The Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO), under the baton of Jeffrey Solares, recently achieved remarkable success in two prominent European music competitions.
On July 4, 2024 the MSJO won the Gold Award and the Grand Prix at the 6th Bratislava International Music Festival in Slovakia, triumphing over 17 ensembles from around the globe. With an impressive score of 99 points, they were the only orchestra to receive the Grand Prix.
Just three days later, on July 7, the MSJO continued their winning streak by taking First Place in the String Orchestra Category at the 16th Summa Cum Laude International Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. Held in the prestigious Golden Hall of the Musikverein, this year’s festival is one of the most distinguished events for young musicians, drawing over 2,000 participants from 14 countries and 38 ensembles.
For their homecoming concert last August 7, the MJSO performed Conrado del Rosario’s composition “Mahal (Malugud)” for String Orchestra for its Philippine premiere performance. Mahal was received enthusiastically by the orchestra members and audience at the sold out SRO Ayala Museum in Makati. Future performances are planned.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼 ‘𝗧𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘀’ 𝗗𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼
Angeles City native Conrado del Rosario’s musical odyssey began at the University of the Philippines. His mentors included luminaries like Lucio San Pedro and Francisco
Feliciano, who helped shaped his distinguished career as a musician, composer, and arranger in Manila’s music scene.
Del Rosario’s versatility shines across genres, from orchestral to jazz. His String Quartet No.1’s victory at the League of Filipino Composers Chamber Music Composition Competition in 1982 enabled him further studies at the Berlin University of the Arts where Isang Yun and Witold Szalonek refined his artistry.
Accolades adorned Del Rosario’s path. He won at International Composition Competitions like the Hambacher, Hitzacker and Irino and recognition from the Berlin Cultural Senate. His compositions reverberated globally, and his educational influence
extended to institutions like the Berlin-Charlottenburg Musikschule and Berlin University of the Arts.
In 1989, he co-founded BICE (Berlin Improvising Composers Ensemble), demonstrating his prowess as both composer and performer. His passion for jazz and collective improvisation led to the KAPAMU Jazz Collective’s establishment and the Sunlag Bamboo Music Ensemble.
Awards continued to grace his journey, including the 2017 Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award in the Arts and the 2022 Aliw Award for Best Performing Group for KapaMu Jazz Collective.
