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.

Young Filipino and Korean musicians unite in concert

The winners of the FilKor Youth Concerto Competition
with the FilKor Youth Orchestra

The future classical music stars in the country shone at the FilKor Youth Orchestra Gala Concert/1st FilKor Youth Concerto Competition held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last October.

Emerging victorious at the competition was pianist Jaemin Irene Lee who was awarded the Grand Prize for her performance of the opening movement of Camille Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22, showing her mastery of the keys that was well beyond her young age of 17.

The other finalists at the competition were violinist Emanuel John Villarin (1st Prize) who performed the first movement of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, clarinetist Franz Jensen Andra (2nd Prize) who performed the first movement of Carl Maria von Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 73, and violinist Jeanne Rafaella Marquez (3rd Prize) who performed the third movement of Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47. The four finalists were chosen among the sixteen contestants who auditioned back in August.

Conductor Jeffrey Solares and the FilKor Youth Orchestra

The evening also saw the debut of the FilKor Youth Orchestra, a combined orchestra composed of Filipino (mostly from the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra) and Korean musicians aged 22 and younger. Conducted by Jefrey Solares, the orchestra accompanied the finalists with their respective concerto movements and also performed a selection of music ranging from classical (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Overture to The Marriage of Figaro K.492, Alexander Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, Georges Bizet's Farandole from L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2), traditional folk song (Arirang and Atin Cu Pung Singsing), and a crowd pleasing medley of John Williams' film soundtracks.

The FilKor Youth Orchestra Gala Concert/1st FilKor Youth Concerto Competition was presented by the Korean Women's Association of the Philippines and the Clarion Chamber Ensemble. This music event is part of the 70th Anniversary Celebrations of the Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and Korea.

Diomedes Saraza Jr. recital to open MSO 2019 Rush Hour Concert season

The spotlight will be on violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr. as the Manila Symphony Orchestra opens its 2019 Rush Hour Concerts season with Concertmaster in Focus on February 21, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Ayala Museum.

This recital with Pianist Mariel Ilusorio and the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Solares will feature the works of Ludwig van Beethoven, Georges Bizet/Franz Waxman, Fritz Kreisler, and other showpieces.

Diomedes Saraza Jr. recently made his debut as the concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Orchestra at their 2018-2019 season finale concert held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last January 30, 2019. 

Ballet Philippines' The Sleeping Beauty

My love for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s music always drives me to be at every concert that featured his works. For this year, I’ve only been to a couple of concerts that had live performances of his music and they weren’t enough. Fortunately, Ballet Philippines provided more Tchaikovsky music for me to savor by staging the ballet The Sleeping Beauty as part of their 42^nd Season lineup. I knew that I couldn’t afford to miss this ballet held at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines especially since the Manila Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Jeffrey Solares, would be providing the live music in some performances. I did manage to watch the gala night which featured Japanese guest artist Nobuo Fujino and the international award winning, BP principal dancer Candice Adea and also the live music by the MSO which I really was looking forward to.

It’s been more than two decades since Ballet Philippines last staged Sleeping Beauty. So for a lot of people who were there during the gala night, it was their first time to see this ballet performed live. But I did have a glimpse of the Grand pas de deux from the ballet during the CCP Gala and seeing it made me want to watch the full length ballet with the live music no matter what. And it was truly a different experience watching a ballet production since it felt like being transported to a different time and place and yet all the action was there happening live right before my eyes.

Candice Adea

And right before my eyes, Candice Adea exhibited a lively, spirited and enthusiastic portrayal of Princess Aurora. She lit up the stage as she entered during the scene when the Princess celebrated her 16^th birthday and she was indeed the life of the party. The character and personality she displayed gave more impact to her eventual slumber as part of the curse given to her by Carabosse played by Olga Bankova. Guest artist On the other hand, Nobuo Fujino was a towering presence in his role as Prince Desiré despite his part not being as meaty as that of Candice. Individually, they shone in their variations and solo parts especially Candice during the exquisite Rosa Adagio but it was a different matter when the two did the Adagio during the Grand pas de deux. Their partner work left me thinking how more impressive they could’ve been if they had some years’ worth of experience dancing with each other. But given the limited time that they’ve had, they did pretty well and I do have to admit that while some of the hype went to Fujino being the guest artist, it was really Candice who was the star of the ballet. The Prince's role didn't have much in terms of characterization but Fujino was up to the task in letting Candice shine.

