La Scala tenor debuts in Manila on Aug. 14

MANILA, Philippines - Klassical Music Foundation, in partnership with Bosendorfer, ROS Music Center, Vibal Publishing, and Philippine Artistic Ventures Organization, presents Viva Bel Canto, a bel canto style performance of different arias by tenor Arthur Espiritu with soprano Rachelle Gerodias accompanied by pianist Najib Ismail. The performance opens on Aug. 14 at 8 p.m. at the Philam Life Auditorium in Manila.

Viva Bel Canto — long live beautiful singing — features different arias from famous operas such as Tosti, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola, L’elisir d’amore, Noli Me Tangere, Cosi Fan Tutte, Mireille and Romeo et Juliette.

Winner of the Teatro alla Scala award, Espiritu sang Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte in Milan. He is the first Filipino tenor to perform at La Scala di Milan since 1928.

Gerodias is one of the country’s most sought-after sopranos, receiving her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Vocal Literature from the famed Eastman School of Music, in Rochester New York. She has a Professional diploma in Operatic studies from the prestigious Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. At the Hong Kong Acedemy of Performing Arts, under the tutelage of Gabriel Kwok and Nancy Loo, Najib Ismail received scholarship awards from the Duchess of Kent and the Society of the Academy of the Performing Arts.

Tickets are priced at P1000 for center orchestra, P800 for left and right orchestra, and P500 for lege. For details, call JV Castro 586-7187 or 0917-831-8353.