Basilio Manalo tribute concert at the Met

The Filipino String Teachers Association (FSTA), in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Metropolitan Theater, and with the assistance of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), will present “MAESTRO: Basilio Manalo’s Music and Legacy”, a tribute concert celebrating the life and artistry of Maestro Basilio “Sir Billy” Manalo. The concert will be held on October 21, 2025, at the Metropolitan Theater at 6p.m.

Admission is free, with registration required through http://tinyurl.com/fsta-bmt-reg.

This concert will feature performances by Maestro Billy’s students, colleagues, and fellow musicians whose lives were shaped by his influence. More than a concert, the gathering serves as a living testament to the discipline, generosity, and passion of a man whose legacy continues to inspire generations of Filipino artists.

Born in Baguio City in 1927, Basilio Cajucom Manalo displayed remarkable musical gifts from an early age, nurtured by a family deeply rooted in culture and public service. A child prodigy on the violin, he performed works by Kreisler and Paganini before the age of ten and pursued formal studies under Ernesto Vallejo. His precocious talent brought him to the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music at only twelve years old, and later to the Juilliard School in New York, where he trained under the legendary pedagogue Ivan Galamian. Returning to the Philippines despite international opportunities, Manalo became a central figure in the country’s musical life as a virtuoso violinist, conductor, and educator.

His career spanned leadership roles in the Manila Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and, most significantly, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, which he helped reorganize in the 1980s. His vision extended beyond performance. devotedly cultivating future generations of Filipino musicians. Through initiatives such as the Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS), the Philippine Youth Orchestra (PYO), and later the Manila Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), he provided training and opportunities for countless young players. Many of his students would go on to lead and perform in the nation’s premier orchestras and conservatories, carrying forward his philosophy of rigorous rehearsal and uncompromising artistry. This feat was recognized in 1992 with the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award from the City of Manila.

Basilio Manalo

The program consists of Bach’s Branderburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major; two works of Vivaldi, namely Concerto for 2 Violins in A Major, with Paul Gilbert J. Ramos, Violin 1 and Matias L. Mercurio, Violin 2, and “Concerto for Four Violins” with Kaya Alexa S. Pabico, Violin 1, Gavril Tiburcio, Violin 2, Gabrielle A. Abad, Violin 3, and Andrea L. Mercurio, Violin 4. Carmen Fantasie by F. Waxman and Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22 with Diomedes Saraza, violin and Inna Montesclaros, piano; Mozart’s Divertimento No. 2 in B flat Major, K. 137/125b; Antonino Buenaventura’s “Rondino” and Sibelius’ Andante festivo.

The ensemble is composed of former students of the late Maestro Manalo and their current students.

A short video documentary on the late Maestro’s life will be shown.

Organized by the FSTA, the concert reflects the association’s commitment to advancing string teaching and performance in the Philippines. A non-profit community of string teachers and performers, the FSTA promotes excellence in pedagogy and performance while fostering a network for Filipino string players both locally and abroad. Its programs aim to elevate teaching standards, nurture the talents of young musicians, and champion Filipino composers and their works.

The concert celebrates not only the achievements of a towering figure in Philippine music but also the values he embodied — discipline, artistry, and the unyielding belief in music as a force for growth and inspiration.

Cellist Damodar Das Castillo, conductor Alexander Vikulov headline MSO's Tchaikovsky overload concert

A concert filled to the brim with Tchaikovsky music goodness is set to wrap up September as the Manila Symphony Orchestra presents Dancing with Tchaikovsky happening on September 27, 2025, 7:30 PM at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City.

Presented by the MSO Foundation Inc. and Standard Insurance, in partnership with EastWest Bank, this concert will feature Russian Romanticism at its core with timeless tunes composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky namely the Festival Coronation March in D major, Variations on a Rococo Theme, and the Sleeping Beauty Dance Suite.

Damodar Das Castillo

Performing the cello solo for the Rococo Variations is Damodar Das Castillo. He is a top prizewinner of five international competitions including The Young Musician (Tallinn, 2019), the International Anton Rubinstein Competition (Düsseldorf, 2020), The Young Ludwig Competition (Berlin, 2020), the Vienna International Music Competition (2020), and Musica Goritiensis (Italy, 2021), Damodar Das Castillo is one of the most promising young cellists today. He studied at the Pre-College of Mozarteum University Salzburg under Prof. Barbara Lübke-Herzl and, as a scholar of the MSJO–Standard Insurance International Scholarship Program, he performs on a George Gerl cello

