Symphonic sunsets at Makiling
The Cultural Center of the Philippines and Ang Misyon Inc. (AMI) presented the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, ABSCBN Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth in a performance held recently at the Tanghalang Maria Makiling, National Arts Center in Los Baños, Laguna.
Titled “Symphonic Sunsets at Makiling,” the program consisted of works written by the great classical music masters from the 18th century to the present, from Beethoven to Bernstein, from traditional to popular.
Guest artists included Filipino concert pianist Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz and other performing artists.
The event had a conference part featuring annotations as well as Q&A segments conducted by Jamie Bernstein — director of the documentary Crescendo: the Power of Music, daughter of the legendary quintessential artist Leonard Bernstein — and Tricia Tunstall, the author of Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, & the Transformative Power of Music.
An open theater located on the slopes of Mt. Makiling in Los Baños, Laguna, the Tanghalang Maria Makiling is a National Arts Center structure that can accommodate up to a thousand audiences complete with state of the art lights and sound system suitable for low-, medium- and large-scale productions and performances.
Established in 1976 as a haven for young and aspiring artists, the National Arts Center is tucked away in mythical Mt. Makiling, Laguna. Its various buildings and facilities are scattered over 13.5 hectares of the Makiling Forest Reservation and also houses the Philippine High School for the Arts, a government-run secondary educational institution for gifted young artists.