It will be nostalgia at its finest for Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra which plans to walk down memory lane by recreating its very first concert to celebrate its golden anniversary this May 12.

Celebrating 50 years in the industry, Philharmonic Orchestra announced in a Facebook post that it will stage Alfredo Buenaventura’s Bathaluman Concert Overture and Lucrecia Kasilag’s Divertissement for Piano and Orchestra. 

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Performances at Metropolitan Theater

Aidan Ezra Baracol, who won the Junior Piano category of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), will be on the piano as a guest performer. 

These performances will be conducted by Maestro Rodel Colmenar.

From being a drum enthusiast, Baracol switched to piano, taking lessons for the musical instrument at the age of 10 under the wings of Godofredo Arez, who helped him prepare for his solo recital at the University of the Philippines. 

Baracol later became a Philippine High School for the Arts scholar where he was trained by Professors Greg Zuniega and Anthony Say. At a young age, he was conferred the Natatanging Gawad para sa Sining, among his many accolades both local and international. In 2022, Aidan was part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Special Concert Series with other young pianists.

Aside from Aidan, the 50th anniversary gala will feature internationally-renowned Filipino bel canto tenor Arthur Espiritu, who performed opera arias Salut! Demeure e Chaste et Pure! from Charles Gounod‘s Faust and Che gelida manina from Giacomo Puccini‘s La Boheme, and Kundiman ng Langit by Augusto Espino.

Espiritu continues to showcase his voice in different operas, concerts, and recitals in the United States and across the globe. His first CCP recital was in September 2018. He came back to the CCP stage in 2020 and performed with the ensemble of Lucia di Lammermoor.

Award-winning pianist Raul Sunico will also be doing the PPO in their performance of George Gershwin‘s Rhapsody in Blue, to be conducted by Maestro Herminigildo Raner.  

An awardee of Top Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM) for Music, Sunico became the CCP’s president from 2010 to 2017. 

He has 50 compact discs, comprising his piano transcriptions of Filipino folk songs and kundimans, concertos, solo classical pieces, and original compositions, under his belt.

In recreating their first concert, PPO Director Eugene De Los Santos told CNN Philippines that the musical experience to be held on Friday will play “90% of the first program that was performed in 1973.”

Tickets are still available via TicketWorld website. Price ranges from P800 to P3,000.