The University of the Philippines Symphony Orchestra under the baton of composer-conductor Josefino Chino Toledo will perform at the UP Cebu campus grounds on December 7, 2023 (a Thursday). The concert begins at 5:00 PM.
Students, faculty, staff, and beneficiaries of the university get the rare and exclusive opportunity to watch live the ensemble now fittingly known as the “Orkestra Ng Bayan”. It will be the debut concert of the UP Symphony Orchestra at UP Cebu.
The UPSO has performed in several UP campuses and in various Philippine venues and communities. Just last October, it played in the opening concert of the 12th China-ASEAN Music Festival hosted by Guangxi Arts University, at the Guangxi Culture & Arts Centre in Nanning, Guangxi region, China.
Among its memorable concerts were “Canticles of Joy”, “Resist! Struggles of Anthem and Triumph”, “FQS@50: Konsyertong Bayan sa 50 Taon”, “Ang Liwanag ng Pasko sa (Ka)Diliman”, and “Symphonic Superheroes” featuring Albert Tiu, Cebuano pianist, and UP Diliman graduate.
The UPSO membership includes students, alumni, staff, and faculty representing various colleges (Music, Economics, Business Administration, Engineering, Medicine, Science, HRDO) in UP’s Diliman, Manila, and Los Banos campuses.
The orchestra was formed in 2018 after a proposal from UP College of Music Dean, Dr. LaVerne de la Peña and Maestro Toledo was approved by the UP Board of Regents. Among the Regents who strongly supported the idea of an official university orchestra to encompass the entire UP system is the current UP President Angelo “Jijil” A. Jimenez.
According to the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Philippine Performing Arts Directory, the UPSO embodies the university’s commitment to excellence. “It is a repertory orchestra for musicians, laboratory orchestra for Filipino composers, and a training orchestra for young conductors,” the CCP said.
Photos courtesy of UP Symphony Orchestra Official Facebook Page