Violinist KayCee Galano returns to PPO stage in Concert III: Bolero

Eight years after delivering a mindblowing performance at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Main Theater stage, Filipino violinist KayCee Galano makes her long overdue return engagement with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra this November 6, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit, Makati.

Under the baton of PPO Music Director/Principal Conductor Grzegorz Nowak, Galano is set to perform Camille Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61. Back in 2018, then 17-year old Galano brought the house down after her remarkable take on Max Bruch's Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 26 as well as her showstopping encore of John Newton's Amazing Grace.

KayCee Galano

The concert, billed as Bolero and the third installment of the PPO's 42nd concert season also includes performances of Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune, and Maurice Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso and his oh so popular Bolero making this evening an all French music affair.

Tickets for PPO's Concert III: Bolero are available at TicketWorld. Exclusive deals and discounts can be availed by being a PPO subscriber through contacting salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph or calling the CCP Box Office at +63 931-033-0880.

PPO presents rare harp concerto performance on Oct. 16 at the Met

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra continues its 42nd concert season, Modulatio, with a rarelly seen harp concerto performance happening this October 16, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Metropolitan Theater.

Billed as Concert II: Elegance, the second concert of the season sees 14-year old harp prodigy Vien Ignacio as she makes her debut with the PPO under the baton of Grzegorz Nowak.

Vien Ignacio

Ignacio, who was introduced to the pedal harp when she was just three and a half years old, has since then been trained by Olga Shevelevich. She has won awards most notably First Place at the 2025 Scandinavian International Instrument Music Competition to go along with special diplomas for Best Performance of a Romantic Piece and the Child Prodigy awards. For her PPO debut, she will take on George Frideric Handel's Harp Concerto in B flat major, Op. 4 No. 6.

Other pieces to be performed include Redentor Romero's Philippine Portraits and Zygmunt Noskowski's Step (the Steppe), Op. 66.

Tickets for the PPO's Concert II: Elegance are available at TicketWorld outlets. PPO subscriptions can be availed by contacting salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph or by calling the CCP Box Office at +63 931-033-0880.

MSO premieres Ryan Cayabyab opus, welcomes cellist Camille Thomas

There is so much to be thankful for as the Manila Symphony Orchestra presents the fifth concert of its Centennial Season happening on October 22, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

Topping the reasons to be grateful in this concert is the World Premiere performance of Pasasalamat for choir and orchestra by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab and National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario.

Ryan Cayabyab

Commissioned by the MSO for its centennial, Pasasalamat reflects on the meaning of gratitude not only as a personal feeling, but as a responsibility to others and to the community. Almario’s text considers the values that shape a shared life, from compassion and respect for differences to freedom, justice, culture, knowledge, and the willingness to accept criticism and change. At its heart is the idea that being human is not simply a given, but something we become through our choices and actions.

For the MSO, the work is particularly fitting, offering an opportunity to reflect on the responsibilities that come with being the longest surviving institution that has been part of Philippine musical life and history for a century. The text will be brought to life by MSO's featured choir, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Bagong Himig Serenata.

Camille Thomas

Another reason to be thankful is that Franco-Belgian Camille Thomas will finally grace the Philippine stage after a long five year delay. Her originally announced performance with the MSO scheduled back in January 2021 was among the numerous cancellations brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Known for her expressive performances and technical artistry, Thomas is an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2017 who has performed with major orchestras and conductors across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Her recording Voice of Hope, released in partnership with UNICEF, reflects her belief in music as a means of creating connection and inspiring hope.

PUP Bagong Himig Serenata

Apart from Pasasalamat, the evening's program will also include Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 with Thomas as the featured soloist and Gabriel Fauré's Requiem in D minor, Op. 48. The award-wining PUP Bagong Himig Serenata joins the orchestra in the performance of the Cayabyab/Almario and Faure pieces while MSO Music Director conducts.

Marlon Chen

Cellist Camille Thomas with the MSO is presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. and Standard Insurance, co-presented by EastWest Bank and DENZA Alabang by ACMobility Premium Dealership Inc. and is sponsored by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, Grand Hyatt Manila, National Performing Arts Grantee, and SM Hotels and Conventions with special thanks to JTI ALL IN, The Laufey Foundation, Austrian Embassy Manila, HSTL Foundation, EON Group, 98.7 DZFE-FM | The Master's Touch, and The Manila Times.

