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.

FEU Center for the Artsstages Walang Sugat sarswela on Feb. 4

In celebration of Far Eastern University’s 98th founding anniversary, the FEU Center for the Arts (FCA) proudly presents Walang Sugat on February 4, 2026, 5:30 PM at the FEU Auditorium.

First performed in 1902, Walang Sugat is a sarswela written by Severino Reyes with music by Fulgencio Tolentino set during the Philippine revolution towards the end of the 19th century.

This special production features arrangements and additional music by Josefino Toledo, an FEU Outstanding Alumnus.

Under the direction of Alegria O. Ferrer from the University of the Philippines College of Music, the production brings to life one of the most beloved works in Philippine theater.

The musical direction will be led by Roijin Suarez, Artistic Director of the FEU Chorale.

The cast is composed of both current students and alumni from the FEU Chorale, FEU Theater Guild, and FEU Guides, highlighting the University’s diverse artistic community.

The production will also feature special performances from the FEU Bamboo Band, FEU Dance Company, FEU Theater Guild, FEU Drum and Bugle Corps, and FEU Drummers.

This landmark staging not only celebrates FEU’s 98th year of excellence in education and culture but also commemorates the anniversary of the shot that started the Filipino American War on February 4, 1898.

Walang Sugat revolves around the love story of Tenyong and Julia during the time of revolution. While Tenyong takes up arms in the fight for the nation’s freedom, Julia is confronted with pressure and opposition from her family and the church because of her love for him. Through their story, the sarswela depicts the sacrifices demanded by the struggle for independence and the deep wounds left by war and colonization.

Admission for Walang Sugat is for free. Register through the QR code or via the link below.

https://forms.office.com/r/TLQwAUQYBF

Asia Butoh Gathering 2026 all set for Feb. 6-8

This February 6-8, 2026, Butoh practitioners across Asia convene in Manila for the Asia Butoh Gathering 2026 (AGB 2026). Attendees from Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines will gather for the three-day festival consisting of performances, workshops, film screenings, roundtable conversations, and lecture-presentations.

Butoh is an avant-garde dance from originating in Japan during the postwar era. Founded by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno, Butoh is characterized by the grotesque, contorted yet precise movements of the dancers usually in white face and body paint. This artform, straddling the line between dance and theater, has taken a foothold on the rest of the world with Sasa Cabalquinto pioneering Butoh in the Philippines. Cabalquinto, the founder of Kapwa Movement, serves as Festival Director and Program Curator of the Asia Butoh Gathering. 

Sasa Cabalquinto

Rooted in cultural exchange and dialogue, the Asia Butoh Gathering honors the powerful legacy of Japanese Butoh while opening space for regional voices shaped by distinct social, political, and ecological contexts. The festival creates an environment where artists meet across borders to share embodied practices, engage in critical conversations, and explore how Butoh continues to transform across Asia today.

Through performances exploring themes of ecology, ancestry, land, and gender; roundtable discussions on ethics, lineage, and decoloniality; and lecture-presentations tracing Butoh’s historical and contemporary intersections, ABG 2026 holds space for both critical discourse and embodied practice, inviting artists and audiences alike into processes of reflection, exchange, and movement.

The 2026 edition of the Asia Butoh Gathering coincides with the 70th anniversary of Japan–Philippines diplomatic relations, marking a significant moment for cultural collaboration. The festival honors historical ties while fostering new solidarities across Asia, embodying the spirit of kapwa—the shared self and interconnectedness—as an ethical ground for creating, remembering, and imagining together.

Moving Roots, Moving Cultures

Under the banner Moving Roots, Moving Cultures, the festival recognizes Butoh not only as a form born in Japan but as a living, evolving ecology of practices across Asia. Bound by different lands and cultural histories, participating artists reflect on lineage, transmission, and transformation, honoring Butoh’s origins while celebrating how it has rooted, grown, and continues to move through diverse communities.

Curatorial Frame: Butoh in the Time of Ecological Crisis

ABG 2026 unfolds within the curatorial frame Butoh in the Time of Ecological Crisis, responding to a world shaped by environmental collapse and renewal. At the center of the festival is the performance program Falling Earth, Moving Sky, a reflection on the earth as home—undergoing cycles of descent and regeneration.

