The DLSZ Symphony was formed in 1984 as an informal musical group, at the urging of Br. Raymond Bronowicz FSC, who was the Director of De La Salle-Santiago Zobel at that time and was tasked to play at important school functions and gatherings. After a few years, it was formally organized into an orchestra by Maestro Leoncio Molino. Since then, it has been known as the DLSZ Symphony Orchestra.
Past Conductors
Leoncio Molino
Aguedo Malabanan
Ryan Hernandez
Gerardo Fajardo
Tom Nazareno
Assistant Conductors
The Bandleader of the DLSZ Symphonic Band is concurrently the Assistant Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra. Past Assistant Conductors include:
Rodolfo Bangco, Jr.
Emmanuel Lalunio
Tom Nazareno
Melvin Rioveros
Nena Chavez
Linwell Lalic
Composition
The DLSZ Symphony Orchestra is composed of the following sections:
Membership to the Orchestra is open to all grade school and high school students of the school who have been members of the DLSZ Beginning Band or the DLSZ Beginning Strings. These two groups train grade school students in their preferred musical instrument and prepares them for subsequent membership to the Symphony Orchestra.
Performances
The repertoire of the Orchestra mostly consists of classical pieces complemented by contemporary and popular music. At present, the Orchestra continues to perform its original mandate of providing music for special events that are held on campus. It also plays at concerts during De La Salle Zobel's anniversary celebrations in November and at Christmas. Prior to the establishment of the school's Center for the Performing Arts, the Orchestra held a year-end concert in March. This has since been replaced by the Center's annual Performing Arts Festival in February, which also features the other performing groups of the school such as the DLSZ Chorale and the Rondalla Ensemble. Up until 2000, when the school presented annual musicals at theaters off campus, the Orchestra provided live music to the school plays. The last musical to be performed outside of the campus was Teach the World, a play, which was based on the life and times of St. John BaptistDe La Salle. In 2004, during the 25th-anniversary celebrations of De La Salle Zobel, the Orchestra once again provided music to Act 25, which was a revue of the past productions of the school. Besides performing at Lasallian schools in the Philippines, the DLSZ Symphony has also been invited to perform in other schools around Metro Manila. Recently, they were invited by Office of the Speaker Judith T, Won Pat in Guam's Performing Arts Festival Its rehearsal hall is located at the ground floor of De La Salle Zobel's Angelo King Center for the Performing Arts.
