MANILA, Philippines – The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra is busy preparing for their concert this Saturday, September 20, at the BDO Francisco Santiago Hall. This concert features the cellist Richard Bamping from Hong Kong. Born in Manchester, Bamping has been living in the eastern part of the globe for the past 20 years, playing as the principal cellist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.
This isn’t the first time Richard shares the stage with Maestro Gerard. Richard has been invited by the Maestro last 2010 to play with the then FILharmoniKa. When asked about Richard’s performance during that concert, Gerard says “He made a tremendous impression the last time he was here! His charm and musicality captivates the audience, and it’s something Filipinos can relate to. He’s a perfect example of how good a Filipino musician can be.”
Gerard hopes that the audience looks forward to the concert as much as he does, “…his love for music has such a strong vibe. You can really feel how much love he has for what he does.” And with that amount of love, the Maestro hopes that listeners would allow themselves to be gripped by the music. “You don’t really have to be knowledgeable about classical music, you just have to be open enough to allow the material to touch you.”
In a quite serendipitous arrangement, Richard is set to perform the piece that made him want to be a cellist in the first place: Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto. The program also includes Brahms’ Tragic Overture and Symphony No. 1.
