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All through March, the Manila Symphony Orchestra will be holding its rehearsals at the atrium of Glorietta 5 in Makati. “We haven’t had a home since St. Scholastica decided to give up our space,” reveals Jeffrey Solaris, the executive director of the MSO.
In June 2014, MSO lost its home at St. Scholastica where they’ve been based. Since then the 60-piece orchestra has been rehearsing pretty much everywhere else: in condos, private homes, other universities, and Intramuros. “We even rehearsed at a piano store in Pasong Tamo,” Solaris continues.
One connection led to another until finally, the MSO and Ayala Malls realized they had the same advocacy — that is to “enrich the Filipino’s cultural life.” This resulted in a program called Music is Everywhere.
Music is Everywhere will allow the public to view MSO rehearsals at Glorietta 5, to learn from the MSO by way of free weekend workshops, and finally, to catch the orchestra in concert.
Says Solaris, this is pretty much on-strat with the orchestra’s advocacy. “We want to show people that classical music isn’t just for concert halls. [If we’ll scale it] we want to be able to play in parks, bus stations, even in the palengke. This is the plan.”
But for now, the orchestra will call Glorietta 5 home. If you want to catch them during rehearsals, Solaris reveals the orchestra usually practices three times a week, from 6pm-9pm.
If you want to catch the orchestra perform in a concert, bookmark March 21. As a tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach’s 300th birthday, the MSO will split themselves up into four and simultaneously perform pocket concerts in 4 Ayala locations: Greenbelt’s The Gallery and Glorietta 5’s Atrium both in Makati, Trinoma’s Park Level in Quezon City, and finally Alabang Town Center’s Corte delas Palmas down south.
And finally, if you want to learn or jam with the musicians, the orchestra will be giving free workshops for five Sundays in various locations beginning April. “We want to tell people that classical music isn’t elitist, unreachable, or boring,” says Solaris. Looks like they’re on the right track!
