30 p.m., Jin Ta, Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s principal flutist, will be joined at a gala concert by David Johnson, Olivier Ochanine, Kiko Candelaria, Marie Poblete, Hercules Santiago and Gary Silangcruz.

On July 6, 3 p.m. at the Lopez Museum, corner Meralco Ave., “Curtains Up!” will feature Lyric Opera of the Philippines’ seasoned tenors John Glenn Gaerlan, Randy Gilongo, Sherwin Sozon, sopranos Patrice Pacis, Kay Balajadia and Ana Feleo in arias by Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Lehar, songs by Bernstein, Wildhorn, Rodgers-Hammerstein, Hamlisch, Weber, Bourbill and Schonberg. Assisting artist: pianist Peter Porticos. For tickets, call Lopez Museum 6312417.

Also on July 6 at 8 p.m. in F. Santiago Hall, the Manila Symphony Orchestra will play Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 “Haffner,” Hummel’s “Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major” with Belgian trumpet soloist Manu Mallearts, and Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C Major (“Great Symphony”), with Thanos Adamopoulos as guest conductor.

On July 3, 7 p.m. at the Atrium Plaza, Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA, the Japanese Film Festival opens with “About Her Brother” (featured at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival). Screening will be at Cinema 2, Level 6. Other films will be shown daily up to July 14. On July 3, there will be a special dance performance by Rhosam Prudenciado and Mia Cabalfin.

The Japan Film Festival celebrates Phil-Japan Friendship Month and the 45th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

On July 17, violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr. will give a concert at 7:30 p.m. in the CCP Little Theater. A graduate of SSC College of Music under Prof. Arturo Molina, he pursued further studies at Mannes College. In 2008, he won the Mannes Concerto Competition which led to a performance with the Mannes Philharmonic under the baton of Michael Adelson. Later that year, Diomedes became the orchestra’s concert master. In 2009, his chamber group won the American Teachers’ League Competition and was subsequently featured in Carnegie Hall. At 19, Diomedes made his debut with the NY Symphonic Arts Ensemble. He was a prize winner in Juilliard’s William Schuman Competition and was featured in an all-sonata concert at Juilliard’s.

His July 17 program will include Bach’s Sonata in C Major, Zhu’s Poeme and Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata. Eminent pianist Grieg Zuniega will be assisting artist.
On July 9, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater, the Metropolitan Opera film series will present Donizatti’s Maria Stuarda (Mary Stuart) – the clash between Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots who ends at the executioner’s block.

American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as Mary Stuart and Elza van den Heever as Elizabeth have both been critically acclaimed. Matthew Polenzani portrays the Earl of Leicester; Maurizio Benini conducts.

Last July 26, Christian Cordero Caragayab, a student of Lourdes de Leon-Gregorio, gave a harp recital at the UST Museum.

Autistic, Christian nevertheless started harp lessons at 12, and for the past 15 years, has been studying with Gregorio. At only two-and-a-half years, he already showed interest in music and now plays the electronic keyboard and the accordion besides. He was guest harpist at the HS graduation ceremonies in Club Filipino, was a participant in “Arts Across the Borders,” a project of the CCP and the US Embassy, and played a harp duet with Gregorio in the Gala Concert 2012 celebrating UST’s 400th anniversary.