MANILA, Philippines - In a workshop of a well-known luthier in Italy, during a year where music reigned and the arts the talk of town, a cello is born. The whereabouts of Andrea Guarneri’s 1674 creation was mostly unknown, commissioned by a rich patron perhaps, but 300 years later, the cello has more than outlived its first master, and it’s here to captivate the Manila audience once more.
Previously owned by Derek Simpson, this cello has been used in the recording of the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby and Strawberry Fields. But in 2007, this 340-year-old beauty has found itself in the hands of Richard Bamping, and it’s been such a good match for the two, that them having found each other can be considered fate.
Richard is a cellist from Manchester who has been living in the eastern part of the globe for the past 20 years, Hong Kong to be exact, playing as the principal cellist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been invited to play with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside his colleague and very good friend, the Maestro Gerard Salonga.
Richard has been invited by Gerard last 2010 to play with the then FilharmoniKa. When asked about Richard’s performance during that concert, Gerard says, “He made a tremendous impression the last time he was here. His charm and musicality captivates the audience, and it’s something Filipinos can relate to. He’s a perfect example of how good a musician can be.”
Richard is set to perform the piece that made him want to be a cellist in the first place: Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto. The program also includes Brahms’ Tragic Overture and Symphony No. 1.
Richard’s performance with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra will be tomorrow, Sept. 20 at the BDO Francisco Santiago Hall. Tickets are available at all Ticketworld outlets and online. You may also call the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra at 415-2272 loc. 2409 or at 0937-4103242.