The program begins with Falling Earth, evoking gestures of extinction, grief, and collapse, and culminates in Moving Sky, where bodies search for new forms of flight, kinship, and repair. Suspended at the heart of the stage is the image of a floating, uprooted tree—both wounded and alive—serving as a shared symbolic space that holds the tension between loss and persistence, decay and resilience.

Butoh practitioners participating at the Asia Butoh Gathering include Tenko Ima, Yuko Kawamoto, Kae Ishimoto from Japan, Sineenadh Ketprapai from Thailand, Vinci Mok from Hong Kong, Xue from Singapore, Lee Swee Keong from Malaysia, Ramoo Hong from South Korea, Hu Chia from Taiwan, Ari Rudenko and Sofyan Joyo Utomo from Indonesia, and Sasa Cabalquinto from the Philippines.

Festival Highlights

February 6, 2026

Opening Program: Moving Roots, Moving Cultures

1:00–5:00 PM Roundtable Conversations on Butoh in Asia

WhyNot Manila, 4th Floor Karrivin Studios, Chino Roces Ave Extension, Makati | Hybrid | FREE

Speakers from Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines

Moderator: Katrina Stuart Santiago

Opening Keynote: Anton Juan

7:00–9:30 PM Butoh Workshop by Yuko Kawamoto

WhyNot Manila, 4th Floor Karrivin Studios, Chino Roces Ave Extension, Makati | On-site | FREE (limited slots)

February 7, 2026

Film Screening and Documenting Archives: Japanese Butoh to Asia

1:00-2:30 PM The Utter Darkness Version of Princess Kaguya

3:00- 3:40 PM History of Butoh in Japan and Tatsumi Hijikata Archives

3:45-4:25 PM Lecture Presentation: Byakko Sha's Southeast Asian Tour

4:30-5:00 PM Asia Butoh Tree Project

WhyNot Manila, 4th Floor Karrivin Studios, Chino Roces Ave Extension, Makati | On-site | FREE

Lecture-presentations by Kae Ishimoto, Tenko Ima, and Yuko Kawamoto

Moderator: Rina Corpus

7:00–9:00 PM Butoh Fu Online Lecture by Kae Ishimoto

WhyNot Manila, 4th Floor Karrivin Studios, Chino Roces Ave Extension, Makati Hybrid | FREE

February 8, 2026

6:00–10:00 PM Closing Program: Falling Earth, Moving Sky

Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC | On-site | Ticketed

Moderator: Jaya Jacobo

Ticketing Information

Early Bird (until Jan 31, 2026): ₱800

General Admission: ₱1,000

Student / PWD: ₱800

Student / PWD: ₱600 (with Early Bird)

Register and purchase tickets here: https://forms.gle/maRWpuuWsfk9ZvRs5

Asia Butoh Gathering 2026 is presented by Kapwa Movement and the Japan Foundation, Manila.

Szymon Nehring's Chopin dazzles at PPO's 2026 opener

Jeffrey Ching, Glober, Calambro, Andión Fernandez, Diomedes Saraza Jr.
Grzegorz Nowak, Szymon Nehring, Jonathan Velasco, and Dennis Marasigan

Back in October 2025, music lovers had their fill of Frédéric Chopin's music while the XIX International Chopin Piano Competition was underway. The devoted were glued to the livestreams during unholy hours while those valued sleep opted to watch the uploaded videos later on. But nothing still beats watching a well performed Chopin, especially one of his piano concertos, live. Thankfully, Polish pianist Szymon Nehring was recently in town for the latest concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), thus able to fulfill that craving for a live Chopin performance.

For his stint with the PPO, Nehring harkened back to his days as a finalist at the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition back in 2015 by performing Chopin's Piano Concerto in E minor, Op. 11, the same piece he played at the competition's final round. Under the baton of Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, Nehring dazzled with his familiar and comfortable take on Chopin. He generated excitement through his impeccable musicality especially with his elegant phrasing of the second movement Romanze. His technical mastery was also on full display at the third movement Rondo that prompted some audience members to applaud even before the final note of the orchestra ended.