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

MSO celebrates 80 years of the Philippine Republic with Liberation concert on July 4

The Manila Symphony Orchestra's Centennial Season, apart from delivering noteworthy performances by one of Asia's oldest orchestras, has also been a refresher course on Philippine history.

The next concert of the season is no exception as the MSO commemorates the post World War II years with Liberation: 80 Years of the Philippine Republic, happening on July 4, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.

The upcoming performance looks back on the MSO's Gala Symphony Concert back in July 5, 1946 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium celebrating the inauguration of the Philippine Republic.

Featured in this concert are violinist Jeanne Marquez, her brother clarinetist Jason Marquez, and guest conductor Jose Reyna, Jr.

Jeanne Marquez

Jeanne will be the soloist at the rarely heard Violin Concerto in D Minor by Lucio San Pedro. She is an MSJO-Standard Insurance International Music Scholar and a recent graduate of the Juilliard School with a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance.

Jason Marquez

On the other hand, Jason, who is a principal clarinetist at Michigan and Texas, gets the spotlight at Concerto for Clarinet by Artie Shaw.

Jose Reyna, Jr.

Jose Reyna, Jr. is an American Prize-winning Filipino conductor, hailed as the “Filipino Toscanini” (The Manila Bulletin) for his panache and artistry on the podium.

Also to be performed at the concert is the opener Youth by former MSO Assistant Conductor Col. Antonino Buenaventura. Premiered at the 1946 MSO Gala Symphony Concert and conducted by the composer himself, the work portrays the youth as the epitome of vigor, energy, and love, standing at the threshold of life's journey". The evening wraps up with Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture by George Gershwin arr. by Robert Russell Bennett.

MSO's Liberation concert brings together works by Filipino and American composers whose music reflects the artistic exchanges and cultural connections that have shaped both nations over the past eight decades.

Manila Symphony Orchestra

The concert venue, the Metropolitan Theater, also holds significance to the MSO. The orchestra performed at the Met's inauguration back in 1931 making the upcoming concert a sort of homecoming for the MSO.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra's Liberation: 80 Years of the Philippine Republic is presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. and Standard Insurance; co-presented by EastWest Bacnk and PAGCOR in partnership with Bagong Pilipinas, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Metropolitan Theater.

MSO goes from classical to romantic in From Mozart to Mahler concert this May 30

The Manila Symphony Orchestra goes from classical to romantic for the second concert of its Centennial Season this May 30, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

Joshua Dos Santos

Billed as From Mozart to Mahler, the concert sees the return of Venezuelan conductor Joshua Dos Santos to the Philippine stage. Joshua was trained in Venezuela’s trailblazing music program El Sistema and was part of the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra (when it was still a youth orchestra) that went viral online for its Mambo encore at the BBC Proms back in 2007. He has been appointed associate conductor of the Simón Bolivar Chamber Orchestra in 2023.

The concert begins with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 364 with violinist Emanuel John “EJ” Villarin and violist Christian Wrona as the featured duo taking center stage for this classical piece.

Emanuel John Villarin 

EJ, a student at the Universität für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, is an award-winning violinist gaining 1st prize at New York Yong Performers Prize in 2021 and the NAMCYA in 2020. He performs with a Gencer Cerit Eskisehir violin.

Christian Wrona

Christian Wrona is a Filipino-Canadian violist, who also studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. An Asian Youth Orchestra alumnus, Christian is mentored by renowned artists including Tabea Zimmermann and Kim Kashkashian.

Manila Symphony Orchestra

The MSO goes romantic for second part of the concert with Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major. For this Titan of a symphony that challenges both the orchestra and the audience, the MSO gets joined by select members of the UST Symphony Orchestra. This collaboration is in celebration of the UST Conservatory of Music’s 80th Anniversary and acknowledgment of the ties between MSO and UST. Many past and present members of the MSO have been students and faculty members at UST.

UST Symphony Orchestra

The evening is poised to showcase the precision, clarity, and refinement of the classical period along with the emotional, expansive, and richly textured music of the romantic period.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra’s Concert II – From Mozart to Mahler is presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation Inc. and Standard Insurance, along with EastWest Bank, and in partnership with the Austrian Embassy and the University of Sto. Tomas, and media partners the Manila Times, 98.7 DZFE-FM | The Master's Touch, and EON Group.

