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Tag: Cultural Center of the Philippines

  • Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Ricky Lee, and Nora Aunor to be Honored through CCP’s Cine Icons

    The Cultural Center of the Philippines honors National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Ricky Lee, and Nora Aunor, with the Cine Icons program launch on March 17, 2023, 4pm, at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater).

    Cine Icons Himala March2023

    Known as one of the movers in the Second Golden Age of Philippine Cinema, Diaz-Abaya directed 21 full-length films, documentaries and TV shows, including the acclaimed trifecta Brutal, Moral, and Karnal as well as Sa Pusod ng Dagat (In the Navel of the Sea), May Nagmamahal Sa’yo (Madonna and Child), Jose Rizal, Muro Ami, and Bagong Buwan.  The founder of the Marilou Diaz-Abaya Film Institute and Arts Center, and a former director of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Diaz-Abaya was known for cinematic works that mirror the social realities in the Philippines.

    A screenwriter, journalist, novelist, and playwright, Lee has written more than 180 scripts and screenplays, which garnered him numerous awards and recognitions.  His recent works included: Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita, Mila, Anak, Muro-Ami, Burlesk King, and among others.

    Popularly known as the Superstar, Aunor is a Filipino actress, recording artist and film producer who has appeared in several plays, TV shows, and concerts. Her notable works are: Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Minsa’y May Isang Gamu-Gamo, Bulaklak sa City Jail, Thy Womb, and Dementia, among others.

    A Congressional Initiative project under Rep. Christopher de Venecia, Cine Icons kicks off with the special screening of classic film “Himala,” written by Ricky Lee and starring Nora Aunor. A talkback with the two National Artists follows after the screening.

    Directed by National Artist Ishmael Bernal, the classic film tells the story of an orphan claiming to have visions of the Virgin Mary and abilities to heal people through a variety of ailments which then made the rest of the residents of her isolated village find themselves questioning their own beliefs and values.  As word of this phenomenon spreads, tourists, pilgrims, patients and a documentary filmmaker all arrive on a quest to partake in the miracle.

    Watch out for Cine Icons featuring Nora Aunor this May, featuring Bulaklak sa City Jail, in time for her birth month.  In October, Cine Icons will feature Diaz-Abaya with screenings of Moral and Karnal.

    The screenings are free to the public. Everyone is encouraged to register in Event Brite.

    For inquiries, call the CCP Box Office 8832-3704 or e-mail customercare@culturalcenter.gov.ph. Visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph).  Follow the official CCP social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok for latest updates.

  • CCP Celebrates Women’s Month with ‘Woman: Thesis and Antithesis’ Exhibit

    The CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division (CCP VAMD) celebrates the National Women’s Month with “WOMAN: Thesis and Antithesis” exhibit, featuring selected artworks from the CCP 21AM Collection, on view from March 21 to June 24, 2023, at the Yuchengco Museum in Makati City. 

    Curated by museum director Jeannie Javelosa, the exhibit highlights pieces that explored women as subject matter in the Women In Society component, as well as works created by Filipino female artists in Women Expressions. 

    Invitation WomenThesisAntithesis

    Displayed at the ground floor of the museum, the Women In Society collection poses the question: Are women being represented properly? Or underrepresented and even misrepresented?  These are important issues today as women’s role in society has evolved significantly over time.

    In the exhibit notes: “Filipino artists have extensively explored women as subject matter, as a form rendered through various styles from the figurative to the abstract; and as a subject in relation to her role in community as seen through the artist’s personal lenses.

    In the majority of the images, we find an almost romantic and inspirational idealization of woman and her role in society as mother, lover and partner in the domestic scene.”

    Meanwhile, Women Expressions pieces become part of a continuum of women’s visual expressions that continues to shift as political landscapes, about women’s rights and the feminine spirit gains power in the world today.

    Exhibited on the third floor, the second exhibit component showcases women artists as they “speak to the world using their art as the extension of their minds, hearts and spirits.  They express particular issues they face as women: gender biases, provocative thoughts about religious and spiritual conviction, interpersonal relationships and the depth of complexities about identity formation.”

    Many have feminist overtones that militantly advocate for shifts and changes in their roles as women and how they are perceived. A number are as aggressive in the exploration of materials and techniques as their male counterparts.

    Entrance fee for adults is Php100, with discounted price of Php50 for students, seniors and PWDs.  Free admission days are April 29, May 27, and June 24; there will be public programs on these dates. 

