THE PROVINCE of Cebu and the City of Cebu present the Cebu Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in a launching concert on Dec. 10 at the Cebu Cultural Center
within the University of the Philippines grounds, with a matinee at 3 p.m., and a gala at 8 p.m. Conducting will be the CSO musical director, Roberto del Rosario. Celebrated pianist Ingrid Sala Santamaria will be the soloist in the Edvard Grieg Concerto for Piano No. 1 in A minor. Movements are allegro molto moderato, adagio, and allegro moderato molto e marcato.
More than 80 talented musicians comprise the CSO. All have volunteered to band themselves into this energetic musical force. Since March 2011 they have been rehearsing every Sunday afternoon at the social hall of Cebu City Hall where there is an excellent piano. It was at City Hall one Sunday afternoon that
the CSO met friends from media to give the rationale on the group. Present were Roberto del Rosario, Ingrid Sala Santamaria, business manager Naila Ylaya
Beltran, concert master Mark Hamlet Mercado and Renato Kintanar who was an original member of the CSO when it was first organized back in 1980, and
now is one of the driving forces propelling the group.
Also present were Francis Balo, principal of the CSO’s Violin II section; Rey Abellanosa, formerly with the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO), who has helped organize the CSO; and the two tenors featured in the Dec. 10 concert. They are Dave Clark Sibonga and Kelly Go Ko who comes from Cagayan de Oro every weekend to attend rehearsals.
Everyone agrees that forming the new CSO is a heroic effort. Recognition has been given Ingrid Sala Santamaria who years back spearheaded the Sala Foundation music development program. The result was the CYSO, and later on the Peace Philharmonic of the Philippines (PPP). A good percentage of the CSO musicians come from the CYSO and the PPP. They in turn have developed a crop of young musicians from their music studios or from the special classes they conduct on varied instruments. Renato Kintanar recalled that the CSO in 1980 was organized with much enthusiasm. Part of that group is now with the CSO like Dr. Boni Cabahug, Virgilio Ylaya and Naila Ylaya Beltran. High standards have been set for the musicians to be part of CSO, and consequently achieved. The results will be evident come Dec. 10.
The program will open with the CSO playing the Lord’s Prayer by Albert Hay Malotte sung by Jess Alcordo, baritone. The arrangement is by Roberto del Rosario who has also done that of the Philippine National Anthem, by Julian Felipe, which immediately follows. The concert proper starts with the Overture from “The Magic Flute” by Mozart. Then come the Grieg Piano Concerto with Ingrid as soloist, and The Radetzky March by Johann Strauss to conclude Part 1.
Part II opens with “The Sound of Music” (words by Oscar Hammerstein II and music by Richard Rodgers); and “The Impossible Dream” from “The Man of La
Mancha” (words by Joe Darion, music by Mitch Leigh sung by Kelly Go Ko. “O Sole Mio” (words by Giovanni Capurrom music by Eduardo di Capua) will be sung by Dave Clark Sibonga. The songs’ orchestrations have been done by Roberto del Rosario, as well as what comes next: “Visayan Airs.” He has also done Ryan Kayabyab’s “Kumikutikutitap” (words by Jose Javier Reyes), followed by Leroy Andreson’s “Christmas Festival “ and the finale “Twelve Songs of Christmas.” Performing with them are the Cebu Normal University and Toledo Children’s Choirs.
Tickets to the matinee at P300 and P200 are practically sold out. For the gala, prices are at P1,000 and P500, available at CNU (tel. 5835971 or 09260478441); Reynaldo Abellanosa’s CCO Music School in Mango Avenue; or from the Rotary Club of Cebu. Next step for the CSO is to institutionalize itself as a foundation. We are told Joe Soberano will be chairman of the board and Jess Alcordo, president. We are also told that the Rotary Club of Cebu is helping the project. At the presscon it was said that the next CSO concert may be on Feb. 19 with a musical group from Japan, tentatively at Theater One of SM City Cebu.
Benjie Diola is the CSO artistic director. At the moment he has his hands full with the forthcoming spectacular of the Arts Council—”Arts Goes to the Movies” on Dec. 7 at the ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel. We did a complete summary of what songs from famous films will be sung and danced in our issue last week.
Today we have some photos, taken by Raul Arambulo.