Alexander Vikulov

Frequent Manila visitor and Manila Symphony Orchestra collaborator Alexander Vikulov takes to the podium as guest conductor Born in Saint Petersburg to renowned ballet dancers Sergey Vikulov and Tatiana Udalenkova, Vikulov has built an international career that bridges opera, ballet, and symphonic music. Since his 2002 Mariinsky Theater debut with Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, he has conducted at the Vienna State Opera, Finnish National Opera, Seoul Arts Center, Teatro Regio di Torino, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Currently permanent guest conductor of the Saint Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra “Klassika” and musical director at Manila’s Star and Aliw Theaters, Vikulov continues to unite cultures through the universal language of music. Damodar Das Castillo, cello

The Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), founded in 1926 by Alexander Lippay, is one of Asia’s oldest orchestras and the Philippines’ longest surviving artistic institution. A symbol of resistance during World War II, the MSO has since collaborated with legends under the batons of Andre Kostelanetz, Arthur Fiedler, Mendi Rodan, Robert Feist, Gareth Nair, Helen Quach, and Eduard Strauss II. Antonio Molina, Antonino Buenaventura, Lucio San Pedro, Ernani Cuenco, Levi Celerio, and Ryan Cayabyab have also graced its stage.

Now nearing its 100th year in 2026, the MSO remains one of the country’s most active artistic institutions, presenting world-class performances and nurturing young Filipino talent under Marlon Chen (Music Director) and Jeffrey Solares (Associate Conductor).

PPO reprises UK Tour program in "Le Retour" season concert

A week after championing romantic pieces at the season opening concert, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra harkens back to its UK Tour last May with its second concert of the season happening on September 19, 2025, 7:30 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater.

With PPO Music Director and Principal Conductor Grzegorz Nowak at the helm, the PPO reprises pieces performed at the tour like Georges Bizet's Carmen Suite No. 1, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Waltz from Swan Lake Suite, and Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67.

The concert, billed as Le Retour, also sees PPO's concertmaster and artist-in-residence Diomedes Saraza, Jr. as the featured soloist in Ralph Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines' President, Kaye C. Tinga announced in her welcome remarks at the opening concert that the PPO is slated once again to go on tour towards the end of the current season buoyed by the success of its UK Tour over the summer.

Reprinted below is the press release for the PPOs' Concert II: Le Retour

PPO serenades Filipinos with UK Tour repertoire in Concert II: Le Retour

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) reprises the repertoire from its successful tour across the United Kingdom (UK) in CONCERT II: LE RETOUR, slated on September 19, 2025, at 7:30 PM, at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City.

Revisiting British classics in PPO’s Concert II: Le Retour

Led by the commanding Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, Concert II: Le Retour ushers in the brilliance of the PPO with their iteration of Georges Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1. To familiarize himself with the sounds of southern Spain in the early 19th century, Bizet went to great lengths in constructing the world he borrowed from Prosper Mérimée’s novella of the same name.

Bizet, however, passed three months after the premiere of Carmen. Unbeknownst to him, his friend Ernest Guiraud compiled the opera’s remarkable moments into two orchestral suites.

PPO’s Concert II: Le Retour sustains its beautiful momentum with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. Inspired by George Meredith’s poem of the same title, Vaughan Williams creates the vivid image of a soaring lark through his melodies. Diomedes Saraza, Jr., PPO’s very own guest concertmaster and artist-in-residence, performs the solo violin that had captivated hearts in the UK.

Composed before World War I, Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending portrays a simpler England, one devoid of war and industrial change. It was received with admiration after Marie Hall played the violin under the guidance of conductor Adrian Boult in 1921. Over time, it evolved to be one of the most beloved British classics.

With Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite: Waltz, the PPO continues its excellent display of Filipino artistry in Concert II: Le Retour. Arguably among the most well-known orchestra pieces, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake: Waltz draws elements from the Russian and German folklore of a young princess transforming into a swan.

When Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered in 1877, its production was uninspired and underwhelming. Later in 1895, Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov gave the ballet a new choreography attuned to the intricacy of Tchaikovsky’s music.

PPO’s Concert II: Le Retour concludes the night with an exhilarating rendition of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5, op.67, C minor. Beethoven had already begun composing his Fifth Symphony as early as 1804. Often interpreted as “fate knocking on the door,” the piece’s four-note opening motif has been referenced across musical genres as it elaborates on human perseverance in the face of adversity.

A glimpse into the PPO’s UK tour

“The UK tour proved that Filipino musicians are truly world-class, and are on par with the very best orchestras in the world,” said Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) President Kaye C. Tinga proudly.

The conclusion of PPO’s remarkable tour in the UK is clear proof of Filipino artistry. Despite standing on unfamiliar stages, the orchestra relayed its unparalleled commitment to music to global audiences. PPO’s same brand of versatility, as presented in its repertoire in the UK, will be revisited in Concert II: Le Retour.

Witness PPO’s world-class renditions of British classics in Concert II: Le Retour on September 19, 2025, in the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City. PPO’s 41st concert season, dubbed Versatile, runs until April 2026.