    Visiting schedule is Monday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm. Yuchengco Museum is located at the RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala Avenue and Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue in Makati City.

    For more information on the exhibit, check out the official CCP and CCP VAMD Facebook accounts. Follow CCP social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.  

  • The CCP Performatura Goes Pop This 2023

    PERFORMATURA, the festival of written words and performances, returns on March 31 to April 2, 2023, with live and on-site activities happening from 10:30am onwards, at the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).

    With the theme Performatura Goes Pop, the three-day event presents performances, poetry readings, multi-arts workshops, literary talks, spoken word sessions, poetry contest, film screening, book launches, book and art fair, and interviews with renowned writers.

    PERFORMATURA 2023 Poster

    Headed by its festival director Dr. Vim Nadera Jr., the first day of festival – dubbed Unbox@Blackbox – focuses on literature on social media in its morning session.  Vlogger entrepreneur Carlo Ople launches his creative non-fiction book “Suweldo is Not Enough.”  There will be a panel of speakers, sneaker shoe auction, and a poetry performance by Hannah Leceña.

    Afternoon session celebrates the National Women’s Month, with a turnover ceremony of the printed copies of the book “In Certain Seasons: Mothers Write in the Time of COVID” with the PEN Philippines and Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ Bureau of the Copyright and Related Rights.  It will be followed by the launch of the “Lila Mga Tula,” a poetry book written by women from the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo.  Sponsored by the Spark and LILA groups, the launch will offer talks by women writers and literary performances.

    There will be a special screening of “Brutal,” a film directed by National Artist for Film Marilou Diaz Abaya and written by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, who will do a talk back session after the screening. Moderated by Patricia Holgado, this film event is co-presented by the CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media Division and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

    The second day of the festival centers on the art of spoken word, headlined by the Ampalaya Monologues, Philippines’ premier spoken word collective headed by its founder Mark Ghosn.

    At the Spoken Camp, a page-to-stage writing workshop, participants will have the chance to develop their writing skills; a talk on performing written poetry by the National Artist for Literature Gemino Abad will also take place.  Spoken Fest will feature the hottest spoken word artists, backed by indie music. Spoken Night, an open mic session, will give a platform to aspiring poets to share their voice and stories.

    Dubbed Araw ni Balagtas, Performatura pays tribute and celebrates the 149th birth anniversary of Francisco Baltazar on the last day of the festival.  The Makatas with Ingay Likha battle rap artists Tulala, Zantasa and D.O.C. will perform; while Singaporean literary artist Chris Mooney Singh talks about “Balagtasan in the World Literature.”

    National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario speaks about the significance of Bataan in the life of Balagtas; followed by performances by teachers and students of Bataan High School for the Arts, and multi-arts workshops at 2pm.

    Capping the festival will be the KamPerformatura’s offering of poetry and performances by the youth participants, which will kickstart the Tanghal Makata 2023, the Performatura-born competition.  Spoken word expert Mark Ghosn, poet performer Kooky Tuason, and authentic mambabalagtas from Bulacan Melandro Pascual are some of the judges.  Librarian Juireo Abela of Lucena City, the Tanghal-Makata 2021, will present the Sam Penaso trophy and laurel sculpture by poet Raul Funilas to the next winner.  The closing segment is presented by GSIS Museum, LIRA, and Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL).

    Multitalented artist Mimi Tecson will hold a mini-exhibit at the lobby of the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez.  Her art materials include book pages.

    Thirty artists, writers, and publishers, organized by Pia Perez of The Indie Publishers Collab PH and Mark Ghosn, will sell their works at the venue on Days 1 and 2.  Artists and entrepreneurs from the Unbox team will sell their works at the venue on Day 3.

    Remote Performatura events will also take place. 

    On April 8, the Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books Book Club will discuss the life and works of Lualhati Bautista. Venue is to be announced soon. It is free and open to public, interested individuals may get in touch with Facebook page of the PRPB. 

    An online book discussion will happen on April 15 via Zoom app. The members of the book club Flips Flippin’ Pages will share their insights on “The Reddest Rose Unfolds” comics with the help of Milflores Publishing. The comics is the latest offering of Swedish writer and artist Liv Stromquist to the Filipino people. For those who are interested to join, get in touch with Gege Sugue, the discussion moderator, on Facebook.