An étude or any of Chopin's miniatures would've sufficed for an encore, but Nehring felt very generous performed Chopin's Grande polonaise brillante, Op.22 instead. This felt like received a belated Christmas gift even though it's halfway past January already.

Fortunately, the PPO stepped up to the plate and kept up with Nehring. Gone are the tiny slips that occasionally plague the orchestra and ultimately distract from the overall performance. There were no indications that the PPO came from the long holiday break.

The PPO were on top form probably because they were kept on their toes by the Jeffrey Ching piece that opened the concert. Ching's avant-garde works, to put it lightly, have challenged audience and orchestra members alike with their complex musical language that local audiences aren't used to. Surprisingly, the Ching work that opened the concert, Fenghuang Singing, is one of his more accessible works.

Grzegorz Nowak and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

The piece had soprano Andión Fernandez and trumpeter Glober Calambro, positioned among the audience at the orchestra section, engage in a musical conversation while accompanied by atmospheric strings. Both Fernandez and Calambro then moved, always in symmetry, to different parts of the orchestra section, as their conversation continues. A handful of musicians were also positioned at the upper boxes and their interwoven flourishes gave this piece a more spatial, immersive experience.

More interesting was the second part that had a fugue played by muted strings. The muted sound combined with an ever lingering but faint dissonance gave the music an incorporeal quality. This was made more evident with the unexpected beats from the drum set that felt a lot more palpable.

Overall, the visual element provided by the soprano and trumpeter, coupled with the discernible architecture of the fugue, made this Ching work a lot more palatable compared to the ones that have been performed by the PPO for the past couple of seasons.

Fernandez performed an encore, Wuxingming lao huashi an aria from Ching’s soon to be premiered opera The Butterflies which is based on the Chinese legend The Butterfly Lovers. Sung in Chinese, the aria was surprisingly tonal for a Ching work.

All of this made up for a front loaded program with only Franz Liszt's Les Préludes S.97 listed for the second half. While the PPO performed this symphonic poem competently, it eventually felt like an afterthought. But after Nehring's splendid Chopin, as well as a surprisingly accessible Ching, there was no reason to complain.

Jazz concert to celebrate 70 years of Japan-Philippines diplomatic relations

The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines. To formally launch this landmark year, The Japan Foundation, Manila will present Harmony of Friendship: A Jazz Prelude to 70 Years of Japan-Philippine Ties, featuring exceptional jazz performers from Japan and the Philippines. This concert serves as the official inauguration of a year-long celebration of enduring diplomatic partnership.

The festivities will commence on January 20, 2026, with an opening reception and jazz concert at the Proscenium Theater, organized in partnership with the Embassy of Japan.

The headline act is the Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival Group, an ensemble led by acclaimed Filipino jazz vocalist, Charito, a prominent figure in the Japanese jazz scene.

Charito

They will be joined by the Philippines’ A.M.P. Big Band, an organization of professional session musicians. The big band genre represents the historic foundation of the dance and concert hall experience, making it the perfect medium for this celebration.

A.M.P. Big Band

The theme for this 70th year anniversary is Weaving a Tapestry of Friendships, Threading Bonds of Trust. If one views the seven decades of friendship between Japan and the Philippines as a work of art, the establishment of diplomatic ties provided the fundamental warp and weft of the loom as this partnership remain committed to being part of the thread where a vibrant future is woven, stitch by stitch, for the next generation.

Arimasa Yuki

Following the opening festivities, the concert tour then moves to the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium on January 22, 2026, before concluding with a final performance at the Social Hall of the Cebu Provincial Capitol in partnership with the Consulate-General of Japan in Cebu City on January 23, 2026.

Kusui Satsuki

There will also be a cultural and educational exchange as The Japan Foundation, Manila and the Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival Group visit De La Salle University–Dasmariñas for CIFRA International: A Workshop with Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival Group. Held in partnership with the Lasallian Pop Band, a student group dedicated to exploring diverse musical genres.

Kitazawa Hiroki

The opening at the Proscenium and Cebu Capitol Social Hall is an invitation-only event. The workshop at De La Salle University-Dasmariñas will be organized by Lasallian Pop Band and participation by RSVP is thru the organization. The concert at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium is free and open to the public.

