World-renowned cellist joins Gerard Salonga in one-night-only concert with FILharmoniKA

MANILA, Philippines - Critically acclaimed cellist Richard Bamping arrived in Manila this week for a one-night-only concert with Gerard Salonga and FILharmoniKA tonight at 8 at the Philam Life Auditorium.

Bringing with him his priceless Guarneri cello, Richard Bamping, who is currently the principal cellist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, is playing FILharmoniKA’s Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in his very special performance. FILharmoniKA, with music director Gerard conducting, will play Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191 and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade Op. 35.

Bamping has played all over Europe, the US and Asia to critical acclaim. He was chosen by Leonard Bernstein as his principal cellist for the first ever Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, in 1991. Over the past two years, he has also completed several tours of China with composer Tan Dun performing his Map tone poem and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon concerto for cello and orchestra.

Salonga, whom Bamping performed with several times in Hong Kong, says, “This promises to be a rare treat for Filipino music lovers. Unlike decades past, we don’t get a lot of really world-class musicians visiting Manila anymore. The opportunity to listen to someone like Richard Bamping is something people shouldn’t miss, whether or not they know what a cello is or know what classical music is about. I first met him in February 2008, when Lea was invited to perform with the HKPO. I was her conductor, and Richard was the principal cellist for the concerts that weekend. I was of course immediately star struck by his playing, and he is such a gracious and kind man, he’s one of the people in that orchestra who made me feel very welcome and comfortable. I was later invited to conduct the HKPO again that December, and again the following May. It was after that May concert that I went out with the musicians for a drink, and we got talking about Rick coming to visit Manila to perform. Right away he said that he would love to come over and play the Dvorak, and from there it was just a matter of finding a week for him to come over. He’s actually taking a week off from the HKPO just to come and play here with us.”

Bamping’s cello, which he is bringing over for the concert, is a 1674 Guarneri, made by Andrea Guarneri, the master luthier who taught Antonio Stradivari. “It is one of only 14 which were made by Andrea Guarneri,” says Bamping. “There are only eight cellos left in existence now — the others having been lost over the centuries. I always wonder where the cello has been in the last 330 years, who has played it and how did it survive all those wars? It has a very specific character and has helped me to develop my own during the last four years since I became it’s guardian. I bet it’s the first time the cello has visited Manila!”

For details, call Ticketworld at 891-9999 or call Sheila Marcos at 807-4433.