    Poesia poetry reading will be held face to face on April 26, 3pm, at the Zaguan of Museo de La Salle in Dasmariñas, Cavite.  MDSL, led by Mary Ann Jimenez Salvador, aims to promote the museum as a space for creativity and self-expression. The basis of the poetry reading is the works that can be read in the CCP Literary Journal Ani 41st issue. 

    While Performatura is open to the public, everyone is encouraged to donate a book, which will serve as an admission ticket to each segment.  Collected books will go to CCP’s partner libraries.

    For queries, e-mail ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com, call 8832-1125 local 1706 or 0919-3175708.  Follow the official CCP and CCP Intertextual Division Facebook pages for latest updates.

  • ENCANTADA by National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin Returns this 2023

    National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin’s award-winning Filipino dance masterwork, ENCANTADA, returns to open the 2023 dance season.

    A collaboration with Joey Ayala for music, Al Santos for libretto, and National Artist Salvador Bernal for production design, ENCANTADA features the artists of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Professional Artist Support Program and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines.

    To celebrate Earth Month, ENCANTADA goes on stage at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater on April 14-15 and at the Metropolitan Theater on April 21-22, with evening shows at 7:30 PM and matinees at 2:00 PM.

    Presented by the Metropolitan Theater, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Carmen D. Locsin Foundation, the production was last staged in 2011 to critical acclaim, garnering 10 Gawad Buhay Awards, including Best Modern Dance Production, Best Choreography, Best Musical Composition, Best Production Design, as well as citations for Georgette Sanchez-Vargas for Female Lead Performance and Carissa Adea for Female Featured Performance. Both of them will reprise their roles for the current 2023 production.

    Also joining the cast is Kris-Belle Paclibar-Mamangun, former member of Cirque du Soleil, who will be alternating the role of Babaylan with Carissa Adea.

    The season continues with Alice Reyes’ RAMAHARI (Sept. 15-16), CARMEN AND OTHER SPIRITS (Oct. 27-28, Nov. 3-4), a mixed bill featuring Alice Reyes’ CARMEN and new works by young Filipino choreographers, and the celebration of Paskong Pinoy with PUSO NG PASKO (Dec. 2-3, 8-9).

    Subscribe to the 2023 Dance Season and celebrate the best of Filipino artistry and talent!

    For season subscriptions and ticket reservations, contact Kurt Copon at ardancephilippinesinc@gmail.com or subscribe online through google form here: https://forms.gle/9wMV1Vfw91orBcjo8

  • Catch the 2023 PASP & ARDP Dance Season Starting This April

    With award-winning productions that feature masterpieces from the Filipino dance repertoire and brand-new works by young choreographers, the Metropolitan Theater and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, featuring artists of the Professional Artist Support Program (PASP) and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP), present a new and exciting season of Dance.

    CCP Dance Season

    ENCANTADA

    April 15-16, 2023 | Samsung Performing Arts Theater
    April 21-22, 2023 | Metropolitan Theater

    In celebration of Earth Day, the season opens with ENCANTADA, a Filipino masterwork Directed and Choreographed by National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin with Music by Joey Ayala, Libretto by Al Santos, and Production Design by National Artist Salvador Bernal. It tells the poignant tale of the repercussions that come with man’s destruction of nature.

    RAMA, HARI

    September 15-16, 2023 | Metropolitan Theater
    September 22-23, 2023 | Samsung Performing Arts Theater

    A Filipino modern rock opera ballet, RAMA, HARI is an acclaimed collaboration among five National Artists – Alice Reyes for direction and choreography, Ryan Cayabyab for music, Salvador Bernal for production design, Bienvenido Lumbera for the libretto, and English translations by Rolando Tinio.  An adaptation of the Sanskrit epic poem Ramayana, this masterpiece features renowned singers in the Filipino music industry and incorporates traditional theatre, song, and dance devices found and shared among Asian nations.

    CARMEN AND OTHER SPIRITS

    October 20-21, 2023 | Samsung Performing Arts Theater
    October 27-28, 2023 | Metropolitan Theater

    The passion and high drama of Bizet’s opera ignites the stage with Alice Reyes’ CARMEN.  This bold piece top bills a program that showcases the artists’ dynamism and bravado in modern, contemporary, and neo-classical genres. It features iconic gems in the Filipino Dance Repertoire and the premiere of choreographic works by the new generation of top Filipino choreographers including a suite of dances exploring the rich culture of the Bicol Region.