Here is the schedule of performances

January 20, 2026, 8:00PM

The Proscenium, Rockwell Center, Makati City

January 21, 2026, 1:00PM

De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, Dasmariñas City

January 22, 2026, 7:00PM

Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City

January 23, 2026, 7:00PM

Social Hall, Cebu Provincial Capitol, Cebu City

The cultural weaving of our nations began long before official policy. It can be traced back to the introduction of jazz to the Philippines, where Filipino musicians later played a pivotal role in popularizing the genre in Japan. This history serves as a powerful reminder that our harmony is built on more than just governmental agreements. It is composed of individual melodies coming together to create a richer, unified sound.

Pianist Raffi Kasparian to give lecture/performance at FEU

The Far Eastern University Center for the Arts (FCA) proudly presents an informational piano concert featuring Dr. Raffi Kasparian, D.M.A., who returns to the FEU Auditorium on January 21, 2026, 4:30 PM.

The free concert, entitled Tones Through Time: A Musical Odyssey, will take the audience on a journey through the evolution of Western music, featuring works from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, and 20th Century periods.

Dr. Raffi Kasparian

This concert produced by the FEU Center for the Arts with the support of the Silaw Foundation and DZFE 98.7 FM forms part of Dr. Kasparian’s 2026 Philippine tour, which includes performances in Paoay - Ilocos Norte, Holy Angel University in Angeles City, the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music, and the Manila Pianos Showroom.

Admission is for free. Register here for the FEU performance: https://forms.office.com/r/wS8B3qpyQp

Dr. Raffi Kasparian, D.M.A., has given solo and collaborative performances throughout the United States, Canada, and the Philippines. His repertoire spans standard classical masterpieces, original compositions, and imaginative arrangements of popular and sacred music. His performances are widely admired for seamlessly blending musical excellence with insightful narration and storytelling, offering audiences a rich and educational concert experience. His recordings and live performances may be found on his YouTube channel, Quantime Classics.

Dr. Kasparian served for 24 years as pianist of The United States Army Chorus, the vocal counterpart of The United States Army Band Pershing’s Own.

In this role, he frequently performed at prestigious venues such as the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Kennedy Center, and major concert halls across the United States.

His musical outreach to the Philippines began in 1996 with concerts at the University of the Philippines College of Music and Fort Ilocandia in Ilocos Norte. He later encouraged the establishment of the SILAW Foundation, dedicated in part to cultural outreach through piano concerts.

Over the years, his performances in the country have included collaborations with his son, Roman, and landmark appearances with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, including concerts at Paoay Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and at Far Eastern University, another UNESCO Heritage site.

Dr. Kasparian holds a Bachelor of Music degree from California State University, Northridge, a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He also pursued advanced studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

In parallel with his musical career, he maintained a long-standing career as a software engineer, reflecting his deep interest in mathematics.

His work includes the co-authored book entitled Java for Artists and presentations on mathematical discoveries at international conferences, further highlighting the remarkable intersection of music, math, and creativity in his life’s work.

Pianists Carmencita Sipin-Aspiras, Inna Montesclaros join MSO for benefit concert

The music doesn't stop for the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Just a few days after the orchestra's 100th Anniversary Concert, the MSO gears up for Legacy on January 25, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Proscenium Theater at Rockwell, Makati.

Presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation Inc. and the HSTL Foundation, Legacy features pianists Carmen Sipin-Aspiras and Inna Montesclaros as well as conductor Darrell Ang performing works by Frédéric Chopin and Johannes Brahms.

Carmencita Sipin-Aspiras

Carmencita Sipin-Aspiras gave her first orchestral performance as soloist in Manila at the age of 10, and her subsequent performances earned her a scholarship grant from the Philippine government to study at the prestigious Vienna Musik Hochschule in Austria. She obtained her Concert Artist Diploma and pursued a concertizing career in various countries in Europe, the Philippines, and the United States, where she now resides. Her artistry has received critical acclaim, with the Stuttgart newspaper Rheinische Volksblatt describing her as “a pianist of extraordinary capabilities and refinement of taste.”

