The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra continues its landmark 41st season with its seventh concert on March 13, 2026, 7:30 pm, at the Metropolitan Theater. Led by music director and principal conductor Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, the evening features British soprano Katerina Mina in a program that showcases the orchestra’s remarkable versatility and artistic excellence.
With the concert season featuring masterworks, world premieres and collaborations with top local and international artists, this upcoming concert, billed as CONCERT VII: OPERA blends classical repertoire with pieces that highlight the power and beauty of the vocal prowess.
Versatility in Italian, Swiss, German, and Filipino Notes
Featured works are Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s La forza del destino: Overture, and La forza del destino: Pace, pace mio Dio; Italian composer Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier - La Mamma Morta; Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca: Vissi d’arte; Swiss composer Stephan Hodel’s Angel of Fire; and German composer Richard Wagner/Filipino composer Jeffrey Ching’s Ring Symphony.
A four-act opera, La forza del destino (translated as The Force of Destiny), premiered in 1862 in St. Petersburg. Based on a Spanish drama, it follows Leonora and Alvaro, whose forbidden love is destroyed by fate, resulting in accidental deaths, family revenge, and a tragic, dramatic climax.
La mamma morta is a famous soprano aria from Act 3 of Giordano’s 1896 verismo opera Andrea Chénier. Sung by the character Maddalena di Coigny to Gérard, the aria recounts how the lead character’s mother sacrificed her life to protect her child during the turmoils of the French Revolution.
Vissi d’arte is a famous soprano aria in Act II of Puccini’s Tosca. Blending dramatic, often tragic storylines with lush, melodic, and emotional music, the aria is sung by the titular character as she laments and questions why God has abandoned her despite her piety.
Ring Symphony is a large-scale orchestral work of Jeffrey Ching based on Richard Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung cycle.
Arias from Verdi, Giordano, Puccini, and Hodel
Soprano Katerina Mina will grace the stage for PPO Concert VII this March, performing masterpieces by Verdi, Giordano, Puccini, and Hodel. Among the highlights is Hodel’s "Angel of Fire," a piece originally featured on Mina’s 2018 debut album. The work was composed specifically for Mina after she shared some of her poems with Hodel, which he then set to music. Notably, her 2018 album was recorded under the baton of Maestro Grzegorz Nowak and was even presented to King Charles of Britain.
Born in Cyprus and based in London, Mina is a prizewinning artist renowned for her powerful stage presence and wide-ranging repertoire, from Verdi and Puccini to Wagner and contemporary works. She recently starred in the world premiere of Three Women and has performed leading roles in classic operas, including Turandot, Tosca, Brünnhilde, and Isolde.
Mina’s vocal performances through the years drew raves from various critics, citing her “deeply passionate vocal sound,” having “added layers of depth and visualisation to the work that any singer coming after her will be hard put to replicate…”, with a “mature voice that has a given place in any Music Hall. Critics praise her as “one of those clear-as-a-bell soprano voices, displayed with great charm to the top of the register, and with generous volume.”
A versatile concert performer, Mina has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cyprus Symphony, and other orchestras across Europe, Japan, and Mexico. Mentored by British dramatic soprano Susan Bullock, Mina has received the Stockholm Culture Award in recognition of her contributions to opera.
The PPO concert tickets are priced at ₱3,000, ₱2,500, ₱2,000, and ₱1,500 and can be purchased at TicketWorld, with discounts for Senior Citizens, PWD, Government & Military Personnel, and Athletes. Be a PPO season subscriber to get an exclusive 20 percent discount. Email salesandpromotions@
For more updates on the PPO’s performances, visit the CCP’s website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph. Check out the CCP and PPO’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more information on future events.
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