    PUSO NG PASKO

    December 1-2, 2023 | Metropolitan Theater
    December 22, 2023 | Samsung Performing Arts Theater

    For valued subscribers, a special treat with the full-length PUSO NG PASKO is being offered.  An acclaimed and well-loved production that premiered in 2022, PUSO NG PASKO returns as the new Filipino holiday tradition for the family.  This year, it expands the world of Tres Reyes as it continues to explore and incorporate more of the different festivities in the Philippines.

    PUSO NG PASKO tells the story of Lolo Val, now living in New Jersey, as recalls to his young granddaughter, Angelita, the magical Christmases of his youth with the barkada in the old hometown of Tres Reyes. From parols to puto bumbong, Simbang Gabi to parties in the town plaza, young love to nostalgia via Zoom, the true spirit of Paskong Pinoy is celebrated to the timeless music of our favorite Filipino Christmas carols arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.

    Subscribe to the 2023 Dance Season and celebrate the best of Filipino artistry and talent!

    For season subscriptions and ticket reservations, contact Kurt Copon at ardancephilippinesinc@gmail.com or subscribe online through google form here: https://forms.gle/9wMV1Vfw91orBcjo8

  • NAMCYA Celebrates its Golden Milestone with ‘Gintong Pamana’

    Celebrating 50 years of discovering and nurturing the best, young musicians in the Philippines, the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) presents Gintong Pamana: The 2023 NAMCYA Festivals and Competitions, featuring a myriad of performances and other musical activities starting this March.

    The NAMCYA was formally organized in 1973, under Presidential Proclamation 1173, and amended in November 1988.  Through PP 1173, which designated the last week of November of each year as National Music Week, the NAMCYA Competitions became the main highlights of the celebration.  In 2001 Presidential Proclamation No. 80 affirms the mission of NAMCYA for the nation’s young artists.

    Republic Act 11915 designates the NAMCYA as the Philippine National Youth Development Program for Music which will serve as the conduit for the discovery of outstanding musical talents in the country; the development of musicians; the preservation, development, and promotion of Philippine music as an art form; and the undertaking of a continuing program of research, documentation, and publication of Philippine music for dissemination to schools and the general public.

    Starting March 1, NAMCYA is accepting entries for its various competition categories including Choir (Children’s and Senior), Guitar (Senior), Piano (Senior), Rondalla (Children’s Solo and Junior), Strings (Violins and Lower Strings: Viola, Cello, Contrabass), Traditional Music, Voice (Senior), Woodwinds (Open), and Composition, which is this year’s special category. Deadline for submission is June 30, 2023.  Application forms may be accessed from the NAMCYA website.

    Eliminations will happen starting in July, through hybrid (on-site and online) adjudication; followed by the semifinals in six regional center clusters, namely South-Central Mindanao (General Santos City), Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas (Bogo City, Cebu), Northern Luzon (Alcala, Cagayan), Southern Luzon, and the National Capital Region.  The National Final Round will be on November 21 to 26, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.

    With the mission to ensuring the future of Philippine music, the competition will be led by distinguished chairpersons, including Dr. Arwin Tan (Choir – Children’s and Senior), Nathan Manimtim (Guitar – Senior), Dr. Michelle Nicolasora (Piano – Senior), Mariefrance Ballester (Rondalla – Children’s Solo Rondalla Instrument and Junior Rondalla), Diomedes Saraza Jr. (Strings – Violins and Lower Strings: Viola, Cello, Contrabass), Dr. Felicidad Prudente (Traditional Music), Ma. Austregelina Alfornon aka Nenen Espina (Voice – Senior), Antonio Maigue (Woodwinds –Open), and Mary Katherine Trangco (Composition).

    Aside from the main competition, NAMCYA presents its series of concerts, kicking off with “Bata Ang Bukas (The Children, Our Future): Children’s Choirs in Focus” slated on April 29, 4pm, at Ayala Museum.  The concert will feature UP Cherubims and Seraphims, Balon Dagupan Children’s Choir, and the Loboc Children’s Choir.

    The next concert, Tumutubong Katutubo (Evolving Traditional Music Expressions), put the spotlight on traditional music performed by the San Nicolas High School Cultural Ensemble, the Massalingga Dacalan Ensemble, the Puljus Udliwang Ethnic Ensemble, the Antonio D. Pendatun Elementary School and Upper Labay High School Music Ensemble, and Fataldao Banisil Colot IP Implementing Schools Music Ensemble.  It will happen on May 6, 4pm, at the CCP Liwasang Kalikasan.