Inna Montesclaros

Filipina multi-awarded pianist, Inna Montesclaros, has made waves in the music scene since her premier recital at age 8 at the Molina Hall, and her orchestral debut at age 11, performing Mozart’s D minor Concerto with the Manila Symphony Orchestra. Noted for her warm tones and sincere musicality, the piano prodigy turned Promil Kid has developed her love for her craft into a fulfilling concert career.

Darrell Ang

One of Asia’s most sought-after conductors, Darrell Ang conducted orchestras in over twenty countries across the globe in just one season. He is the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of The Sichuan Orchestra of China since December 2016 and is a regular guest conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre by invitation of Maestro Valery Gergiev. Born in Singapore, Darrell has become the youngest Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra to date.

Legacy sees the MSO perform for the very first time at the Proscenium Theater in Makati. The concert's program, a combination of works for solo piano, piano with orchestra, and orchestra, is a perfect vehicle to experience the theater's highly touted natural acoustics designed by Müller-BBM.

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Pieces to be performed include Johannes Brahms' Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80, Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 118 No. 1, Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118 No. 2, Rhapsody in G minor, Op. 79 No. 2, and Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 as well as Frédéric Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 55 No. 2 and Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60.

MSO's Legacy is for the benefit of the MSO Foundation’s Basilio Manalo Scholarship Program, supporting the next generation of young Filipino musicians.

MSO at 100 concert season: Looking back and beyond

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Back in January 22, 1926, a "Symphony Concert" was held at the Manila Grand Opera House by a newly organized orchestra made up of musicians from the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music and the Philippine Constabulary Orchestra with Dr. Alexander Lippay conducting. This orchestra eventually later came to be known as the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Exactly a century later, the MSO will celebrate this milestone with the 100th Anniversary Concert featuring the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Ryan Cayabyab.

But one does not celebrate 100 years of existence with just one concert (or two since the MSO also has Legacy, a concert featuring pianists Carmencita Sipin-Aspiras and Inna Montesclaros along with conductor Darrell Ang happening just three days later).

Charmers Bersaba, Gabriel Paguirigan, and Michelle Mariposa

Enter the Manila Symphony Orchestra at 100: A Celebration (1926-2026) Concert Season, a year long series of concerts that looks back at key moments from a century's worth of history while also looking beyond with young talents and new compositions taking a share of the spotlight.

Highlights of the season include the return of previous guest conductors like Alexander Vikulov and Thanos Adamopoulos. MSO's pride, violinists Jeanne Rafaella Marquez and Emanuel John Villarin, and cellist Damodar Das Castillo, will once again showcase their growth as artists when they take to the stage this season.

Jeffrey Solares conducts the MSO

Mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa, whose Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition win was the talk of the Philippine classical music scene back in March 2025, joins opera veterans tenor Arthur Espiritu, baritone Byeong In Park, and soprano Rachelle Gerodias at a concert at the FEU Auditorium that will also pay tribute to soprano Conching Rosal.

This season will also feature Ballet Manila, Venezuelan conductor Joshua Dos Santos, and  Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas.

Michelle Mariposa

For the past century, the MSO has been through a lot in the past century, including World War II and more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. But for MSO Executive Director Jeffrey Solares, the biggest challenge is the daily struggle to keep the orchestra going. He admits that the MSO still needs many things like salaries that allow the musicians to thrive and a concert hall that the orchestra can call its own.

MSO's history is prime material for a feature length film. In fact, the orchestra has already been a subject of the documentary An Orchestra in Search of a Home by Ida del Mundo, herself a former violinist at the MSO. The documentary narrated the struggles that the MSO encountered after getting evicted from St. Scholastica's College that has served as the orchestra's home base for several years.

Rachelle Gerodias

There is still so much to peel from MSO's storied past and more will be uncovered as the concert season unfolds. Here is the lineup of the Manila Symphony Orchestra at 100: A Celebration (1926-2026) Concert Season presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. and Standard Insurance.

Concert I: Centennial Opening: The Sleeping Beauty

March 13-15, 2026

Aliw Theater

Ballet Manila

Alexander Vikulov, conductor

RAd thoughts:

Not sure if this will be a full length Ballet Manila production with the orchestra at the pit or if this will be a usual orchestra concert with the added treat of Ballet Manila dancing key scenes from the ballet. If there will be different dancers per performance, then this can lead to multiple viewings.

