There is sudden interest on Puccini after the 2022 staging of Turandot courtesy of the CCP, the Filipino Opera Society and the PPO Society, Inc.
A presscon at the National Museum September 18 announced Progetto (Project) Puccini described as a “groundbreaking initiative to promote and popularize opera in the Philippines.”
Progetto Puccini — spearheaded by Irene Marcos Araneta in cooperation with CCP and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) — takes place October 1-4 with a culminating concert at the Manila Metropolitan Theater.
The opera event is a series of opera master classes culminating in a concert celebrating the beloved Italian composer Giacomo Puccini on October 5 also at the Met.
To be sure, Puccini is no stranger to Filipino audiences who breath and live Italian operas from Verdi to Donizetti.
The first Filipino soprano to sing at the Met (Evelyn Mandac) sang a Puccini heroine, Lauretta, to good acclaim.
In the early 20s, the first Filipino to sing the title role of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly was no other than Maestra Isang Tapales who sang the part not in Manila but in Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, Italy in April 1924.
The year 1925 was the turn of Maestra Jovita Fuentes (a National Artist for Music) who sang Cio Cio San in a municipal theater of Piacenza, Italy.
Tapales’ other opera credentials include more than 300 performances of La Boheme (as Mimi), Pagliacci (as Nedda), and over a hundred engagements of the little-known opera Iris by Pietro Mascagni.
Maestra Tapales was the first Filipino to sing at Opera Comique in Paris, followed by her student Noel Velasco several decades later. She was also the first Filipino soprano to sing with such opera icons as Giacomo Lauri-Volpi and Beniamino Gigli, who inherited the crown of Caruso before the electronic age of Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.
Changing perception of opera as elitist
In the National Museum presscon, the Project Puccini organizers think opera has a reputation for being elitist or difficult to understand. In bringing the masterclass series to a diverse audience, they hope to change that perception.
Araneta recalled how she first witnessed the inaugural offering of the CCP—Lamberto Avellana’s musical Golden Salakot: Isang Dularawan. and later Walang Sugat zarzuela also at CCP. “It wasn’t until I was a young voice student that I realized how disciplined, musically focused, and athletic one had to be to perform in an opera. I loved the theater craft. There is the collaboration of myriad artists. You also have the combination of the music, the fabulous singing, scenography and stagecraft, creating a spectacle that can be breathtaking. One readily suspends disbelief and allows for dramatic license.”
The presidential sister knows why Filipinos connect easily with opera. “Filipinos love good music, melodrama, intrigue, romance, tragedy, gossip, comedy and spectacle. Teleseryes and sitcoms are a testament to that. And we have a very long history as an opera-loving country. We have created productions in various opera forms including the zarzuela, operetta and musicals. We Filipinos even constantly break into song in normal conversation. I think everyone ready to get past the old labels—elitista, burgis, high art—could enjoy the experience.”
The workshop will be conducted by distinguished Italian tenor Fabio Armiliato with vocal teacher Mariano Panico, diction coach Lorna Zaccaria and pianist John Florencio.
“Opera is an art form that transcends borders and it is in these moments of sharing and learning that we truly discover its power. In this collaboration, I have been delighted to uncover the exceptional talent of Filipino singers,” pointed out Amiliato.
CCP president Kay Tinga said she is excited to see this project unfold. “Progetto Puccini is a vital step in showcasing Filipino artistry and vocal excellence. It is not just an initiative to inspire but a celebration of artistry, a commitment to excellence and a tribute to the timelessness of the composer.”
CCP chair Jaime C. Laya said the project is a wise move to develop a new generation of singers and to elevate the country’s profile beyond traditional roles. “The Philippines is now known for construction workers and domestic helpers. This effort is a way to show we have other talents.”
After the October 5 culmination concert at the Met, the second phase of Progetto Puccini will feature performances of La Boheme at the Teatro Orfeo in Taranto, Italy from June 15-30, 2025.
Present in the launching of Progetto Puccini were the CCP board of trustees represented by Jonathan Velasco and Monino Duque and singers Camille Lopez Molina, Anna Migallos, Myramae Meneses, and Roby Malubay.
Progetto Puccini was launched in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Manila Metropolitan Theater, NAMCYA, the Arturo Toscanini Foundation, and the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation.
Meanwhile, tenor Arthur Espiritu, the country’s leading Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Boheme, is all set for a Baguio concert of Neapolitan favorites on Saturday, October 12 with guest artists Nerissa de Juan, Angeli Benipayo with pianist Gabriel Paguirigan.
From February to March 2025, Espiritu will debut at Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy in the title role of Faust under conductor Daniel Oren.
To reserve tickets for Baguio Oct. 12 concert, call 09209540053 or email: josephuy2004@yahoo.com.
