MANILA, Philippines?When the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, yes, there will be a tribute to its founder, Imelda Marcos??Dahil sa Iyo,? a gala event on Sept. 11 to be directed by Dulaang UP stalwart Alex Cortez.

But it might seem to be an anticlimactic follow-up to the ?CCP 40th Anniversary Gala? to be held three nights before that, on Sept. 8, under the artistic direction of CCP old-timer Monino Duque.

This anniversary gala will bring together five of the country?s orchestras??melded into one great musical instrument,? promise the CCP bigwigs?under the baton of Maestro Oscar Yatco.

After the first part of the evening, the orchestras will be joined by classical singers, both soloists and chorales, in a rendition of Ryan Cayabyab?s masterpiece, ?Misa.?

Then popular singers and dancers will go onstage with contemporary music pieces.

Here?s a tip: At the finale, hundreds of goblets will be distributed for a grand anniversary toast.

But that?s not all. ?From morning to evening, the CCP will resonate with the sounds of music and song??as well as exhibitions and multimedia displays.

And that?s just the Sept. 8 gala.

The year-round festivities will begin with a bang on Feb. 1, during the annual CCP Pasinaya. It?s the usual open-house festival at the CCP during National Arts Month, when resident companies?Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Ballet Philippines, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Philippine Ballet Theatre, The Philippine Madrigal Singers, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Tanghalang Pilipino, the UST Symphony Orchestra, and the Namcya (National Music Competitions for Young Artists)?will give a ?sneak peek? of their upcoming season.

?It will be a grand launch,? said Carmencita Bernardo, head of the CCP?s Outreach Program and officer-in-charge of the February and March festivities.

?Besides the previews, we will have ?art zones? on music, dance, theater, crafts and culinary arts not just inside the CCP but also all over the CCP Complex, and even in nearby localities,? she pointed out.

The usual CCP tours during the Pasinaya will also be conducted, but this time the tours will be led by personalities from the academe, the business community, architecture and new technology.
Cornerstone laying

The highlight of the launch is a cornerstone-laying ceremony at the front lawn of the CCP, led by National Artists and Gawad CCP Awardees.

On Feb. 6-8, the ?Dance Gala? at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) will unfold, a spectacular showcase of the country?s outstanding dance groups that will exhibit their prowess in folk dance, ballet, contemporary dance, and even streetdance.

On Feb. 7, a special light-and-sound show will drape the CCP façade in various skins focusing on the different themes of the year-round celebration: ?Excellence of Filipino Artists and Original Filipino Works? in February and March; ?Regional Cultural Empowerment: A Flourishing of the Arts in the Regions? in April and May; ?Brave New Works: Original Filipino Creations? in June and July; and ?Artistic Excellence? on the later months of the year.

?Gabi ng Musikang Pilipino: A Rendezvous with National Artists? on Feb. 13 (8 p.m., also at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo) is the sixth-season concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO). To be conducted by Agripino Diestro, the PPO will present a varied array of musical styles featuring the works of National Artists Felipe de Leon, Antonino Buenaventura, Lucio San Pedro and Lucrecia Kasilag, or ?Tita King,? the first CCP president.

On Feb. 27-28 is ?The CCP 2009 National Arts Month Production and 40th Anniversary Launching Gala,? under the artistic direction of Monino Duque. It is billed as ?a concert that celebrates everything outstanding in the Filipino??presenting Filipino music ranging from kundiman/harana to sarswela/musicales, operas and OPM, performed by the country?s top artists whose careers were nurtured by the CCP in the last 40 years.

Throughout the month, Tanghalang Pilipino will restage its hit comedy ?ZsaZsa Zaturnah (Ze MuZikal)? at Tanghalang Huseng Batute (Experimental Studio Theater). Based on the comic book of Carlo Vergara, the musical is an uproarious romp through Pinoy pop culture, with a decidedly gay perspective.

The best of the CCP?s visual-arts collection in the past four decades will be exhibited for the first time for public viewing in ?Suddenly Turning Visible,? which will run in all the CCP galleries and the fourth-floor hallway for the whole month of February.

And spread out in late February and March, the CCP will present the notable productions of some of the country?s most accomplished performing arts groups, namely, the Philippine Barangay Folk Dance Troupe, Leyte Kalipayan Dance Troupe, Integrated Performing Arts Guild, Sining Kambayoka of Marawi City, Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas, Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation Inc. of Malolos, Bulacan; Novo Concertante, Della Besa and Anamaria de Guzman, and Gina Medina and Mary Anne Espina.

New works

In June and July, new original works will be showcased in the following: ?Rainbow Festival? (June 11-13), a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities; ?Virgin Labfest 5? (June 24-July 5), where playwrights collaborate with directors, actors and designers in staging their untried, untested and unpublished works; ?Wi-Fi Body Independent Contemporary Dance Festival? (back to back with Virgin Labfest), a menu of cutting-edge new works by the country?s most exciting choreographers; and ?Music Underkunstruktion? (July 15), a co-production with the Metro Manila Symphony Orchestra.

Throughout June will be a calendar of literary performances.

Also in July are the Thirteen Artists Awards and Exhibit and the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition.

Other events at this time are the Zensa-Berlin and the International Choral Competition.