Tickets for PPO concerts are priced at Php3,000, Php2,500, Php2,000, Php1,500, Php800, and Php500, available at TicketWorld. For an exclusive 25 percent discount, be a PPO subscriber. Email salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph or call the CCP Box Office at +63931-033-0880 to purchase a PPO’s 41st concert season subscription.

For more updates on PPO’s 41st Concert Season: Versatile, visit the CCP’s website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph). You may also follow the CCP’s official pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more information.

Cinemalaya 21: Sailing to the Shang's Red Carpet Cinemas this October

For the past two decades, the Cinemalaya has been the trailblazing film festival that has championed Philippine independent cinema. But it hasn't always been smooth sailing for this beloved film festival with its share of challenges, controversies, and notorious washouts. This year is no exception as Cinemalaya was almost on the brink of "capsizing" as Festival Director Chris Millado put it. But it has regained stability and righted itself buoyed by the collective efforts of the Cinemalaya Foundation, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Shangri-La Plaza Mall. Now, on its 21st edition, Cinemalaya will set sail once again, albeit a couple of months later than usual, from October 3 to 12, 2025 at its new home, The Red Carpet Cinemas at Shangri-La Plaza.

Having sailed through turbulent seas, blustering winds, and tempestuous storms, Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival adopts the theme Cinemalaya 21: Layag sa Alon, Hangin, at Unos for this edition. As always, 10 full-length (from 190 entries) and 10 short films (from 336 submissions) will be in competition hoping to win a Balanghai trophy or two... or even more.

Listed below are the finalists of the Short Film Category.

Ascension from the Office Cubicle

Director: Hannah Silvestre

Cast: Ginger Nolasco, Dads Valencia

Thelma, an exploited call center agent, grows increasingly enamored by the late night host of the local lottery draw.

Figat

Director: Handiong Kapuno

Cast: Aeoli Siagan, Tiffany Pagigian;

While the world is lost in screens, a young Kalinga girl - untouched by the pull of technology - brings a handmade instrument to class, carrying the voice of her ancestors and inspiring a quiet yet powerful return to cultural pride.

Hasang

Director: Daniel de la Cruz

Cast: Igan James Nualda

One summer, a young boy witnesses his grandmother slowly transforming into a tilapia.

I'm Best Left Inside My Head

Director: Elian Idioma

Cast: Elian Idioma, Lau Cortes, Aj Prudenciado, Glemuel Rigo, Romnic

Calosor, Andrea Idioma;

Alec Dominguez, a 20 something year old multi talented, multi-awarded-golden-boy- adopted by-the–owners–of–gay-philantrophists has a reunion with his old buddies from his original home, The Dominguez Orphanage.

Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit

Director: Marie Estela Paiso

Cast: Leonardo Cuaresma, Joel Elejorde, Luis Fontilla, Ranel Madela, Rea Jane Realizo, Noraiza Alog, Moises Dulatre, Sylvia Reyes, Maria Estela Paiso

A young girl turns into a fish and recounts the territorial aggression being experienced by the fisherfolk in her hometown Zambales.

Kung Tugnaw ang Kaidalman Sang Lawod

Director: Seth Andrew Blanca

Cast: Ryan Galleca, Lheo Fernando Fonseca, Anthony Ken Bucasas, Seth Andrew Blanca, Ma. Erica Seidel, Eddie Odicta Jr., Giovani Borja, Elester Saquilabon, Winston Farinas

In his desperation to send money to his girlfriend, a debt-stricken seafarer takes his superior’s help, only to sense an unknown presence tightening its hold on him.

The Next 24 Hours

Director: Carl Joseph Papa

Cast: Christela Marquez

After a sexual assault, a young woman navigates a cold and bureaucratic system over the course of 24 hours, fighting to reclaim her safety and sanity while battling the manipulations of her assailant.

Please Keep This Copy

Director: Miguel Lorenzo Peralta

Cast: Class of M2017, Teachers of M2017

Across a white void, old pages come to life and speak. A cacophony of archival voices of rebellious youth in a private all-boys Catholic high school during a moment of political turmoil breaks through, seeking liberation as lines break out of formation and colored ink spills out of the pages.

Radikals

Director: Arvin Belarmino

Cast: Elora Españo, Timothy Castillo, Ross Pesigan

A young rookie from a bizarre chicken-dance group faces a heckler after being the worst dancer at a performance -- leading him to a series of strange events that reveal what the group does to their weakest link.

Water Sports

Director: Whammy Alcazaren

Cast: Elijah Canlas, Renz Javier, Bon Lentejas, Ricky Davao

Two sad boys harness the power of their love in an attempt to survive a world devastated by climate change.

Down below are the finalists of the Full-Length Feature category.

Bloom Where You are Planted

Director: Nonilon Abao

Three land rights activists contend with their volatile notions of home amid terror and red-tagging in Cagayan Valley.