Concert II: Centennial Rising Stars of the Philippines

May 30, 2026

Proscenium Theater

Jeanne Rafaella Marquez, violin

Damodar Das Castillo, cello

Joshua Dos Santos, conductor

RAd thoughts:

This will be Joshua Dos Santos' first time conducting the MSO. Trained under Venezuela's El Sistema, Dos Santos has played cello with the Simón Bolivar Youth Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra that went viral online for its festive encores. So it's fitting that Dos Santos leads this concert featuring two of the Philippines' rising stars: violinist Jeanne and cellist Damodar.

Concert III: Symphony of a Nation: 100 Years of Music, 80 Years of FilAm Friendship

July 4, 2026

Metropolitan Theater

Emanuel John Villarin, violin

Thanos Adamopoulos, conductor

RAd thoughts:

Also teased in this concert is a performance of Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 but no pianist has been announced so far. Camille Saint-Saëns' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor Op. 28 is programmed in this one so it's safe to say that this will be EJ's piece.

Concert IV: Legacies in Song: MSO’s 100 Years and the Voice of Conching Rosal

August 29, 2026

FEU Auditorium, Far Eastern University

Rachelle Gerodias-Park, soprano

Michelle Mariposa, mezzo-soprano

Byeong In Park, baritone

Marlon Chen, conductor

RAd thoughts:

The concert date is exactly 70 years after the opening night of the MSO's staging of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen translated in Tagalog that starred soprano Conching Rosal in the title role. Expect this to be very much rooted in history. And for a more historic experience, a guided tour of the Far Eastern University campus before the concert is highly recommended.

Concert V: Centennial Finale Gala: Philippine Master Composers, Past, Present, and Future

October 24, 2026

Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University

Marlon Chen, conductor

RAd thoughts:

World premiere of a new work by Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist for Music. Need I say more?

Concert VI: MSO 100 Centennial Finale

January 2027

Venue TBA

Camille Thomas, cello

Marlon Chen, conductor

RAd thoughts:

Camille Thomas was previously scheduled to perform with the MSO for the 2020-2021 Concert Season, specifically in January 2021. We all know what happened with this one. So after what will be a six year wait, she will finally set foot in the Philippines.

The program, performers, date, and venue are subject to change.

Szymon Nehring performs Chopin with PPO

Back in 2017, the Chopin Institute livestreamed a concert by the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century under the baton of Gustavo Gimeno that included a performance of Frédéric Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 with Szymon Nehring as the piano soloist.

This live broadcast made me stay awake way past my bedtime but that's a price I was willing to pay to see a performance by Nehring, a first prize winner at the 15th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition (2017) and also a finalist at the XVII International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition (2015) when he was just only 19 years old.

Never did I imagine at the time that almost nine years later, I will have the chance to see Nehring perform the same concerto live here in the Philippines. 

Come January 16, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Polish pianist Szymon Nehring joins the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) and Maestro Grzergorz Nowak in Preludi, the fifth concert for the orchestra's 41st Versatile concert season.

Szymon Nehring
Photo ©Bartek Barczyk

Jeffrey Ching's Fenghuang Singing, a work commissioned by the IMPULS Festival für Neue Musik in Sachsen-Anhalt to commemorate the 30th anniversary of German unification, will also be performed. Through music, this work describes the destruction and eventual rebirth of the cities of Magdeburg and Braunschweig while blending motifs from East and West German hymns. The piece also paints the image of the fenghuang or the phoenix bird from the Chinese ideographs in Mao Zedong’s calligraphy.

Andión Fernandez

Fenghuang Singing will also feature soprano Andión Fernandez. A soloist at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Fernandez was last seen with the PPO performing in Ching's opera Before Brabant at the CCP's Children's Biennale back in November 2024.

Capping the concert is Franz Liszt's Les Préludes, his third and most popular symphonic poem. Initially conceived as an overture to the choral cycle, Les quatre élémens, Liszt later reworked this into his most familiar symphonic poem inspired by French poet's Alphone de Lamartine's Ode from Nouvelles méditations poétiques.

