Recently, yours truly was invited in one of the performance of the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra at the Dolphy Theater.  It was a resounding experience.  I was rekindling my youth days when I was still a member of a church choir.  So, symphonic music is not alien to me and also I'm an avid listener of one of the local radio station that plays classical music.  I love it very much and I feel relax when ever I hear one.

In an effort to establish a connection between the general public and symphonic music, ABS-CBN, the country's largest multimedia conglomerate, and First Philippine Holdings Corporation has established the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra.

Composed of 40 musicians, the orchestra is under the baton of music director Gerard Salonga and the guidance of executive director Mickey Munoz.




According to Sir Gerard Salonga, "We aim to bring live orchestral performance closer to the Filipinos and give them an option of what to listen to."  And as a start, they have conducted some series of performance that they have made and this recent performance was one of them, to let the orchestra be felt by the general public.

Aside from their performances, the orchestra will be holding educational outreach programs that will give both kids and adults a chance to experience a medium that is considered as one of the highest forms of art.  The project will consist of three categories: "Philharmonikids" will cater to grade school students; "Musicoveries" will cater to high school students; and "Philharmonic Discoveries" will be for the mature audiences that want to be acquainted with classical music

Those who would like to watch the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra live can catch the inaugural concert at the Francisco Santiago Hall in Makati on August 18 (Saturday).  The program will include Hector Berlioz's "Roman Carnival Overture", Franz Liszt's "Piano Concerto #1" with Jovianney Cruz, Johannes Brahms's "Symphony #1 in C minor".

On September 2 (Sunday), the orchestra will also hold a tribute concert at the Meralco Theater for American composer and conductor John Williams.  The award-winning Williams is known for his iconic movie theme compositions such as "Superman," "E.T.," "Star Wars," "Jaws," "Indiana Jones," and "Schindler's List."

For updates on the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, follow @absphilharmonic on Twitter and 'like' on Facebook at http://facebook.com//ABSPhilharmonic.

How many music lovers this days are into classical?  Perhaps few because of the different genres available in market today.  What if classical music mixed with rock?  Would you think present generation would love it.  Perhaps!  But what if the musician is as good looking is this artist, David Garrett, perhaps ladies will forget about those present boy bands.

Meet David Garrett,  a virtuoso violinist and crossover musician.  He's a star everywhere from the catwalk to the Billboard charts.

He moves between two musical worlds... and it seems as if two hearts are beating in his chest: David Garrett in the world of classical music celebrated his international breakthrough.  But that was not enough.  he has finally re-invented.  With his crossover albums he conquered the rest of the world and sparked enthusiasm everywhere.  After his spectacular success in the pop-rock world, David Garrett presents his new album "LEGACY" - a classical recording of Beethoven's Violin Concerto.

LEGACY has made a historical chart debut in Germany, entering the Media Control Chart at #6!


This is the Highest Entry for a classical instrumental album in the history of the German charts!  It's a sensational result, proving again that David Garrett is an artist at the top of his game in both worlds - classical and crossover.  The debut for 'Legacy" at #6 is the highest for a classical instrumental recording since Media Control charts were launched in Germany in 1962.  The album has also charted in the Top 10 in Austria at #9, and in the top 20 in Switzerland at #18.

DAvid Garrett is Juilliard grad who at 14 became the youngest soloist signed to the prestigious classic label Deutsche Grammophon and joined the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra three years later.

This international superstar has quickly amassed a huge and devoted audience - especially of a much younger fanbase than the listeners usually associated with classical music.  His fresh, vibrant take on classical music has shot new life into this genre.  he has gained international stardom, with chart-topping albums and gold and platinum selling discs across Europe, in the UK and the Far East.  The superpowered David Garrett has experienced huge success with American audience as well.  Not only was he Billboard's best-selling Classical Music Artist of 2009, but was the #9 overall New Artist across all genres.

Garrett's unique, and wholly individual style, pays as much homage to Metallica as to Mozart.  His albums cover an incredibly diverse selection of repertoire, representing his love for many gneres, and the ability to tackle each successfully.  Garrett could have easily had a mainstream classical career, but instead chose to reinvent himself as both a classical and a crossover performer, trailblazing a unique career path as a rare multi-genre artist who reaches out equally to politely murmuring black-tie classical audiences in gilded concert halls, and to the hundreds of thousands of boot-stompin', hand-clappin' masses of all ages that pour into venues across the world to hear him play Smooth Criminal and the Habanera from Carmen.

Videos, fan sites and other media of Garrett abound on the internet, but what you won't see in cyberspace is the atmosphere of relaxed enthusiasm that spreads throughout his audiences, or the scores of children that leave his concerts holding Garrett's CDs in hand, wearing his official tour t-shirt, and begging their parents for a violin.


David Garrett's Legacy is now available in major music stores nationwide.  Exclusively distributed by MCA Music Inc.