Triumph and thanksgiving with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

A soft hum rose through the foyers of the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in the city of Makati, as if the walls themselves sensed another evening of mastery was soon to unfold. Eager guests streamed upward from the busy escalators and elevators, to find their ways into the auditorium where the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) — now deep into Versatile, its 41st concert season — more than prepared for Concert VI: Triumph and Thanksgiving.

At the theater, the musicians were unmistakably in concentration. Strings rehearsed brief passages. Percussionists checked their cues. Brass instruments glinted under the lights. All were in an unbreakable trance, paying absolutely no mind to the audience who slowly filled up the seats.

At the podium center stood Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, the PPO’s musical director and principal conductor, whose vast experience across Europe’s grand stages and seasoned command continue to elevate the orchestra’s own artistic stride. In perfect cue, the show began.

The overture from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni commenced the concert — a dramatic beginning, its brooding chords immediately controlling the atmosphere. That sudden descent into darkness was followed by the pulse of its racing lines. The PPO expertly navigated through Mozart’s dual nature — whimsical and grim passages one after the other — with sharp clarity, swept the hall into its operatic world.

Then evening’s featured soloist, English pianist Mark Bebbington — who joined the PPO in several cities of their sold-out United Kingdom tour — stepped into the spotlight for Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat Major, the Emperor. Admired internationally for his devotion to British piano music and his extensive catalogue of recordings, immediately commanded our attention. His first entrance — noble, unhurried, confident — set the tone for the Allegro. The orchestra was in constant dialogue with the pianist, each other matching the pace. In the Adagio un poco mosso, time seemed to slow down, before the Rondo Allegro reopened into a joyful burst. By the final chords, the attendees responded with an appreciative and enthusiastic applause.

The program resumed after intermission with Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, in the vibrant orchestration by Sergei Gorchakov. The familiar Promenades served as guideposts, carrying listeners from one vivid scene to another: the intensity of Gnomus, the melancholy of Il vecchio castello, the energy of Tuileries, and the weight of Bydlo.

Each tableau revealed another facet of the orchestra’s versatility — as a call back to the concert series name. The musicians leaned into Mussorgsky’s imagination — bright, dark, tender, thunderous — until the journey reached its final ascent at La grande porte. The triumphant brass, the ringing percussion, the sweeping strings all beautifully converged into a resounding finish worthy of the concert’s title.

As cheers filled the theater once more, it was clear Triumph and Thanksgiving had lived up to its promise. With the expertise of the PPO, under Maestro Nowak’s steady hand, and with Mark Bebbington’s artistry at the helm of Beethoven’s Emperor, utmost gratitude truly was in order for the night.

¡Enhorabuena, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra! Bravo, Mark Bebbington!