    Galing Namcya, Balik Namcya! Concert of Winners gives the stage to the former winners of various categories on August 12, 7pm; while NAMCYA Extravaganza (Noon, Ngayon at Bukas): The Closing Ceremonies will feature some of the best solo and group competition winners on November 26, 3pm. Both concerts will be held at the Metropolitan Theater.

    For its golden anniversary, the NAMCYA will also hold concerts in both local and international festivals, music camps, seminar-workshops, and publications. Venue partners are the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Manila Metropolitan Theater, the Ayala Museum, the Manila Pianos Inc., the Rizal Park Open Air Auditorium, and other venues provided by local government units.

    NAMCYA thanks the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission On Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the National Youth Commission (NYC).

    For more information and application requirements, visit the NAMCYA website. Follow the official NAMCYA social media accounts in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for the latest updates.

  • CCP, RMMCMI & KSS Mindanao Open PANAGHIUSA IP-Moro Arts Fest and Forum February in Koronadal City

    PANAGHIUSA (unity/oneness): Indigenous Peoples-Moro Arts Fest and Forum opened recently in Koronadal City.  It was jointly undertaken by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) through its Cultural Exchange Department (CED) and the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges Marbel Inc. (RMMCMI).

    CCP Panaghiusa Feb2023 1

    Panaghiusa is one of the CCP Kaisa sa Sining (KSS) Mindanao Collaborative projects for 2023 which was planned during the KSS Regional Caucus and Dialogue held last June 11–13, 2022 in Koronadal City. The key representatives of the KSS Mindanao crafted action plans to prioritize and implement attainable cultural and artistic programs and projects that would benefit the community. 

    Panaghiusa highlights the various experiences, voices, and expressions through exchanges of ideas and knowledge, performances, and interactions.  It is in the purview of the Mindanao IPs and the Moros themselves, so settlers understand and appreciate IP – Moro’s right to self-determination and sovereignty.

    As advocates of IP-Moro culture, Mindanaoan artists and cultural formators converge to let their voices be heard and take the necessary actions to make an impact in the lives and future of the IP-Moros in Mindanao.  Datu Victorino Saway of the Talaandig community, Nestor Horfilla of Davao City and other prominent leaders of various cultural communities and organizations led in the open discussions and strategic planning on priority concerns of the IPs and Moros to include food security, women leadership, disaster risk reduction, resiliency building, and cultural appropriation, among other activities.

    The activities were aptly titled as Kastulen (conversations), Hegefan (performances), Pagana (traditional cooking), Kalyak (valuable material)).  A total of 20 cultural communities were represented in the 2-day fest and forum:  Manobo, Talaandig, Daraghuyan, Tagolwanen, Blaan, Iranun, Tboli, Arumanen, Sama, Tausug, Sangir, Maguindanao, Teduray, Maranaw, Subanen, Yakan, Kagan, Higaonon and Mamanwa.  Special performances were also lined up and showcased the rich and colorful dances, music and rituals of some of the groups with special participation of the Hinugyaw Dance Troupe, Bayang Barrios, Carlito Amalla, Helobung Cultural Dance Troupe and the Marbel Youth Choir.

    The Pagana cooking demos featured traditional cuisine of the Maranaws, Sama, Tboli and Subanen.  A General Santos City artist, educator and curator built an exhibition titled Tawid: Shifts in Gender Roles in Traditional Visual Arts.  The exhibit featured the Iranun Art of Binalodan Inaul, an enduring expression but threatened as there was only a small community of weavers who produce these Cultural Resources.  It is Ikat (resist dyeing technique) on weft thread.  Works by Moamar A. Garcia and Jala Daudl were exhibited and had a balod (tieying of the patterns) demonstration.

  • Free Film Screenings for the National Arts Month at the CCP

    CELEBRATING the Love Month and the National Arts Month, the Cultural Center of the Philippines presents three film programs – Cine Icons, Cinema Under the Stars, and the CCP Arthouse Cinema – this February.

