The Cebu Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was formally launched on Dec. 10 at the Cebu Cultural Center of the University of the Philippines Cebu College. There was a matinee at 3 p.m., and a gala at 8 p.m. The CSO was masterfully conducted by Roberto del Rosario, himself an excellent arranger who did some of the concert’s felicitous orchestrations.
Highlight of the gala was the performance of the Edvard Grieg Concerto Bo. 1 in A minor. Soloist was celebrated Cebu-born pianist Ingrid Sala Santamaria who played all three poetic movements with great sensitivity and brilliance.
It was but fitting to have Ingrid as main artist on this occasion, for her role in the development of music in Cebu as we see, hear, and enjoy it today. May back in 1991 Ingrid and her family set up the Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation to honor their parents, Salvador and Pilar Sala, who had nurtured them in the appreciation of the arts, particularly music.
The thrust of the Sala Foundation was to embark on a music development program characterized by abnegation and an all encompassing dedication to excellence. The stately ancestral home became a hub of musical activity unprecedented in Cebu’s history.
The result was the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) which later evolved into the Peace Philharmonic of the Philippines (PPP) in the year 2000. During this period, Ingrid and the Sala Foundation gave Cebu its golden years of Music with countless performances.
More than that, it provided training for numerous musicians who eventually made successful careers as players and as music teachers. They are all over Cebu, other parts of the Philippines, and even abroad. We can mention four right off, and they figured prominently in the Dec. 10 concerto.
Conductor Obette del Rosario who joined the CYSO faculty in 1993; Concertomaster March Hamlet Mercado who first set eyes on a violin at age 16; Reynaldo Abellana who joined the CYSO in 1993 playing the violin and is now the CSO president; and Francis Roleth Balo, principal of the Violin II section.
The CSO right now is composed of some senior members like Boni Cabahug and Rene Kintanar, who once were part of the Cebu Symphony in 1980, but mostly it is those men and women who were with CYSO and/or PPP, plus a young crop of musicians trained by them.
Enthusiasm propelled them to form the CSO. They have been rehearsing every Sunday since March at the social hall of Cebu City Hall, with the full support of Mayor Michael Rama. Naila Ylaya Beltran is the group’s business manager, while Benjie Diola is artistic director.
Jess Alcordo has been most supportive. A baritone, he featured in the program as it started, singing the “Lord’s Prayer,” accompanied by the CSO. The national anthem came next, so well played some did applaud. Then came the overture from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” the Grieg Piano Concerto I with Ingrid as soloist, and the Radetzky March by Johann Strauss.
After a brief intermission, the CSO played a medley from the Rodgers-Hammerstein musical, “The Sound of Music.” with those familiar tunes eliciting some humming if not outright singing of lyrics, as in “Do Re Mi.” The program did have songs by two tenors:
“Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha,” sung by Cagayan de Oro-based Kellie Go Ko; and “O Sole Mio,” rendered with a dose of drama by Dave Clark Sibonga who earned due applause.
The audience also swooned to Obette del Rosario’s beautiful arrangement of “Visayan Airs,” comprising such familiar tunes as “Matud Nila,” “Rosas Pandan,” “Usahay” and “Pobreng Alindahaw.”
Ryan Cayabyab’s “Kumukutikutitap” came next, followed by Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival.” For the finale, the Cebu Normal University and Toledo Children’s choirs the CSO on stage.
They performed 12 Christmas Carols blended by Obette into a wonderful orchestration. Of course, there was an encore: “Kasadya,” the Visayan carol that expresses all the happiness Christmas should mean to all.
Kudos
Kudos belong to the performers, primarily to Ingrid who forfeited the offered honorarium and came to Cebu at her own expense. Applause at its loudest is also due conductor Del Rosario, as well as everyone in CSO:
Violin I—concertmaster Mercado, Ace Ponce Toring, Rodelio Glodove, Lief Veraas, Maricel Manus, Amira Axelle Miel, Melissa Cipres, Angeli Si, Ervin Kyle Osmeña, Paul Gilbert Ramos, Jacinth Potolin, Analyn Matidios, Wyneth Abais, Qualine Potot, Kisha Garcia and Cyril Alcantara;
Violin II—Francis Balo, Norwena Belocura, Lorgina Doran, Jerome Nakila, Arielle Georfo, Kyle Canet, Daniel Go, Jennifer Go, Marie Vic Briones, Miracle Romano, Catherine Magallon, Jason Beltran, Francino Delima, Sweet Obregon, Brian Recla and Marie Yntel Beltran;
Viola—Nigell Abarquez, Reynaldo Abellana, Bonifacio Cabahug, Juliet Jung, Clive Kane, Arthur Yap, Krizmagnum Ibaos, Kazuo Uehara, Cuslo Rosulejos and Leomed Potot;
Cello—Jibbie Rose Reyes, Maria Doris Malaque, Sophia Geroy, Warner Ylaya, Lliwlyn Patalinghug, Renato Kintanar, Jessica Abella, Gilbert Recla and Sheena Go;
Double bass—Christopher Manus, Virgilio Ylaya, John Cinco, Jerome Rezaba and Norman Glodove;
Flute/piccolo—Geraldine Abellana, Sheila May Tapispisan and Danilo Calupas Jr.;
Oboe—Leosa Signe and Nino James Banares;
Clarinet—Nestor Constantino Jr. and Marinelli Panganiban.
Bassoon—Magno Aquino and Christopher Tero;
French horn—Basilio Sable, Mark Axel Melecio and Elmer de la Cruz
Trumpet—Reydon Encinares and Ritzie Amaya;
Trombone—Miguel Roma, Keith Inso and Bjorn Gaviola;
Percussion—Omar Mataganas, Simon Cereno, Emmanuel Arquillano, Cynthia Go Feijoo and Ruben Alfafara.
Cebu is now looking forward to what’s next from the CSO. There is talk about another concert in February and one more either in May or July 2012. There are also plans to form a foundation to assure the CSO’s continuity, with Joe Soberano as president.