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.

A musical journey with Raffi Kasparian

Dr. Raffi Kasparian

A musical odyssey narrating the evolution of western classical music spanning four centuries was presented by American pianist and mathematician Dr. Raffi Kasparian in various cities and campuses in the country recently.

Entitled Tones Through Time: A Musical Odyssey, this lecture/performance tour was presented by the Silaw Foundation as part of its outreach program in the country, led by its founder, Joyce Kasparian, Dr. Kasparian’s wife.

One of the tour's stops was at the Far Eastern University where the FEU community and guests were treated to an afternoon of piano music sprinkled with music history at the equally historic FEU Auditorium.

Tones was like a guided tour through various music eras starting from the Baroque, moving into the Classical, the Romantic, the Impressionistic up to the 20th Century, and more.

Before playing the pieces, Kasparian introduced music elements and concepts that characterized each of the eras. He also played on the piano short phrases to demonstrate how these elements and concepts are applied musically. Hearing bits of the music served as cues that guided the audience, giving them a better appreciation of the music performed in its entirety,

The Baroque pieces performed included Johann Sebastian Bach's Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772 ,François Couperin's Les Barricades Mystérieuses, and Domenico Scarlatti's Sonata in D minor K. 517 with Kasparian emphasizing the concept of polyphony.

Moving on the Classical period, Kasparian tackled homophony and the period's adherence to form and structure that enables the music to tell a story. And a story did Kasparian tell with his playing of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Fantasia in D minor, K.397 that had a clear finale and Ludwig van Beethoven's Rondo a capriccio in G major, Op. 129 'Rage Over a Lost Penny' highlighting its repeated rondo theme.

Dr. Raffi Kasparian

Form and structure took a step back to give way to lush harmonies and emotional expression during the Romantic era with Franz Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 in A-flat major, S.541/R.211 being a prime example. This period also saw national and folk idioms figure more in music as composers reacted to historic events unfolding at the time. Frédéric Chopin's yearning for his home country Poland led him to compose mazurkas and polonaises, including Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 'Heroic'  during his self-imposed self exile in France.

Kasparian then explained that during the Impressionistic period, mood prevailed with harmony becoming more ambiguous as exemplified in Alexander Scriabin's Poème in F-sharp major, Op. 32, No. 1 and Claude Debussy's Voiles.

As the music progressed to the 20th century, Kasparian mentioned that harmonies and rhythm during this time had become so complex that even a dissonant chord resolves tension in a musical phrase. To give the audience examples of this and more, he performed Samuel Barber's Nocturne, Op. 33 'Homage to John Field', the Allegretto and Sostenuto from Béla Bartók's Suite, Op. 14, Sz. 62, BB 70, and Alfredo Ginastera's Danza del gaucho matrero from his Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2.

During the early part of the 20th Century, Popular (Pop) music came to the fore. Not as serious compared to the music that came before, pop music is more for entertainment and  Scott Joplin's aptly titled The Entertainer fits the bill. And when ragtime fell out of fashion, Jazz emerged. Kasparian then played some jazz chords to show how harmonies have evolved throughout the centuries. A composer whose work spanned both popular and jazz styles was George Gershwin and Kasparian included Gershwin's Three Preludes in the program.

It was inevitable that western classical music would eventually find its way to Philippine shores and that locals would compose works in a similar vein. One such work is Mayon Fantasy by Francisco Buencamino, Sr. that contained elements from various music eras. Kasparian received an enthusiastic response from the audience that after the Buencamino, he obliged with an encore of Johann Sebastian Bach and Charles Gounod's Ave Maria. This was a full circle moment since it was this piece that served as the opener during his last performance at the FEU with the Manila Symphony Orchestra back in 2019.