    CINE ICONS, is a new program by the CCP Film, Broadcast, and New Media Division highlighting the cinematic masterpieces of film masters, including the National Artists of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast.  On its soft launch, Cine Icons will feature National Artist Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Brutal, written by another National Artist, Ricky Lee.  Brutal is about a woman who after killing her husband and his friends goes into post-traumatic shock and withdraws from any form of communication.  A feminist journalist becomes interested in the case and resolves to unravel the truth behind the murders.

    Cine Icons MDA Feb2023

    Another film to screen alongside the film classic is a Gawad Alternatibo 2022 winner entitled, Lingkis by Yvonne Elizabeth Salazar and Isabel Margarita Valenzuela. The film mixes mythology, animation, and documentary to tell the story of a country plunged into darkness by repressive regimes visually depicted by a mythological serpent.

    The Cine Icons soft launch screening will be held on February 17, starting at 1pm, at the PUP Theater, located inside the PUP Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila, to be followed by a talkback by National Artist Ricky Lee.  The event is made possible in partnership with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). 

    Cinema Under the Stars (CUTS) returns for its first screening for 2023, featuring Real Florido’s Ist Ko Si Third on February 24, 5:00PM, at the CCP Annex Parking area.

    A 2014 Cinemalaya Finalist under the New Breed Category, 1st Ko Si Third rediscovers the joy and pain of first love through the story of a 65-year-old retiree Cory who bumps into her first love named Third. When their first date is about to happen, Cory brings with her a handful of love letters she never gave to Third.  She is now ready to give them to her first love.  Will she discover that first love truly never dies?

    The CCP Arthouse Cinema: Of Love and Revolutions presents the screening of Lingkis on February 24, 1-4pm, via Zoom.  This online screening is specifically offered primarily for students and educators who continue conducting online courses.

    All screenings are free to the public, on a first-come-first-served basis.  For more information, call the CCP FBNM Division at 8832-1125 loc. 1705 or follow the official CCP social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok for updates.

  • PPO’s Metamorphosis Continues with its Concert Series IV

    The search for the next conductor and music director of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra continues with its Concert Series VI, slated on February 24, 2023, 8pm, at the CCP Live at Met Theater.

    Maestro Haoran Li steps on the dais for the sixth installment of the PPO’s 38th concert season, dubbed Metamorphosis.  The Chinese conductor was the assistant conductor of China Philharmonic Orchestra from 2019 to 2020, and the National Center for the Performing Arts Beijing, China in 2018.  For the 2022-2023 season, he led concerts with La Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Romanian Radio National Orchestra, Lasi Philharmonic Orchestra, Banatul Philharmonic Orchestra of Timioara, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra.

    Under Maestro Li’s baton, the PPO will perform Antonino Buenaventura’s By the Hillside, Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto Op. 47, D minor, featuring violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr.

    First place winner at the 2002 National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) Violin Category, Saraza Jr. is currently the concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.  He plays on a 1972 French violin made by Eugene Guinot and Rene Morel, given by Standard Insurance Company.

    He has performed with the PPO in their concert at the Carnegie Hall in New York.  His recent performances include: a recital tour in New York, Chicago and Wisconsin with pianist Victor Asuncion; with the International Sejong soloists for the 33rd Macao International Music Festival at the Macao Cultural Centre and in New York City in 2017.

    He was also the concertmaster of PREDIS Children Orchestra, member of PREDIS chamber orchestra, and became the youngest member of the Manila Symphony Orchestra at age 13.  He received both Music degrees, both undergraduate and masters, from the Juilliard School.  During his time at the Juilliard School, Saraza was the recipient of the Irene Diamond Graduate Fellowship, Ruth Katzman Scholarship, Juilliard Alumni scholarship and the C.V. Starr Scholarship.  He also served as assistant concertmaster of Juilliard Orchestra and Juilliard Lab Orchestra.

    In 2015, Saraza was accepted to pursue Master of Musical Arts degree from Yale University, where he became the concertmaster of Yale Philharmonia, violin faculty of Yale secondary lesson division, and was the first Filipino recipient of Yale’s highly-esteemed Broadus Erle Prize 2016 for being the best violinist of the year and the Alumni Association Prize 2017 for high scholastic achievement and community work outside Yale University.

    He was a graduate professor of St. Scholastica’s College and violin faculty of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra, in cooperation with Standard Insurance’s Pursuit for Excellence program.

    For inquiries and tickets, call CCP Box Office at 8832-3704 or email customercare@culturalcenter.gov.ph.  Visit the CCP website or follow the official social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok for latest updates.