Child No. 82

Director: Tim Rone Villanueva

Cast: JM Ibarra, Rochelle Pangilinan-Solinap, Vhong Navarro, Irma Adlawan, Inah Evans, Zairene Fernandez, Dexter Doria, Kai Montinola

At a wake, a persevering high school student must prove that he is the 82nd child of the Philippines’ biggest action-fantasy movie star in the hopes of seeing his late father one last time.

Cinemartyrs

Director: Sari Dalena

Cast: Nour Hooshmand, Paul Cedric Juan, Raquel Villavicencio, Angel Aquino, Lav Diaz, Kidlat Tahimik, Ligaya Amilbangsa, Soliman Cruz, Bong Cabrera, Laila Ulao, Giancarlo Abrahan, Iana Bernardez, Nor Domingo, Danny Palisa, Andre Miguel, Victor Medina, Yian Gabriel, Kobe Sanchez, Shane Bernabe, Roven Alejandro, Nelson Dino, Rob Rownd, Dax Alejandro, Air Salazar, Dexter Macaraeg, Emmanuel Dela Cruz, Rolando Inocencio

Recreating forgotten massacres from Philippine history, a young filmmaker begins shooting at a site where 1,000 men, women, and children were slaughtered. But the angry spirits are awakened and the lives of her team and the local villagers are put in peril.

Habang Nilalamon ng Hydra ang Kasaysayan

Director: Dustin Celestino

Cast: Dolly de Leon, Jojit Lorenzo, Zanjoe Marudo, Mylene Dizon

Four Filipinos confront the slow erasure of memory and truth in a country devoured by disinformation.

Open Endings

Directors: Nigel Santos, Keavy Vicente

Cast: Janella Salvador, Klea Pineda, Leanne Mamonong, Jasmine Curtis-Smith

Four queer women in their 30s who are exes-turned-best-friends navigate adulthood, love, friendship, chosen families, and everything in between.

Padamlágan

Director: Jenn Romano

Cast: Ely Buendia, Esteban Mara, Sue Prado, Floyd Tena, Mildren Anne Estela, Frank Peñones

Five days before the proclamation of Martial Law, the Colgante Bridge collapsed in Naga, forcing a father into a desperate search for his missing son.

Paglilitis

Directors: Cheska Marfori, Raymund Barcelon

Cast: Rissey Reyes-Robinson, Eula Valdez, Leo Martinez, Jackie Lou Blanco, Sid Lucero, Bombi Plata, Rolando Inocencio, Cherry Malvar, Barbara Miguel

Years after experiencing sexual harassment at her workplace, a former executive assistant is persuaded by a passionate lawyer to file a case against her rich and highly respected boss.

Raging

Director: Ryan Machado

Cast: Elijah Canlas, Ron Angeles, Reynald Raisel Santos, Glenn Sevilla Mas

A young man's quest for truth and justice interwines with a plane crash mystery, uncovering a sinister plot that propels his desire to be heard but also threatens his community.

Republika ng Pipolipinas

Director: Renei Dimla

Cast: Geraldine Villamil, Alessandra de Rossi, Kakki Teodoro, Natalie Maligalig, JM Salvado, Bon Lentejas, Lian Silverio, Shun Mark Gomez, Mitzi Comia, Yian Gabriel, Brylle Parzuelo, Sigrid Polon, Sisa Bernardo, Antonio Vasquez, Xiao Chua, Chad Kinis

When the local government threatens to evict her from her own land, a farmer renounces her Filipino citizenship and builds her own micronation.

Warla

Director: Kevin Alambra

Cast: Jervi Wrightson, Lance Reblando, Serena Magiliw, Valeria Ortega, Jacky Woo, Dimples Romana

Kitkat, a 19-year-old transgender woman, finds the family she’s been longing for in a gang of sisters who kidnap foreign men to fund their gender-affirming surgeries, until their crimes force her to question the true cost of belonging.

Full-Length Filmmakers at the Cinemalaya Press Conference

Cinemalaya Film Institute (CFI) President Laurice Guillen also announced the formation of the Cinemalaya Club, an avenue for the audience to give helpful feedback that can assist in the growth of the festival as it sails further.

Running concurrently is the 37th Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, the longest-running independent film competition of its kind in Southeast Asia. Films compete in categories such as Short Feature/Narrative, Experimental, Documentary, and Animation.

While the Red Carpet Cinemas at the Shangri-La Plaza serve as Cinemalaya 21's main hub, there will be screenings as well at Ayala Malls and at Gateway Cinemas expanding the reach of the festival even as the CCP Main Building continues its years long main rehabilitation.

For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and the Cinemalaya website (www.cinemalaya.org). Follow the official CCP and Cinemalaya Facebook pages and other social media accounts on X, Instagram, and TikTok.