with the Manila Symphony Orchestra.
TO CELEBRATE its 100th year, the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will be mounting concerts that include collaborations with world-class musicians.
As one of Asia’s oldest orchestras — it was founded in 1926 — it has seen its share of hardship. Even through upheavals like World War II and a global pandemic, it has continued holding accessible concerts around the country and supporting the education of music scholars, said MSO Artistic Director Jeffrey Solares.
“It’s a daily struggle. It’s not only during special years with wars or pandemics that we feel the specialness of keeping this orchestra alive,” he said at a press conference on Jan. 7 in Circuit, Makati. “Every payday is special, making sure that there’s enough funds in the bank. [With] every project, every scholar enrolled in the conservatory, every musician that gets sick, you can feel what it takes to keep the orchestra alive.”
BOUNDLESS TALENTOne of the things that has remained consistent throughout the MSO’s 100 years is being able to champion, celebrate, and collaborate with world-class Filipino and foreign musicians.
A hundred years ago, the MSO performed Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 at its inaugural concert. For the anniversary concert on Jan. 22, the piece first conducted by the orchestra’s founder Alexander Lippay in 1926 will be brought to life under the baton of Singaporean guest conductor Darrel Ang.
Meanwhile, closing the program will be the Philippine Madrigal Singers, taking on National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab’s Misa 2000 and Te Deum, under the direction of Mark Anthony Carpio.
At the press conference, the MSO gave a preview of some pieces that will make up the repertoires of their various concerts this milestone year. One is a Cayabyab song — “Limang Dipang Tao” — and another is Nicanor Abelardo’s “Mutya ng Pasig,” sung by soprano Rachelle Gerodias-Park.
For Mr. Solares, it is important that they highlight Filipino music as well as classical works.
“We want to stick to the original intentions of our predecessors. We want to make orchestral music a part of the daily life of Filipinos,” he explained. “More enriching is how we include Philippine music in our programming alongside international pieces.”
As early as 1926, the MSO has been able to play full-symphony music by the likes of Beethoven, Wagner, and Brahms, showcasing its versatility. At the preview, it proved this by giving the media a glimpse of Brahms’ Longing at Rest and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (Overture).
“The MSO exposes Filipinos to this art form. Symphonic music and concertos are a European form of art, but they were brave enough to do it,” Mr. Solares added.
The orchestra also teamed up with mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa to offer a preview of Bizet’s Habanera, from the opera Carmen — sung in Tagalog — which will be part of the MSO’s Concert IV in August.
Mr. Solares said that traditional kinds of music can still be accessible, despite attention spans waning. For him, to “look down on the audience” is completely unnecessary.
“We mix it up as much as possible, but we can also help people appreciate a symphony,” he said.
CONCERT LINEUPThe MSO’s 100th Anniversary Concert takes place on Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m., at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit, Makati. It closes the group’s 99th season.
The MSO will then present a special benefit concert which is in addition to its season lineup. LEGACY: Carmen Sipin-Aspiras and Inna Montesclaros, will be held on Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m., at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati. The benefit concert features the two generations of pianists along with the MSO under the baton of conductor Darrell Ang. The concert will be featuring works by Brahms and Chopin. Tickets are available at Ticketworld.
After that, the 100th season kicks off with Centennial Opening: The Sleeping Beauty, which will be held from March 13 to 15 at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City. The Tchaikovsky masterpiece will come to life care of Ballet Manila and Russian guest conductor Alexander Vikulov.
This will be followed by Rising Stars of the Philippines on May 30 at the Proscenium Theater, Rockwell, Makati. Violinist Jeanne Marquez, cellist Damodar Das Castillo, and Venezuelan guest conductor Joshua Dos Santos will join the MSO for the concert, where they will take on Brahms’ Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 10 and other symphonic gems.
The next concert, Symphony of a Nation: 100 Years of Music, 80 Years of Fil-Am Friendship, will be held on July 6 at the Manila Metropolitan Theater in Ermita, Manila. It will feature violinist Emanuel John Villarin and French guest conductor Thanos Adamopoulos, presenting a repertoire devoted to the nation’s most stirring orchestral works.
Another milestone concert will be Legacies in Song: MSO’s 100 Years and the Voice of Conching Rosal on Aug. 29 at the FEU Auditorium in Manila. It will have soprano Rachelle Gerodias-Park, mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa, baritone Byeong In Park, and conductor Marlon Chen performing excerpts from Carmen and other operatic treasures with the MSO.
On Oct. 24 at Hyundai Hall in Areté, Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, Philippine Master Composers, Past, Present, and Future will unveil a new work by Ryan Cayabyab. It will be the world premiere of this piece, played alongside masterpieces by other national icons.
Closing the season will be the MSO 100th Centennial Finale, to be held in January 2027, with the venue yet to be announced. Its tentative guest is French-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas, to be presented in partnership with UNICEF.
Through these concerts, the MSO hopes to raise funds for its attached organizations — the MSO Foundation, the MSO Music Academy, and the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra. The MSO is also set to launch a commemorative book chronicling the orchestra’s journey over 100 years.
Tickets for the upcoming concerts are available via TicketWorld. For more information, visit their social media pages. — Brontë H. Lacsamana