Nobuo Fujino

The rest of the company did well although there were some errors that my untrained eye was able to notice. But it only goes to show how technically difficult Sleeping Beauty was not only for the leads, but also for the other soloists and the rest of the company as well. The plot of the fairy tale is very shallow and thin and at first glance, the material may not be suitable for a full length ballet that lasted for more than two hours. But some of the minor characters like the fairies had short individual and group numbers throughout the ballet. And during Act III, there were guest characters from other fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and Puss-in-Boots for example and they also did some dancing as well. They were there for the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Desiré and I still wonder how on earth these characters served the story. I guess this is one ballet quirk that I have yet to understand.

Olga Bankova

I remember telling Candice right after the CCP Gala that seeing an excerpt from the ballet wasn't enough for me and that I promise to watch the whole thing. And I am extremely pleased that I was able to keep this promise. I did tell her about this during the meet and greet at the lobby where she, Fujino and the rest of the company were met with cheers and warm congratulations from the audience. I still have a lot to learn about ballet since I can’t recognize some of the moves yet and it’s still the music that draws me into watching them. But seeing two ballet productions during the past few weeks, I do admit that I’m already hooked and I look forward to seeing more ballet and dance productions from now on.

Lorenzo Medel Solo Piano Recital

Lorenzo Medel and the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Featuring:

Lorenzo Medel, piano

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Jeffrey Solares, conductor

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV1056

Ludwig van Beethoven Rondo in G major, Op. 51, No. 2

Frédéric Chopin Scherzo No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39

Claude Debussy Reflets dans l'eau from Images 1

Sergei Prokofiev Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28

Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S.124

The last piano concerto accompanied by an orchestra that I saw was way back in April. No wonder that I’ve been itching to go back to my comfort zone although I’ve been having the ride of my life with all these events for the past month or so. Thankfully, I was able to satisfy my piano concerto craving when Lorenzo Medel, a 15 year old piano phenomenon, had his solo recital at the Philam Life auditorium. Postponement due to bad weather and still a wet and rainy evening on the rescheduled date didn’t hinder people from arriving in droves for this free concert that also featured the Manila Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Solares.

The concert programme was a nice mix of keyboard/piano music from different eras which meant that I had to listen to some pieces that don’t normally appeal to me. The concert started with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV1056, in which Lorenzo was accompanied by a small number of string players from the MSO. Baroque keyboard music is something that I find difficult to appreciate and during this performance, I found myself wondering instead on how the piece would sound if Lorenzo played on a harpsichord instead. The Classical era was represented by Rondo in G major, Op. 51, No. 2 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Unfortunately, this is another piece by Beethoven that I never learned to appreciate since I prefer his longer pieces like his sonatas. And I confess that I just wished to have this piece done and over with so that the concert would just move on to the next pieces.

Then Lorenzo’s concert arrived at the Romantic era which is my favorite and he played Frédéric Chopin’s Scherzo No. 3 in C sharp minor, Op. 39. This scherzo has now overtaken the No. 2 in B flat minor as my favorite among the four scherzi that Chopin composed. He played this extremely well and was able to handle with relative ease the difficult octave passages that have been the bane of many pianists who attempted to play this piece. But my favorite part of this piece is the delicate, cascading notes that require much finesse and my fickleness regarding this part makes me difficult to be extremely satisfied by anyone playing this. He then played Claude Debussy’s Reflets dans l'eau from Images 1 which is one Impressionistic piece typical of the composer. Again, Lorenzo was able to play this piece comfortably but he has yet to achieve the subtle nuances that make a piece like this mesmerizing. But I need to be reminded that he is still just 15 years old and that artistic maturity comes with age and experience. It would be very interesting to hear him play these two pieces after some years and see how far he’d gone.

But I do believe that the next piece, Sergei Prokofiev's Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28 really suited him well. The Prokofiev piece was played with such attack, flair, energy, excitement and with reckless abandon that he seemed to blast off the piano bench at certain moments. It surprised no one that he was met with equally bombastic applause from the audience when he finished this piece which ended the first half of the concert.

Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat Major, S.124 was the sole piece of the second half. This piece is very flamboyant and cheerful devoid of any of the heavy drama of most concerti from the Romantic era. I think that it also suited Lorenzo’s style very well. He nailed this virtuosic piece full of fireworks which is characteristic of Liszt’s compositions. I was glad that the Manila Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Solares, was able to match the piano without drowning each other especially during the thunderous bravura passages. But I felt that during the finale with the descending octaves, he had an urge to surge and I got a bit worried that he might outpace the orchestra. But the MSO really manage to keep up with his pace. And it was exciting to hear the people already applauding even if the last note of the concerto was still being played.

Pianist Lorenzo Medel

The cheers coming from an enthusiastic audience who gave Lorenzo a standing ovation went on for quite some time. Lorenzo responded the call for an encore by playing Nocturne in G major by Rodolfo Cornejo which was indeed a nice change of pace after that explosive concerto. Lorenzo is indeed a phenomenon and is still very young so he still has a long piano career ahead of him. He has nowhere to go but up and it would be very nice to see him continue to develop artistically and add more pieces to his concert repertoire. Lastly, it would also be very nice of him to polish his walk whenever he enters and exits the stage.

Filfest's All-Chestra continues with cellist Wilfredo Pasamba

May 21, 2011, 8:00 PM

Insular Life Auditorium

Insular Life Tower

Filinvest, Alabang

Featuring:

Wilfredo Pasamba, cello

PREDIS Chamber Orchestra

Philippine Youth Symphonic Band

Jeffrey Solares, conductor

Programme:

Antonino Buenaventura Youth (A Symphonic Poem)

Robert Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor, KV. 550

The Filfest Cultural Foundation in cooperation with Insular continue Season 4: All-Chestra and will feature cellist Wilfredo Pasamba, the PREDIS Chamber Orchestra and the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band under the baton of Maestro Jeffrey Solares.

Hailed by the New York Times for his "audacity and brilliance", Wilfredo Pasamba has appeared with the Juilliard Symphony, Reno Chamber Orchestra, Wichita Symphony, Syracuse Chamber Orchestra, Ithaca College Chamber Orchestra, Manila Symphony Orchestra, Cebu Philharmonic, and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. He has collaborated with conductors such as Pierro Gamba, Pamela Gerhardt, Basilio Manalo, Arturo Molina, Robert Olson, Michael Palmer, Ruggero Barbierri, and Vahe Kochayan among others. Pasamba garnered top honors at the Jennings Butterfield Young Artist Competition, Juilliard Cello Concerto Competition, the National Music Competition for Young Artists, Reno Chamber Orchestra Competition and was a semi-finalist in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. 

The Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS) was founded in 1985 by Prof. Basilio Manalo and Sr. Mary Placid Abejo, OSB. Its purpose is to develop talented Filipinos to become professional musicians to supply Philippine orchestras with highly qualified and competent instrumentalists. At present, after twenty five years in existence, it has produced well-trained musicians who are now taking leading roles in the country's musical life as orchestra players. The Philippine Youth Symphonic Band (PYSB) was first organized in 1978 with the singular purpose of nurturing the symphonic band tradition as a pillar of the country's national musical heritage. Today, the PYSB is a versatile ensemble of 64 young, dedicated, talented and skilled musicians. Their membership age ranges from 8-24 years old. They recently finished cutting their second CD with a varied sampling of the band's capabilities. 

After his graduation from the Philippine High School for the Arts, Jeffrey Solares received a scholarship from the Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists (PREDIS) and was placed under the tutelage of Mrs. Rosario Molina-Cruz, Mr. Arturo Molina and Prof. Basilio Manalo. He pursued his degree of Bachelor of Music at the St. Scholastica?s College of Music under scholarship from the SSC Music Alumnae Association. Upon the completion of his musical studies in Manila, he was handpicked by concert pianist Ingrid Sala-Santamaria to help develop and eventually lead the Cebu-based Peace Philharmonic Philippines (PPP), formerly known as the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO). Being himself a three-time winner in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), he eventually led several of his Cebuano students to a high level of musical achievement by consistently winning awards in the same competitions. In 2005 he became Acting Resident Conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) based at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He recently volunteered to be the Associate Conductor and Orchestra Manager of the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO). He is also the Associate Conductor of the UST Symphony Orchestra, with which he conducted in a concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and at the Peoples Republic of China.

Cellist Wilfredo Pasamba

Ticket prices:

P800 Orchestra

P400 Balcony

50% student discount

20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

Marie (0917) 817-7261, (0918) 941-9472, 585-3823