After winning the gold prize and Grand Prix at the recently concluded Bratislava International Music Festival in Bratislava, Slovenia last July 4, the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO) repeated its success three days later by winning the first place, with Outstanding Success for String Orchestra Category, at the 2024 Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. The competition was held July 7 at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, one of the most iconic concert venues in the world.
Together with the MSJO, first place was also awarded to the Hsing Lung String Orchestra from Taiwan, while second place went to the Hong Kong Youth Strings and the Taipei Municipal Zhongzheng Junior High School. Third Place went to the Singapore National Youth String Orchestra.
MSJO was led by its conductor Jeffrey Solares and their trainers Sara Maria Gonzales and Arnold Josue. The 40-member orchestra’s European Concert Tour started June 29 with performances in Budapest, Salzburg and a competition in Bratislava, where the group scored 99 points and was awarded the only Grand Prix given to participating orchestras. They continued with a concert at the MuTh Theater in Vienna on July 8 and at the Winner’s Concert at the Vienna Konzerthaus on July 9. Their tour continues to Prague, Czech Republic, with a concert at the Smetana Hall on July 11 before returning to the Philippines on July 13.
The entire 2024 European Tour of the MSJO was sponsored by Standard Insurance, led by its group chair Ernesto “Judes” Echauz, who is joining the group for the entire duration of the tour.
The MSJO performed a program consisting of Puccini’s “Crisantemi,” Dvorak’s “Scherzo” from “Serenade for Strings,” Stephan Koncz’s “A New Satiesfaction,” Ernani Cuenco’s “Nahan” arranged by Cyro Cloui Bon Moral and “Tagu-taguan” by Ryle Nicole Custodio. The group performed their repertoire entirely from memory.
The Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival is one of the most prestigious music festivals for young musicians. This year’s festival was attended by over 2,000 participants from 14 countries and 38 distinct ensembles. It is led by its artistic director, professor Saul Saks and managing director Christian Bender.