DOHA: The Philippine-based 68-piece Orchestra of the Filipino Youth (OFY) is set to fly to Qatar to stage its Middle East debut with two performances expected to enthrall musicophiles in Doha later this month.
Under the baton of Venezuelan conductor Joshua Dos Santos, the orchestra comprising young music scholars as young as six mostly from less privileged families will play a mix of classical and contemporary masterpieces by Western and Filipino composers.
Doha audiences will be treated to a wide-ranging repertoire including Russian composer and pianist Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 12,” contemporary Mexican composer Arturo Marquez’s “Danzon No. 2,” Cuban musician and composer Perez Prado’s “Mambo No. 8” and “Que Rico Mambo,” Filipino singer and composer Rey Valera’s “Kahit Maputi na Ang Buhok Ko,” and Italian opera composer Giuseppi Verdi’s “Nabucco Overture” from his 1841 four-act opera.
Established by nongovernment organization Ang Misyon, Orchestra of the Filipino Youth is composed of young musicians chosen from different existing ensembles and are spread throughout the Philippines.
The orchestra has performed to capacity crowds in various venues around the Philippines including Iloilo, Isabela, Dumaguete, Laguna and Metro Manila. Their shows in Malaysia and the United States were a big draw met with rapturous standing ovations by audiences.
The “OFY Qatar Tour 2018” concerts will be held at Qatar National Library on October 25 at 5pm and at Katara Opera House on October 26 at 7pm. While both concerts are free to the public, prior registration is required for the Katara concert which can be done through Katara’s website.
