Featured artist for the evening concert that begins with a dinner first at 6 p.m.is internationally acclaimed baritone Andrew Fernando who was triumphant at the Philamlife Theater in a landmark concert with tenor Arthur Espiritu, soprano Rachelle Gerodias and the Manila Symphony Orchestra last year.
Fernando is the first Filipino first prize winner of the prestigious Loren L. Zachary National Vocal Competition in the United States and an alumnus of the world-renowned San Francisco Opera Merola Program.
He is also a prize winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions in the Los Angeles district and in the Pacific region, The Palm Springs Opera Vocal Competition, a recipient of the Opera Buffs Inc. scholarship grant and the Grand Prize winner in the Pasedena Opera Guild Vocal competition in 2004 and a grand finalist in the Licia Albanese Puccini International Vocal Competition held in New York in 2003. He was Opera Pacific’s resident baritone from 1999-2002 where he worked constantly with internationally acclaimed conductor John De Main.
His March 13 program includes Mozart’s "Se vuol ballare" (from Le Nozze di Figaro), Donizetti’s "Bella siccome un'angelo" (from Don Pasquale), "Kennst du das," , "Being Alive," from Little Women, "Some Enchanted Evening," "Impossible Dream," among others.
Concert comes with full-course dinner. Menu: Beefy mushroom and barley soup, Tropical Chicken and Mango Salad, Fish Fillet in Piripiri Sauce, Brown Rice and Corn Pilaf, Asparagus and Mushroom Saute, Watermelon, Melon and Honeydew with Honey Min
Call tel. 748-4152 or 0906-510-4270 for details. Kiss the Cook Gourmet (KTCTG), with tel. no. 434-3700, still has a few tickets left at their location.
This fourth concert is personally meaningful to me. It's a make-or-break thing. We are raising bail money for a cultural worker unjustly jailed for illegal possession of firearms in Western Samar.
KTCG's Waya Araos Wijangco has been sympathetic in lending her venue and arranging a full-course dinner at a loss in order to get more donations to the kitty. If there are enough kind hearts to enable us to pay the performing artists Andrew Fernando, his accompanying pianist Mary Anne Espina and the piano rental, the detainee has a chance to start afresh and be reunited with his family while the intimate concert series can hope to continue with its classical music outreach on a shoestring.
The concert organizers, Pablo Tariman and myself, are NGIs (non-profit individuals), and it would be great if we can increase our ranks so concerts for worthy causes can continue at KTCG and similar intimate venues where audience and artists can interact.
Photo shows Andrew "Drew" Fernando.
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