  • CCP Intensifies Arts & Culture Activities in 2023

    The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) will carry on its mission and intensify its work in promoting and preserving the best of Filipino arts and culture amid its temporary closure and three-year structural redevelopment.  The institution’s leaders led by president Margie Moran-Floirendo reinforced that CCP is committed to bring its programs and activities even closer to local communities as they tap various venues nationwide.

    This year marks CCP’s next chapter by expanding the celebration of artistic excellence and cultural development through a more accessible and diverse lineup of live performances, productions, exhibits, as well as training and education programs highlighting the passion, creativity, and spirit of the Filipino.  CCP shall showcase a more diverse pool of Philippine talent, promoting them alongside the projects of its resident companies Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theatre, the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Tanghalang Pilipino, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philippine Madrigal Singers and the National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation (NAMCYA).

    Kicking off the new year is the opening of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s (PPO) 38th concert season and fifth series last January, spotlighting Japanese-American conductor Maestro Shizuo Kuwahara, who is among the conductors shortlisted for the Music Director position. 

    During the Sixth and Seventh Series of concert season on February 24 and March 17, respectively to be held at the CCP’s Metropolitan Theater, fans can also immerse in delightful classical music performances with international guest soloists and renowned Filipino artists of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

    On February 3, Sunsets At Makiling brings the PPO to audiences in Los Baños and other nearby towns for a rare experience of live orchestral music with a beautiful backdrop of sunset in the mountains.  The concert will feature light classical masterworks as well as “pops” arranged for the symphony orchestra and performed with special guest artists Antonio Jesus Quilloy on saxophone and soprano Pauline Therese Arejola, under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo Ranera.

    Meanwhile, the largest annual multi-arts festival in the country, PASINAYA 2023: The CCP Open House Festival returns live on February 3 to 5, happening in various venues at the CCP Complex and in partner museums and galleries.  Here music, theater, dance, visual arts, film, and literature are celebrated via over a hundred shows, workshops, and activities.  PASINAYA 2023 invites revelers of all ages to maximize the festival promise – see-all-you-can, workshop-all-you-can, network-all-you-can, pay-what-you-can!

    CCP also bids the public to rekindle or discover the joy of witnessing opera in a cinematic experience with the Met Opera Live in HD concert series season 7 featuring Camille Saint-Saëns’s SAMSON ET DALILA.  Screening on February 7, Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1 in Makati City, this biblical epic brings together mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, tenor Roberto Alagna and Darko Tresnjak, a Tony Award–winning director. 

    Tanghalang Pilipino’s Ang Pag-uusig, the Filipino adaptation of Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’ will also open on February 17 and run until March 12.  A winner of six Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards (including Outstanding Translation and Outstanding Play) in April 2018, Ang Pag-uusig is a gripping production that dramatization of the Salem witch trials that occurred in during the McCarthyism era, a time when the United States government persecuted people accused of communist subversion.

    There will also be a three-day festival called Performatura slated on March 31 to April 2, 2023 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez.  Performatura is the country’s biggest performance literature festival celebrating the written word, performance, and the rich history of Philippine literature.  Expect poetry readings, storytelling, theatrical shows, dance dramas, musical presentations, and even spoken word competitions.

    On March 28 to April 1, Ballet Philippines will hold a week-long dance celebration featuring electric characters of Carlo Calma’s Diyosa.  Happening at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, this story is set in a dreamy, mythical world, depicting Filipino culture and heritage and even humor traits fusing fashion, art, music and architecture.

    CCP will also conduct workshops and training programs for young musicians in different regions to upgrade their skills and performances and prepare them for professional careers with the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA).  Bring out the best in you and join the NAMYCA Children’s concert workshop in Ayala Museum in April 2023.  Aside from these, CCP also has outreach programs offering free musical training and scholarships for public high school students such as the Kabataang Gitarista Program scheduled every Saturday – January to December 2023 in various venues.

    Through its programs and activities, CCP celebrates the Filipino creativity and passion, helping enrich Filipino’s social awareness, building the Philippine brand, and contributing to the country’s economic value.

    According to Margie Moran-Floirendo, “We urge the public to continue supporting and participating in our celebration of arts and culture to help deepen our identity and tell our story within and beyond our shores.”

    For more inquiries and information, visit the CCP website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph or like and subscribe to their Facebook Page, Twitter or Instagram accounts.