ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Embassies at Work devider Manila Symphony Orchestra presents 'Brazilian Guitar and Cello' concert

Manila Symphony Orchestra presents 'Brazilian Guitar and Cello' concert

Published Jul 28, 2025 02:13 pm
The Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation Inc. and Standard Insurance, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil through Guimarães Rosa Institute (IGR) and the Embassy of Brazil in Manila, proudly presents the “Brazilian Guitar and Cello” concert on August 9, 2025, at the Bayanihan Hall in Creative Arts Centre British School Manila, at BGC, Taguig City.
The featured artists are Fabio Zanon on guitar, Fabio Presgave on cello, and soprano Stephanie Quintin. Fabio Zanon earned his master’s from the University of London and rose to prominence by winning major guitar competitions in 1996, including the Francisco Tárrega, GFA, and Alessandria contests. He later received numerous honors, including an honorary doctorate from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, and awards such as the Carlos Gomes Prize and Bravo! Award.
Rio-born Fabio Presgrave earned his degree from The Juilliard School and has performed as soloist with orchestras worldwide, including the Qatar Philharmonic and Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, under renowned conductors such as Rafael Payare and Lior Shambadal.
Praised for her vocal flexibility and commanding presence, Stefanie Quintin-Avila is a multi-awarded soprano, receiving honors such as the Delphic Lyra Award and the Presidential Award for Culture and the Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of the Philippines and a Master’s in Contemporary Music Performance from UC San Diego.
Marlon Chen will conducting the performances. Known for his dynamic charisma and versatility, Chen has led performances across four continents in opera, ballet, and symphonic music. He was appointed music director and principal conductor of the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) in 2019, and holds guest conducting roles with leading ensembles worldwide.
The repertoire will include “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7: I. Prelúdio (Ponteio)” by Heitor Villa-Lobos, composed in 1942. It blends Baroque structure with Brazilian folk rhythms and rich harmonies, transforming the traditional ponteio into a lyrical, orchestrated prelude.
“Concierto de Cámara for Guitar, Cello, Soprano, and Strings” by Jeffrey Chings is a symbolic ‘quintuple concerto’ representing the five nationalities of its original performers (German, Lithuanian, Brazilian, Spanish, and Chinese) blending their musical traditions through abstract and figurative elements.
“Concerto No. 4 for Guitar and String Orchestra” by Radamés Gnattali (1969), written for Carlos Barbosa-Lima, blends classical form with samba, choro, and bossa nova in a lyrical, jazz-infused work, where the guitar and strings interact in a fluid, chamber-like texture.
“Le Grand Tango for Cello and String Orchestra” by Astor Piazolla was composed in 1982 for Mstislav Rostropovich. Astor Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango fuses classical technique with the bold rhythms of nuevo tango in a single, intense movement that highlights the cello’s agility and emotional range.
“Ária and Dança from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4 (for Orchestra)” by Heitor Villa-Lobos blends Baroque techniques with Brazilian folk elements, as heard in the lyrical Ária, evoking Brazil’s interior, and the lively Dança, rooted in native dance—showcasing his signature fusion of European form and local expression.
As one of Asia’s oldest and the Philippines’ longest-running artistic institution, MSO has long championed the performance and appreciation of fine music. Now nearing its 100th year, MSO has grown into a foundation dedicated to discovering and training Filipino talent, aiming to make music a vibrant part of everyday Filipino life.
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.