VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, November 8, 2024 – Symphonicity, Virginia Beach's premier community orchestra, will honor the Virginia Beach sister city of Olongapo, Philippines in a concert titled, "Full Circle," featuring Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer, Filipino special guests, an award-winning pianist, and a world-premiere. The concert takes place on November 17, 2024, at 3 PM, in the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets start at $26.

In addition to celebrating Virginia Beach's Filipino community, other sister cities will be referenced in the diverse program. Selections will include:

• Canon in D: Composed by German composer Johann Pachelbel, it will include singers and orchestra players from the Virginia Beach Public Schools Visual Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School that will be staged throughout the theater.
• ANIMA: Filipino composer Jem Talaroc earned a national prize in culture from the Philippines with this work. This will be its world-premiere which will be freely live-streamed to communities in the Philippines.
• Piano Concerto in A minor: Famously penned by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, this beloved concerto will feature an award-winning Filipino pianist, Matthew Calderon, showcasing both the lush and dazzling appeal of romantic era music.
• Symphony No. 2 in D major: This lesser known symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven was composed when he wrote his "Heiligenstadt Testament," a letter to his brothers lamenting the loss of his hearing alongside agonizing depression.

Special guests in this concert include Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer and Philippines Cultural Center representative Cynthia C. Romero, MD who also serves as chair of the Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission. Each will provide special remarks to bolster the occasion.

Malia Diaz, a local graduate from the Governor's School for the Arts, will also be highlighted in a performance of The Philippine National Anthem.

"I've always been proud to sing the Philippine National Anthem at various events affiliated with the Philippines Cultural Center," said Diaz. "But adding my voice to an entire symphony of dedicated community musicians will be another whole level of special. It will be a beautiful way to honor our Filipino community."

(Malia Diaz, courtesy photo)

Headlining the concert is Filipino pianist, Matthew Calderon. He serves as a staff pianist at the Moores Opera Center at Houston and has performed in concerts in the United States, Spain, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines, which have included solo appearances with the Lynn Philharmonia, the Manila Symphony Orchestra, and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

(Matthew Calderon, courtesy photo)

Born and raised in Los Baños, Philippines, Calderon made his debut as a classical pianist at age sixteen in the Young Artist Series of the Manila Chamber Orchestra Foundation. He has since earned awards in numerous competitions including a top prize in the 2012 Mozart International Piano Competition in Thailand. 

The concert will also feature chorus and orchestra students from the Virginia Beach Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School, underscoring Symphonicity's effort to enhance educational opportunities in the community. Together they will present an arrangement of Pachelbel's well-known "Canon in D" as created by the student orchestra director, David C. Boone.

"Collaborating with Symphonicity will offer an invaluable experience for our students," said Boone. "It may even create memories for them that will last a lifetime."

This concert is one among many in Symphonicity's Sister Cities Season. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. More information is available on their website: symphonicity.org.

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Founded in 1981, Symphonicity is the premier community orchestra of the City of Virginia Beach and a proud resident member of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. They are comprised of more than 200 talented musicians from the local community, including professional musicians, music educators, and dedicated amateurs who volunteer more than 12,000 hours annually to offer high-quality, innovative, and dynamic symphonic experiences. As teachers, business professionals, homemakers, composers, and more, they play for the love of music. To learn more, visit symphonicity.org.

Media Contact:

Name: Nikki Bergman

Title: Executive Director

Office: 757-671-8611

Email: nbergman@symphonicity.org