Pianist Kate Liu makes Philippine debut on May 2 at Ayala Museum

Classical piano music lovers in Manila can't help but feel spoiled as yet another Laureate of the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition makes their way to the country. After Tony Yike Yang and Szymon Nehring's performances some months ago, it's now Kate Liu's turn to dazzle audiences in her Philippine debut on May 2, 2026, 7:00 PM at the Ayala Museum

Presented by Veniccio.com, in partnership with MA Piano Academy, Kate Liu's concert will see her perform Frédéric Chopin's 4 Mazurkas, Op. 30 and Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35, Robert Schumann's Arabeske in C major, Op. 18, and Johannes Brahms' Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major, Op. 1.

Kate Liu

Rising to international acclaim after winning Third Prize at the XVII International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Kate Liu also received the Best Mazurka Prize and the Audience Favorite Prize through the Polish National Radio. Since then, she has toured extensively, performing at world-renowned venues including the Seoul Arts Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Warsaw National Philharmonic, La Maison Symphonique de Montréal, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and many more.

Kate Liu has collaborated with esteemed orchestras such as the Warsaw Philharmonic, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Cleveland Orchestra, and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. She is a regular invitee to the Chopin and His Europe Festival in Warsaw, and in 2024 she was awarded the Olivier Berggruen Prize at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival.

Born in Singapore, Kate Liu began piano studies at age four and trained at the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School, earning her Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Artist Diploma. In 2025, she released her debut album featuring Beethoven and Brahms sonatas with Orchid Classics.

Here is a video of Kate Liu from the 3rd round of the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition performing my favorite Chopin piece ever.

Tickets for Kate Liu's concert are available at:

https://www.veniccio.com/products/kate-liu-in-recital

British soprano Katerina Mina headlines PPO Concert VII: Opera

As the ballet and opera world continue to react to Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet's now infamous remarks about not wanting to work in ballet or opera because no one cares about them anymore, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra gives more than enough reason to care with its upcoming opera themed concert happening on March 13, 2026, 7:30 PM at the Metropolitan Theater.

Billed as Opera, the seventh installment of the PPO's 41st season sees British soprano Katerina Mina headlining the concert performing opera arias by Giuseppe Verdi (Pace, pace mio Dio from La forza del destino), Umberto Giordano (La mamma morta from Andrea Chénier), and Giacomo Puccini (Vissi d'arte from Tosca). She will also perform Angel of Fire, which is her poetry set to music by composer Stephan Hodel.

Katerina Mina

Angel of Fire is also the title of Katerina Mina's 2018 album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Grzegorz Nowak, who is currently the PPO's music director and principal conductor. The title track and all the arias in the concert program are part of the album that has been presented to King Charles of Britain.

Born in Cyprus and based in London, Mina is a prizewinning artist renowned for her powerful stage presence and wide-ranging repertoire, from Verdi and Puccini to Wagner and contemporary works. She recently starred in the world premiere of Three Women and has performed leading roles in classic operas, including Turandot, Tosca, Brünnhilde, and Isolde.

Mina’s vocal performances through the years drew raves from various critics, citing her “deeply passionate vocal sound,” having “added layers of depth and visualisation to the work that any singer coming after her will be hard put to replicate…”, with a “mature voice that has a given place in any Music Hall. Critics praise her as “one of those clear-as-a-bell soprano voices, displayed with great charm to the top of the register, and with generous volume.”

A versatile concert performer, Mina has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cyprus Symphony, and other orchestras across Europe, Japan, and Mexico. Mentored by British dramatic soprano Susan Bullock, Mina has received the Stockholm Culture Award in recognition of her contributions to opera.

Grzegorz Nowak

The concert will also feature Verdi's Overture to La forza del destino as well as Jeffrey Ching's Ring Symphony, a large-scale orchestral work based on Richard Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung cycle.

The previously announced world premiere performance of Jerry Dadap's Symphony No. 5 The Wrath of Prakrti (nature) & Ragatmika-Bhakti (devotion) will be programmed for next season.

The PPO will also have an Opera Cosplay Challenge inviting audience goers to dress up inspired by any opera and/or ballet or as an orchestra musician for a chance to win merchandise and tickets to the PPO's season finale concert. Or just to let Timothée Chalamet know that people still care about ballets, operas, and orchestras. Complete mechanics can be seen at the PPO's social media pages.

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.

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.

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.