Manila Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Manila present joint season opener with Sleeping Beauty

The Manila Symphony Orchestra formally begins its Centennial Season by joining forces with Ballet Manila with the staging of the ballet Sleeping Beauty happening on March 13-15, 2026 at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex in Pasay.

Ballet Manila's Sleeping Beauty features the choreography of Lisa Macuja Elizalde, the company's Artistic Director and CEO Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and is the final installment of her Princess Trilogy following Cinderella and Snow White.

Shapira Drapete and Joshua Enciso

The music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky will be brought to life by the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Alexander Vikulov. The MSO, BM, and Vikulov have been frequent collaborators since 2011.

Music highlights of the ballet include the Rose Adagio and the popular Waltz known to most as Once Upon a Dream from the animated feature by Disney. Both the Tchaikovsky music, completed in 1899, and the ballet, premiered in 1890, predate by six decades the Disney adaptation that was released in 1959.

Alexander Vikulov

Another music highlight to look out for is Aurora's Variation featuring a special violin passage to be performed by MSO's concertmaster Alessio Benvenuti.

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Below is Manila Symphony Orchestra's updated Centennial Season Lineup.

Concert I: Centennial Opening: Sleeping Beauty

March 13-15, 2026

Aliw Theater

Ballet Manila

Alexander Vikulov, conductor

Concert II: From Mozart to Mahler

May 30, 2026

Proscenium Theater

Emanuel John Villarin, violin

Christian Wrona, viola

Joshua Dos Santos, conductor

Concert III: Concert Celebration: 80 Years of Filipino-American Friendship

July 4, 2026

Metropolitan Theater

Jeanne Marquez, violin

Jason Marquez, clarinet

Jose Lorenzo Reyna, Jr., conductor

Concert IV: Opera and Kundiman: The Legacy of Maestra Conching Rosal

August 29, 2026

FEU Auditorium

Rachelle Gerodias-Park, soprano

Michelle Mariposa, mezzo-soprano

Byeong In Park, baritone

Marlon Chen, conductor

Concert V: Cellist Camille Thomas with the MSO

October 24, 2026

Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University

Camille Thomas, cello

Marlon Chen, conductor

Concert VI: World Premiere: Filipino Master Composers

January 2027

Venue: TBA

New works by Ryan Cayabyab

Marlon Chen, conductor

Violinist Bartek Nizioł, pianist Junhee Kim join PPO for Romanza concert

For this Valentine's Day weekend already overflowing with multiple concerts happening all over the Metro, try something orchestral with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's Romanza this February 13, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit, Makati.

Joining PPO music director and principal conductor Maestro Grzegorz Nowak are violinist Bartek Nizioł and pianist Junhee Kim for an evening of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jeffrey Ching, Henryk Wieniawski, and Maurice Ravel.

Nizioł and Kim will be the soloists for Mozart's Concerto for Violin and Piano in D major, K. Anh. 56/315f. This unfinished piece from 1778 will be completed by Jeffrey Ching, the PPO's composer-in-residence. Romanza sees the world premiere of this Mozart/Ching work.

Nizioł will also have his shining moment on stage with Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22. Dedicated to celebrated Spanish violinist/composer Pablo de Sarasate, this work is one of the most enduring violin concertos of the Romantic era.

Bartek Nizioł

Violin prodigy Nizioł graduated from the Academy of Music in Poznań. He then resumed his education at the Conservatoire de Lausanne. Apart from winning the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition in 1991, Nizioł has coveted awards in several international violin competitions. Nizioł has spent nearly four decades as both a soloist and a chamber musician, with over 20 albums. On numerous occasions, he has performed and recorded with Maestro Nowak.

Rounding up the program is Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé: Suite No. 2 which is music extracted from the ballet of the same name. Stravinsky calls this "not only Ravel’s best work, but also one of the most beautiful products of all French music.”

After the PPO concert, Kim will have a solo recital on February 15, 2026, 7:00 PM at Manila Pianos at Ronac Lifestyle Building, Paseo de Roxas Magallanes, Makati. Prior to that, he is also scheduled to conduct a masterclass on February 14, 2026, 2:00 PM at Pacific Plaza in Makati.

Junhee Kim

South Korean pianist Kim is known for his stage presence, tone, and refined sense of repertoire. Fusing technical mastery with emotional clarity, his musical interpretations showcase fresh perspectives on the classical piano tradition. Currently, Kim curates long-term projects for the Santa Barbara International Music Festival in Sardinia as its artistic director.

In 2025, he commissioned Ching for a reimagined version of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with piano and premiered it at a festival. He later focused on Franz Liszt’s lesser-known compositions and worked with WDR 3 to release Apparitions on Deutsche Grammophon.

February 2026 concerts at a glance

January 2026 saw more than a dozen concerts happening in Metro Manila and it just continues in February. With the National Arts Month, Valentine's Day, and the Lunar New Year all happening this month, there's an abundance of events lined up.

