Antique welcomes cultural celebration with Philharmonic

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra returned to Antique last 15 August for a special concert at the University of Antique Sibalom campus.

The event was a collaboration between the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Senator Loren Legarda, a native of the province. It was the seventh time the orchestra has performed in Antique. Its last performance was in 2019.

“As the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra fills this space with world-class music, we celebrate something far deeper than notes and rhythms,” Legarda said in a keynote speech.

“It is an invitation for our people to celebrate, to dream, to remember that Antique is an important and colorful part of the Philippines,” she added.

The Ati community from the municipality of Tobias Fornier opened the night with a performance of “Tatay Miroy Karinyosa,” a tribal song and dance.

Conducted by Maestro Herminigildo Ranera, the orchestra performed a two-hour set that included a mix of classical music, Filipino classics, and theme songs from popular films. The concert featured cellist Giancarlo Gonzales, tenor Arman Ferrer, and singer-actress Shiela Valderrama.

“Music is much like the stories of our ‘kasimanwa,’ patiently shaped and nurtured through moments of hope and hardship, until it fully blooms into something precious that we can share with the world,” Legarda said.

“Tonight is a celebration of our heritage, our hopes, and the belief that every musical score played and every heart touched brings us closer together,” she added.