The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), led by Music Director Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, is embarking on a milestone concert tour across the United Kingdom. For Maestro Nowak, this tour represents the fulfillment of a bold artistic vision.
“One of the major challenges I accepted when accepting the post of music director was to transform the PPO into one of the world’s best orchestras,” Nowak explains. “We are working hard to achieve it, and it is time to show the world that we’ve achieved that goal.”
Related posts:
This tour marks the PPO’s official introduction to European audiences, with performances scheduled at key venues across the UK. Nowak sees it as a fitting stage for the orchestra to be measured alongside the world’s best, particularly in a country known for its deep classical music tradition.
He acknowledges the contrast between audiences in the Philippines and those in the UK. Filipino audiences, he says, are warm, expressive, and enthusiastic. While UK concertgoers may be more accustomed to hearing top-tier orchestras from around the world, the energy of both audiences reaffirms the universal power of music. “Our audience is very warm and expresses support and excitement about our high-quality performances,” he adds. “All our soloists appreciate very much how spontaneously and enthusiastically their wonderful performances are received.”
Nowak is no stranger to UK stages. He has enjoyed years of success with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, particularly at Cadogan Hall in London, a venue where he conducted numerous concerts and recorded several live albums. Returning to that stage—this time with the PPO—is deeply personal.
The tour comes with its challenges. Tight schedules and back-to-back performances leave little room for rest. However, Nowak sees the opportunity to perform at a consistently high level as both a test and a reward. Audiences recognizing the PPO’s quality, he says, is the ultimate payoff.
The tour’s repertoire was carefully planned in coordination with venues to avoid program overlap. Instead of a single program, the PPO will present nine different works:
- Symphony No. 5 – Beethoven
- Carmen Suite No. 1 – Bizet
- Il Maestro di Cappella – Ching
- Piano Concerto – Delius (featuring Mark Bebbington)
- Nimrod from Enigma Variations – Elgar
- Symphony No. 4 ‘Italian’ – Mendelssohn
- Rococo Variations – Tchaikovsky (featuring Wen-Sinn Yang)
- Swan Lake Suite – Tchaikovsky
- The Lark Ascending – Vaughan Williams (featuring Diomedes Saraza Jr.)
The PPO is joined by three accomplished soloists. Saraza, a Juilliard-trained Filipino violinist and the orchestra’s concertmaster, has previously performed at Carnegie Hall with the PPO. British pianist Mark Bebbington returns after a successful debut with the orchestra in 2023 and will perform Delius’s Piano Concerto in Bradford, the composer’s hometown. Cellist Wen-Sinn Yang, a Swiss-born virtuoso, will perform Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations—a piece that won enthusiastic applause in his previous concert with the PPO.
As the PPO steps onto international stages, this UK tour serves as a powerful statement. Under Nowak’s leadership, the orchestra is not only reaching new audiences—it is claiming its place among the world’s finest.
Click here for more stories like this. You may also follow and subscribe to our social media accounts: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Kumu.
