Fresh from a tour of the United Kingdom, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) opens its 41st concert season, “Versatile,” showcasing a wide-ranging repertoire under music director and principal conductor Grzegorz Nowak.
The season opens Sept. 12 with “Ouverture” at the Metropolitan Theatre, featuring pianist Andrey Gugnin in performances of Antonin Dvořák’s “Carnival Overture,” Sergei Rachmaninov’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” and Johannes Brahms’ “Symphony No. 4.” On Sept. 19, “Le Retour” revisits works from the PPO’s UK tour, including Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake Suite” and Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5.” Guest concertmaster Diomedes Saraza Jr. will also perform Georges Bizet’s “Carmen Suite No. 1” and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending.”
“Concerto” follows on Oct. 17 with cellist Tomasz Strahl and the world premiere of Jeffrey Ching’s “Creation Fugue” and “Arctic Chase.” On Nov. 14, “Virtuoso” features pianist Mark Bebbington in Beethoven’s “Emperor Concerto” at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City.
The new year begins Jan. 16, 2026, with “Preludi,” featuring Spanish-Filipino soprano Andion Fernandez and pianist Szymon Nehring. “Romanza” on Feb. 13 includes violinist Bartek Nizioł, pianist Junhee Kim and the premiere of Mozart’s unfinished “Concerto for Violin and Piano” completed by Ching. On March 13, “Opera” showcases British soprano Katerina Mina and the world premiere of Jerry Dadap’s “Symphony No. 5.” The season closes April 17 with “Coda,” featuring Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture,” “Violin Concerto No. 1” and “Symphony No. 5.”
Performances will be staged at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila, the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City, and other venues to be announced. Tickets range from P500 to P3,000. More information is available at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.
