Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Concert IV is kickstarting 2025 with “Europa,” featuring beloved classical European compositions and the talent of renowned violinist Aylen Pritchin.
The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO)—the country’s leading music ensemble—kickstarts the new year with the fourth installment of its 40th concert season, dubbed Europa, on January 17 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City, under the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
Europa features the talent of one of the world’s most sought-after violinists Aylen Pritchin, who’s known for his versatility in contemporary music performances of both period and modern instruments. The performance spotlights the elegant and diverse sounds of European classical music, including the works of master composers Zoltan Kodály, Peter Tchaikovsky, and Antonin Dvořák.
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Revisiting The Classics
Under the baton of PPO music director and principal conductor Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, the
concert will open with Kodály’s “Dances of Galánta,” bringing audiences on a melodic journey to Hungary. A homage to the composer’s hometown, the 1993 folk-inspired masterpiece “Dances of Galánta” allowed Kodály to display his extensive skills as an ethnographer and musical pedagogue through its spiritual tunes.
Pritchin will also perform Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto No. 1.” This masterpiece was a successful display of Tchaikovsky’s burning love for Russia through its majestic canzonetta. When he finished composing the piece, he intended it to be performed by Leopold Auer and Karl Davydov in a concert at the Russian Musical Society in St. Petersburg in 1879. But the performance didn’t push through after the musicians declared it too difficult to play. For years after its composition, the concerto gained a reputation as unplayable (following failed attempts by Iosif Kotek and Emile Sauret), until violinist Leopold Damrosch successfully performed it in a New York concert in 1879.
The concert will conclude with Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 8,” a composition celebrating the beauty of nature. The surroundings of Dvořák’s country house in Vyoská, Russia, inspired his masterpiece in 1889. In merely 18 days, he completed the symphony’s sketch and finished its scoring in Prague. With its striking and colorful thematic ideas, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 premiered in 1890 as part of his induction into the Czech Academy of Science, Literature, and the Arts.
Through PPO’s 40th concert season, titled Forte, the CCP continues to honor its commitment to showcasing and promoting world-class Filipino artistry while providing unique cultural experiences to its audiences. The concert season runs until April 2025.
“Europa” will take place on January 17, 2025 at 7:30 pm in the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Makati City. To purchase PPO’s 40th concert season subscription and other inquiries, you may email [email protected] or call the CCP Box Office at +63931-033-0880.
For more updates on PPO’s future performances, follow the CCP and PPO’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts. You may also visit the CCP website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph for
news on future concerts, masterclasses, workshops, and other events.
Photos courtesy of the CCP.
