About the Event
Now on its 90th year, the Manila Symphony Orchesta welcomes back guest conductor Alexander Vikulov to lead its third gala season concert scheduled at 8pm on September 17 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati.
Maestro Vikulov, a renowned Russian conductor who has been described by critics as “one of the most gifted musicians of his generation,” first conducted the MSO at a season concert program in 2011 and has since performed with the orchestra in several occasions.
“We met Maestro Vikulov through prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde,” recounts the orchestra’s executive director and conductor Jeffrey Solares. “Under him, we have played in Ballet Manila’s productions of The Nutcracker, Giselle, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, and last year’s Romeo and Juliet. This has made the MSO the most experienced orchestra in the country in terms of performing classical ballet music. Maestro Vikulov has also graced our own season concert programs with an all-Beethoven concert and an all- Wagner concert a few years back.”
For the upcoming gala concert, Solares had advised Maestro Vikulov that the performance will be held in an intimate, non-traditional concert space. “There is an appeal of intimacy and close connection that we want to explore as we want our audience to appreciate the artistry of our musicians and the intricate details of the music at close range,” he explains.
Given this objective, Vikulov chose to present Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 -- a piece full of intricate details well-suited to a small venue. “We also agreed to to Stravinsky's Pulcinella Ballet, which is written for a modest-sized orchestra. As for Luigi Cherubini's Demophon overture, he made this suggestion particularly because the MSO has not played anything by this composer and the piece is also scored for a small orchestra,” Solares adds.
A seasoned conductor who has led orchestras for both the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Ballets, as well as for symphonic concerts all over Europe and Asia, Maestro Vikulov says he considers it both a “personal and professional pleasure” to be invited to work with the MSO once again. “Moreover, everytime I come to Manila, I observe an obvious progress in the quality of the orchestra playing,” he points out. “No doubt, the credit for this belongs both to the high professional skills of Maestro Arturo Molina (MSO artistic director and principal conductor) and the responsible work of the musicians themselves.”
Tickets to MSO’s Season Gala Concert 3 are available online at TicketWorld Manila via www.ticketworld.com.ph or through telephone numbers (+632) 891-9999, with discounted rates for senior citizens and students.