The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of PPO associate conductor Herminigildo Ranera will perform a program of Filipino works on Oct. 11, 8 p.m., at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater.
Billed as “Mostly Filipino,” the concert consists of Angel Peña’s “Philippine Festival Overture”; Alfredo Buenaventura’s “Manik Buangsi and Tuan Putli Symphonic Poem”; Lucio D. San Pedro’s “Buan sa Kabundukan”; and Felipe Padilla de Leon’s “Manila Sketches.”
Also on the program are “La Création du Monde” of Darius Milhaud and “Slavonic Dances Nos. 1-8 Op. 48” of Antonin Dvorak.
Hailed for his authoritative, articulate and soulful conducting, Ranera possesses a rare musical combination as a conductor, composer, arranger, performer and educator.
He obtained his Bachelor of Music degree, major in Trombone and Theory, from the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music; Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Northern Colorado (where he received the Dean’s Citation for Graduate Excellence and National Graduate Award); and Doctor of Philosophy major in Educational Management from the Cagayan State University.
As an orchestral conductor, Ranera has led the PPO, California State University Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Chia-Yi Wind Orchestra, San Miguel Philharmonic, Manila Philharmonic, and UST Symphony Orchestra. He had conducted the Transylvania Philharmonic Orchestra in Club, Romania.
Various international and local artists have performed under Ranera’s baton, including Alexander Tomescu, Tian Jiang, Maki Hirasawa, Theo Mertens, Zoltan Szabo, Nena Del Rosario-Villanueva, Fr. Manuel P. Maramba, OSB, Leonor Kilayko, Reynaldo Reyes, Rowena Arrieta and Raul M. Sunico.
Ranera teaches at the UST Conservatory of Music, where he is the conductor of the UST Symphony Orchestra and UST Symphony Band.
In 2003, he was chosen as Dangal Awardee (Most Outstanding Faculty), Performing Arts Category, by the Pontifical University, and in 2006, received the Patnubay ng
Sining at Kalinangan Award for Music given given by the City of Manila.
Ticket prices are P1,500, P1,200, P800, P500, with discounts available to students, senior citizens and groups. Subscription packages are also available for eight or four shows. For inquiries and subscriptions, call the CCP Marketing Department (tel. 8321125 loc. 1806), CCP Box Office (tel. 8323704), or Ticketworld at National Bookstore (tel. 8919999).
The rest of PPO Season:
Nov. 14: “Reshef Plays Schumann”; Olivier Ochanine, conductor; Yossi Reshef, piano;
Repertoire: Schumann’s “Manfred” Overture, Piano Concerto in A Minor; Wagner’s Overture to “Rienzi” and Overture to “The Flying Dutchman”; and Verdi’s Overture to “La Forza del Destino”
Dec. 13: “Fukumura, Wang & Saint-Saens”; Yoshikazu Fukumura, conductor; Ray Wang, cello
Repertoire: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2; Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto; De Falla’s “3 Cornered Hat, Scenes & Dances”
Jan. 17, 2014 (Meralco Theater): “The Four Seasons”; Olivier Ochanine, conductor; Ruth Livioco & Jonathan Livioco, violin
Repertoire: Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”; Nielsen’s Symphony No. 2, “The Four Temperaments”
Feb. 21, 2014 (Meralco Theater): “Romantic Brahms”; Eugene Castillo, conductor; Roger Wilke, violin
Repertoire: Finzi’s “The Fall of the Leaf”; Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5; and Brahms’ Violin Concerto.
March 14, 2014: “Hsu, Hsieh & Prokofiev 5”; Apo Hsu, conductor; Wanchen Hsieh, oboe
Repertoire: Yarnell’s “Yosemite and the Range of Light”; Martinu’s Oboe Concerto; Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5
April 11, 2014: “Symphonic Film Music Extravaganza”; Olivier Ochanine, conductor
Repertoire: Premiere of winning composition, 2013 PPO Composition Competition; various classical works made popular