February 1, 2026

Duo Zaher Concert

Duo Zaher

Sara Zaher, guitar

Sanaz Zaher, guitar

February 1, 2026, 4:00 PM

Corazon Aquino Hall

St. Scholastica's College Manila

Orchestra of the Filipino Youth

Triumphs of Tchaikovsky

Gavril Tiburcio, violin

Gerard Salongs, conductor

Orchestra of the Filipino Youth

February 1, 2026, 5:00 PM

Proscenium Theater

February 5, 2026

Cinema Paradiso Al Fresco

Alessio Benvenuti, violin

Mariel Ilusorio, piano

February 6. 2026, 6:30 PM

MiraNila Heritage House and Library

February 13, 2026

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Concert VI: Romanza

Bartek Nizioł, violin

Junhee Kim, piano

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

February 13, 2026, 7:30 PM

Samsung Performing Arts Theater

February 15, 2026

Junhee Kim Concert

Junhee Kim, piano

February 15, 2026, 7:00 PM

Manila Pianos Showroom, Makati

February 19, 2026

Kundiman After Dark

Ervin Lumauag, tenor

Shiho Takashima, violin

Augusto Espino, piano

February 19, 2026, 7:00 PM

Sine Pop, Cubao

51st International Bamboo Organ Festival

Gala

Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club

Manila Baroque Ensemble

Toshiyuki Shibata, flute

Anton Luis Avila, guitar

Andres Cea Galan, organ

Eudenice Palaruan, conductor

February 19, 2026, 8:00 PM

Bamboo Organ Church

February 20-21, 2026

51st International Bamboo Organ Festival

Treasures of the Baroque

Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club

Manila Baroque Ensemble

Toshiyuki Shibata, flute

Anton Luis Avila, guitar

Andres Cea Galan, organ

Eudenice Palaruan, conductor

February 20-21, 2026, 8:00 PM

Bamboo Organ Church

February 23, 2026

51st International Bamboo Organ Festival

Organ Recital

Andrés Cea Galán, organist

February 23, 2026, 8:00 PM

Bamboo Organ Church and Johann Trummer Auditorium

February 25, 2026

51st International Bamboo Organ Festival

Spem in Alium

Aleron

Collegium Vocale Manila

Armando Salarza, organist

Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng, conductor

February 25, 2026, 8:00 PM

San Ezekiel Moreno Oratory

February 28, 2026

51st International Bamboo Organ Festival

Spem in Alium

Aleron

Collegium Vocale Manila

Armando Salarza, organist

Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng, conductor

February 28, 2026, 2026, 8:00 PM

Hyundai Hall, Areté

Ateneo de Manila University

51st International Bamboo Organ Festival

Night of My Favorites

Banda San Jose

February 28, 2026, 2026, 8:00 PM

Bamboo Organ Church Patio

MSO's 100th Anniversary Concert: A celebration of Beethoven and Cayabyab

Muyu Liu, Darrell Ang, and the Manila Symphony Orchestra
Photo ©Manila Symphony Orchestra

Back in January 22, 1926, a newly formed symphony orchestra under the leadership of Alexander Lippay gave its first concert at the Manila Grand Opera House This orchestra eventually became known as the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO). And exactly a century later to the date, the MSO celebrated this milestone with the 100th Anniversary Concert held at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater.

Joining the MSO in this concert are pianist Muyu Liu, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and conductors Darrell Ang and Mark Anthony Carpio.

Prior to the concert, MSO's Executive Director Jeffrey Solares gave a walking tour about the history of the MSO, occasionally stopping by old photographs, souvenir programs, and other documents and artifacts that were on display at the lobby. The Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra also gave a short performance to cap the walking tour.

Muyu Liu opened the concert proper with Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 which is also known as the Emperor Concerto. Beethoven music has been regularly performed at the MSO's early concerts and this concerto was no exception. As if totally embracing her part in this once in a century event, Muyu Liu exuded joy with her take on the Emperor Concerto. With an ever present smile, her rendition was celebratory and triumphant befitting the occasion.

Philippine Madrigal Singers, Mark Anthony Carpio,
and the Manila Symphony Orchestra
Photo ©Manila Symphony Orchetsra

The other Beethoven work programmed, Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b, was a music throwback to the 1926 concert where this work was performed as the finale. It was expected that this overture would open 2026 concert for a full circle moment but it ushered in the second half instead. Seeing how dynamic and exciting Darrell Ang was on the podum, one would quickly realize that it would've been a crime if he was partially obstructed by the piano onstage while conducting this Beethoven showpiece.

The remainder of the program was devoted to sacred music by Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist for Music, with the MSO now joined by the Philippine Madrigal Singers and Mark Anthony Carpio conducting. The performance of Cayabyab's Sanctus and Gloria from Misa 2000 with the Te Deum tucked in between, transported the audience to a virtual cathedral with the double chorus of the 80 member-strong Madz reverberating inside the theater.

Jeffrey Solares and the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra

The MSO's 100th Anniversary Concert looked back at the orchestra's beginnings when Beethoven figured prominently in its early concerts. And it also served as a reminder that in the MSO's century of existence, the orchestra has been shaping Philippine music history and continues to do so by championing Filipino works as evidenced by the Cayabyab music.