Tickets to PPO Concert V: Preludi, priced at P3,000, P2,500, P2,000, and P1,500 are available at TicketWorld. Subscription packages, where one can enjoy a 20% discount for the remainder of the PPO's 41st Concert Season, are still available. E-mail  salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph or call the CCP Box Office at (+63)931-0330880 to be a subscriber.

January 2026 concerts at a glance

Ushering a new year means making lots of lists and a list of concerts to watch is no exception. January is packed with concerts and performances that are piano centric with four concertos lined up. But the month ends up with a banger with no other than global piano superstar Lang Lang making his long awaited return to the country after more than two decades. He last performed in Manila way back in 2002 with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of the great Lorin Maazel.

Here are the upcoming concerts to look out for this January 2026 that will most likely make a quick work of all the bonuses and cash presents received during the recent holiday season.

January 8, 2026

Kundiman After Dark: Nicanor Abelardo for Him

Ervin Lumauag, tenor

Shiho Takashima, violin

Augusto Espino, piano

January 8, 2026, 7:00 PM

Sine Pop, Cubao

January 11, 2026

One Piece Music Symphony

Filharmonika Orchestra

January 11, 2026, 5:00 PM

Theater at Solaire

January 14-15, 2026

Film Music Legends: The Scores of John Williams & Hans Zimmer

Bituin Escalante, vocals

Gerard Salonga, conductor

Filharmonika Orchestra

January 14-15, 2026, 8:00 PM

Theater at Solaire

January 16, 2026

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Concert V: Preludi

Andión Fernandez, soprano

Szymon Nehring, piano

Grzegorz Nowak, conductor

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

January 16, 2026, 7:30 PM

Samsung Performing Arts Theater

January 21, 2026

Tones Through Time: A Musical Odyssey

Raffi Kasparian, piano

January 21, 2026, 4:30 PM

FEU Auditorium, Far Eastern University

January 22, 2026

Harmony of Friendship: A Jazz Prelude to 70 Years of Japan–Philippines Ties

Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival Group

    Charito, vocals

    Arimasa Yuki, piano

    Kusui Satsuki, bass

    Kitazawa Hiroki, drums

January 22, 2026, 7:00 PM

Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza

Manila Symphony Orchestra 100th Anniversary Concert

Muyu Liu, piano

Philippine Madrigal Singers

Darrell Ang, conductor

Mark Anthony Carpio, conductor

Manila Symphony Orchestra

January 22, 2026, 7:30 PM

Samsung Performing Arts Theater

January 23, 2026

Liederkreis

Iona Ventocilla-Borja, soprano

Carlo Falcis, baritone

Myramae Menses, soprano

Oliver Salonga, piano

January 23, 2026, 7:00 PM

Manila Pianos Showroom, Makati

January 25, 2026

Baroque Roots, Modern Spirit

Alejandro D. Consolacion II, organ

Crystal Milarose Rodis-Concepcion, flute

Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club

Phoebe Bitoon-Fajardo, choir director

Union Church Festival Orchestra

Giuseppe Andre Diestro, conductor

January 25, 2026, 4:00 PM

UCM Main Sanctuary, Union Church of Manila

Double Pentagon Concerts/Manila Pianos Inc. Chamber Music Series 2026

Grupo Abecedario

Grupo Abecedario

    Dr. Ivar-Nicholas Fojas, guitar

    Beatrice Rose Cena, guitar

    Agung Dayaw A. Sicam, guitar

    Charles Alexandré Magno, guitar

    Dakila Likha de Leon, guitar

January 25, 2026, 4:00 PM

Manila Pianos Showroom, Makati

Legacy

Carmencita Sipin-Aspiras, piano

Inna Montesclaros, piano

Darrell Ang, conductor

Manila Symphony Orchestra

January 25, 2026, 7:30 PM

Proscenium Theater

January 30, 2026

Lang Lang Live in Manila

Lang Lang, piano

January 30, 2026, 7:00 PM

Proscenium Theater

January 31, 2026

Duo Zaher Benefit Concert

Duo Zaher

    Sara Zaher, guitar

    Sanaz Zaher, guitar

January 31, 2026, 6:00 PM

David M. Consunji Theater, Institute of Civil Engineering

UP Dilman