Da capo al fine: PPO announces 42nd Concert Season Modulatio

After what seemed like forever, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra finally announces the lineup for its 42nd Concert Season happening this September 2026 up to April 2027.

With PPO principal conductor/music director Grzegorz Nowak at the helm, the upcoming season, billed as Modulatio, will feature highlights such as a rare harp concerto performance, more envelope pushing Jeffrey Ching works, the rescheduled all-Shostakovich program, and the highly anticipated return to the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater stage.

“Our 42nd season is a celebration of Filipino talent, global artistry, and the power of music to connect us. Through the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, we bring the world to Manila and Filipino artistry to the forefront of the international stage,” said Kaye C. Tinga, the president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The season begins with Da Capo on September 25, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. The concert promises something new with the World Premiere performance of Jeffrey Ching's What Happens in Every Classical Piece Explained in 15 Minutes (Sinfoniettina on G-C for Mozart Orchestra) and the Asian Premiere performance of Carl Czerny's Symphony No. 6 in G minor. The evening will also have a sprinkling of the familar courtesy of Spanish pianist Martín García García tackling the ever popular Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 aka the Emperor Concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven.

From the top (da capo) up until the end (al fine), here is the PPO's 42nd Concert Season, Modulatio, in detail.

Concert I: Da Capo

September 25, 2026, 7:30 PM

Samsung Performing Arts Theater

Martín García García
Photo ©Fadil Berisha - NYC Photoshooting

Martín García García, piano

Grzergoz Nowak, conductor

Jeffrey Ching What Happens in Every Classical Piece Explained in 15 Minutes (Sinfoniettina on G-C for Mozart Orchestra) (World Premiere)

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'

Carl Czerny Symphony No. 6 in G minor (Asian Premiere)

Concert II: Elegance

October 16, 2026, 7:30 PM

Metropolitan Theater

Vien Ignacio

Vien Ignacio, harp

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

Redentor Romero Philippine Portraits

George Frideric Handel Harp Concerto in B flat major, Op. 4 No. 6

Zygmunt Noskowski Step (the Steppe), Op. 66

Concert III: Boléro

November 6, 2026, 7:30 PM

Samsung Performing Arts Theater

Kaycee galano

Kaycee Galano, violin

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

Claude Debussy Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun)

Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op. 61

Maurice Ravel

   Alborada del gracioso (Morning Song of the Jester)

   Boléro

Concert IV: Destiny

December 4, 2026, 7:30 PM

Samsung Performing Arts Theater

Mario Galeani

Mario Galeani, piano

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

Ludwig van Beethoven

   Overture from Egmont, Op. 84

   Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

   Symphony No.3 in E flat major, Op. 55, 'Eroica'

Concert V: Genesis

January 15, 2027, 7:30 PM

Samsung Performing Arts Theater

Natasha Paremski

Natasha Paremski, piano

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

Jeffrey Ching Journey to the Alps and Victor’s Meditation from the Opera, Frankenstein (World Premiere, revised version)

Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30

Jerry Dadap Symphony No. 5 The Wrath of Prakrti (nature) & Ragatmika-Bhakti (devotion) (World Premiere)

Concert VI: Resilience

February 12, 2027, 7:30 PM

Metropolitan Theater

Diomedes Saraza, Jr.

Diomedes Saraza Jr., violin

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

Dmitri Shostakovich

   Festive Overture, Op. 96

   Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 (99)

   Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

Concert VII: Visions

March 12, 2027, 7:30 PM

Metropolitan Theater

Ju-Young Baek

Ju-Young Baek, violin

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

Robert Schumann Overture from Manfred, Op. 115

Karol Szymanowski Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35

César Franck Symphony in D minor

Concert VIII: Da Capo

April 16, 2027, 7:30 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Dmytro Udovychenko

Dmytro Udovychenko, violin

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

Jeffrey Ching Lacrimosa, Sanctus, Benedictus, Osanna fragments from Mozart’s unfinished Requiem, K626 (World Premiere)

Edward Elgar Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61

Hector Berlioz Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14

A star is born: 17 year old violin phenom KayCee Galano steals show at PPO concert

Violinist KayCee Galano with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Seventeen year old violin phenomenon Kristine Clair “KayCee” Uchi Galano made her mark in the Philippine classical music scene with an outstanding debut with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yoshikazu Fukumura at the orchestra’s most recent season concert held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Kaycee, a late replacement for originally scheduled guest violinist Lee Chin Siow, delivered a performance of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 26 that defied her years. Her rendition was a well balanced mix of youthful vigor and elegant composure, with her handling phrases with clarity and finesse while not giving in to fatigue that has been the bane of most violinists around her age. And I can’t remember someone so young making double stops sound so sweet.

Her two encores, Niccolò Paganini’s Caprice No. 21 in A major, Op. 1 and Singaporean violinist Ning Kam’s jazzy/bluesy/rocking arrangement of John Newton’s Amazing Grace, brought the house down with the audience showering KayCee with loud cheers and thunderous applause.

Yoshikazu Fukumura with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

This was truly remarkable since prior to the concert, people were wondering who KayCee was since she was still a relative unknown among concertgoers. I just had to take the word of Gerard Salonga who had been singing her praises and claiming that she's the real deal some days leading to the concert. Apparently, KayCee has toured with Gerard and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra earlier this year so he definitely knew what he was talking about.

Such was the impact of KayCee’s performance that the rest of the concert, Hector Berlioz’ Le Corsaire Overture, Op. 21 and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36 almost felt like an afterthought. Listening to the dynamic Berlioz piece had me reeling with anticipation since I (and probably a lot of the audience present that night) wasn’t able to attend the season opener due to weather woes. And very likely spurred by KayCee, Fukumura led the PPO to an inspired take of the Tchaikovsky symphony.

Overall, the night really belonged to KayCee, and this memorable evening has somehow turned things around for the PPO’s 2018-2019 season that didn’t have the most ideal of starts due to the weather putting a damper at the opening night. KayCee may have been a late replacement in the program, but I wouldn’t be surprised if in the near future, she returns for another engagement with the PPO and this time with her as the headliner.