The former musical director and conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Maestro Ruggero Barbieri, passed away on March 20, 2022 at age 60, in his native Italy. He was from Bergamo.
He suffered aneurysm in the brain and died at the Pope John XXX111 Hospital in Bergamo.
Barbieri with the PPO (Photo from Pablo Tariman)
Barbieri was musical director and conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra from 1996 to 2004.
He loved the PPO and the Philippines. He made many lasting friendships here. “He considered his stay in the Philippines as the best years of his life,” said arts patron and CCP board member Nedy Tantoco, the chair of Rustan’s.
From 2005 to 2019 he would come every year to the Philippines to be the conductor of the PPO in the Christmas Concert at Peninsula Manila. It was an occasion Filipinos looked forward to and Barbieri always played to a full and enthusiastic house. He was scheduled to return this year to conduct the Christmas concert.
He is survived by son Piolo and sisters Daniela and Federica.
