How does one build up an orchestra?

Community orchestras are built from the grassroots aspirations of a communal musical experience, one shared by both musicians and listeners alike. While their beginnings may be meager, their musical journey serves as milestones of a community’s musical desires, and perhaps a refinement and maturity of musical tastes.

On the afternoon and evening of Aug. 21, the Iloilo Community Orchestra, augmented by two choirs, made their debut concert, held at the Performance Hall of the University of the Philippines–Visayas’ Museum of Art and Cultural Heritage. Regaling Ilonggo music enthusiasts who have been clamoring for so long for an orchestra they can claim as their own, the musicians showcased the best that locally honed talent and technical musicality can offer, rightly eliciting a standing ovation at the end of the program.