Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra Bags 1st Place at Vienna Music Festival
The Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO), led by their conductor Jeffrey Solares, introduces themselves before the crowd at the Summa Cum Laude Gala Winners Concert. (Vienna PE photo)
VIENNA 20 July 2018 – The Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO) won First Place at the 12th Summa Cum Laude Youth Music Festival, which ran from 06 to 10 July 2018.
The MSJO, which participated for the second consecutive year, tied for First Place with Outstanding Success with Jerusalem Conservatory Hassadna String Orchestra in the String Orchestras category.
The win comes after the ensemble’s second place finish in last year’s edition of the festival.
The back-to-back victory of the MSJO were both under the baton of Jeffrey Solares, the excutive director and consuctor of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.
Twenty-eight vocal and instrumental ensemles from twelve countries competed at the Festival.
Prior to the competition, the ensemble played before a crowd at MuTH, the theater of the Vienna Boys Choir, where they were met with rousing applause and standing ovation after their rendition of standards and three pieces all composed by Filipinos.
The Philippine Embassy in Vienna, led by Ambassador to Austria Maria Cleofe R. Natividad, showed their support to the junior orchestra in their performances.
Recognizing the talent of the members of the ensemble, the Ambassador assured Solares and the major patron of the junior orchestra, Mr. Ernesto Echauz of Standard Insurance Co. Inc., of the Embassy’s assistance should they need it, especially in linking them to Austrian institutions that offer grants to young musicians. END
Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad apprises Mr. Jeffrey Solares and Mr. Ernesto Echauz of the available grants Austrian institutions are offering to budding musicians. (Vienna PE photo)
Ambassador to Austria Maria Cleofe R. Natividad, and Deputy Chief Mission and Consul General Sulpicio M. Confiado pose with the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra after their concert and before the competition, for posterity. (Vienna PE photo)
For more information, visit www.viennape.dfa.gov.ph / www.philippine-embassy.ator @pevienna on Twitter