The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), the premier orchestra of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), successfully championed the brilliance of Filipino talent to international audiences on its recent concert tour to the United Kingdom (UK).

“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.

The PPO delivered exceptional performances night after night, feeding 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. The PPO and [its] conductor, Grzegorz Nowak, believe in value for money.”

Maestro Nowak leads the PPO to greater heights with UK Tour

Nearly three years have passed since Maestro Grzegorz Nowak was appointed conductor of the PPO, following an extensive search in 2022. He succeeded the esteemed Maestro Yoshikazu Fukumura and has since guided the nation’s premier orchestra to unprecedented artistic heights. With the successful conclusion of the UK Concert Tour, the maestro continues to shape the PPO’s legacy with unwavering vision attuned to musical excellence.

Critics David Gray and Paul Gray wrote in their review: “Conductor Grzegorz Nowak captured the individual flavour of each of the national dances. We were served up a stately Czardas and a friskily cheeky Neapolitan Dance.”

The tender lyricism of PPO’s concertmaster and artist-in-residence

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 in the tour.

Saraza Jr. graced the UK Tour with poised clarity and lyricism. At the age of 12, he won first place in the violin category at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) in 2002. He is the first Filipino violin soloist to perform in Carnegie Hall.

“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 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”.

Stylish interpretations of a cellist and a pianist 

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. He added, “It’s easy to run out of superlatives, such was his [Yang] fantastic display of skill, technique, and dazzling fingerboard gymnastics.”

Yang rose to popularity after winning first prize at the Geneva International Music Competition in 1991. He later became a regular guest at the international music festivals in St. Moritz, Davos, Biel, Dresden, Weilberg, and at the Ludwigsburg Castle Festivals. Since 2004, Yang has been a Professor of Violoncello at the Academy of Music and Theater in Munich.

Meanwhile, Bebbington, a certified champion of British music, enchanted audiences with his interpretations of Delius’ Piano Concerto. Saraza labelled him as the tour’s “hidden gem” when the revered Maestro Nowak shone marvelously with the piece.

Bebbington had previously toured with the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, and Royal Philharmonic orchestras, as well as the London Mozart Players, Orchestra of the Swan, and BBC Concert Orchestra.

The PPO’s rousing success in the UK

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.

Highlighting Filipino excellence while strengthening cultural ties between the Philippines and the UK, the PPO UK Tour commenced at the Bristol Beacon in England on May 13 and concluded at the Perth Festival of the Arts in Scotland on May 24. They also performed at London’s Cadogan Hall, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, G Live in Guildford, the Theatre Royal in Norwich, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, Sheffield’s City Hall, and at St George’s Hall in Bradford.

“There were pockets of Filipinos in the audience, and they couldn’t be any prouder. It was very moving, we couldn’t feel any more gratified,” clamored CCP President Tinga.

In Cadogan Hall, the audience even had to be ushered out because the applause was lengthy. “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 proudly. 

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.

Tinga is certain that the PPO UK Tour’s success 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.”

The PPO UK TOUR was presented by the CCP, in partnership with Okada Manila and IMG Artists, with special support from the Office of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. The event was also made successful thanks to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Metropolitan Theater.

The CCP recognizes its major sponsors: Rustan Commercial Corporation, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Society Inc., and Emirates. PPO UK TOUR also wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of the Johann Strauss Society of the Philippines, Sapatero Manila, Rhett Eala, Tie Line, Event Styling by Neve, and Flowerstyle PH.

For updates on the orchestra’s future concerts, you may follow the CCP and PPO’s official pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) for more information on upcoming masterclasses, workshops, performances, and other events.