The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), the premier orchestra of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), successfully showcased the brilliance of Filipino talent to international audiences on its recent concert tour in the United Kingdom (UK).
Night after night, the PPO regaled its audiences with heartfelt symphonies. Music critic Garry Fraser from the Perth Festival of the Arts described the tour as an exhibition of “skill and stamina,” exceptionally guided by its music director and principal conductor, Maestro Grzegorz Nowak.
Fraser continued: “They are as good as any you’ll hear and excellent in every single department, as fresh and engaging in the last bar of the Beethoven as they were in the first bar of the Bizet.”
Together with Maestro Nowak, PPO’s very own artist-in-residence and guest concertmaster Diomedes Saraza Jr. and top-tier guest soloists cellist Wen-Sinn Yang and pianist Mark Bebbington displayed profound musicality.
“Diomedes Saraza Jr., with flawless intonation, expressive vibrato, and the sweetest tone, gave a rhapsodic and captivating account of the piece [Bizet’s Carmen],” said Donal Hurley in the Edinburgh Music Review.
Saraza’s monumental nine-day concert tour with the PPO might have ended, but his encore of the Philippine folk song Leron, Leron Sinta lives on in the audience’s hearts. Fraser described the interpretation as a “blistering display of virtuosic dynamism and technical adeptness.”
With heartfelt sensitivity, cellist Yang and pianist Mark Bebbington conversed with the PPO through virtuosic elements. Yang played Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variation with an “enjoyment passed over to the audience in no small measure,” according to Fraser.
Meanwhile, Bebbington, a certified champion of British music, enchanted audiences with his interpretations of Delius’ Piano Concerto. Saraza labeled him as the tour’s “hidden gem” when the revered Maestro Nowak shone marvelously with the piece.
Made possible by IMG Artists, the PPO performed in nine different venues, which required varying technical precision. Despite standing on unfamiliar stages, the orchestra received the same brand of adoration for its unparalleled commitment to music.
“It was a hectic schedule for the PPO with nine concerts in 11 days, but the orchestra was up to the challenge. They were inspired, and their performances showed it,” said CCP president Kaye C. Tinga.
For Tinga, the PPO’s success in the UK aligns with the CCP’s mission of promoting artistry that innately resides within Filipinos. The warm reception from an audience mainly composed of locals is a clear display of music’s power to surpass cultural barriers.
“The UK tour proved that Filipino musicians are truly world-class, and are on par with the very best orchestras in the world,” Tinga said.
Tinga is certain that the success of the PPO’s UK Tour will pave the way for the international recognition of Filipino talents. As for the nation’s prime orchestra, she announced that it is gearing up for another milestone: “We are preparing for an Asian tour in 2026.”
