PH & IT Synced in Symphonies: A Night Where Rossini Meets “Bayan Ko”

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There are evenings when a city feels a little larger than itself. When a concert hall becomes a bridge and the music turns into a shared language. On October 16, 2025, the Philippine Italian Association joins hands with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, with support from Joel’s Place and 98.7 DZFE-FM The Master’s Touch, to present a chamber concert that threads together Italian brilliance and Filipino heart. The venue is the Asia Pacific College Auditorium at 3 Humabon Place, Magallanes, Makati City. The curtain rises at 7:00 PM.

A program that sings in two tongues

The repertoire reads like a conversation between heritage and home. Expect Italian lightness, lyricism, and cinematic color set next to Filipino melody and memory.

From Europe:

  • Gioachino Rossini: Sonata No. 1 for Strings in G Major

  • Giuseppe Tartini: Sonata in G Minor (Didone Abbandonata)

  • Ennio Morricone: Selections from Cinema Paradiso and La Califfa

  • “Funiculì Funiculà”: a classic that always lifts a room

  • Claude Debussy: Piano Trio, 3rd Movement

From the Philippines:

  • Constancio de Guzman: Bayan Ko arranged by Orlando Dela Cruz

  • Nicanor Abelardo: Cavatina

  • Mike Velarde: Dahil Sa Iyo

  • Treasured folksongs: Si Nanay Tatay Di Ko Babayaan (Bicolano), Ili-Ili Tulog Anay (Ilonggo), and Salidumay (Igorot)

The design is simple and beautiful. Italy offers its classical and popular signatures. The Philippines answers with melodies that feel like a homecoming. The result is a single evening that breathes with two cultures and one pulse.

The ensemble at the helm

At the center is Maestro Alessio Benvenuti on Violin I, concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Orchestra and a Makati-based artist with a road-tested career. Since 1996, Benvenuti has appeared in over 2,000 concerts across the United States, South America, Central America, Asia, Tunisia, and Europe. He is joined by a tight-knit roster of MSO artists and collaborators: Alfonso Encina (Violin II), Sara Gonzales (Viola), Arnold Josue (Cello), Lawrence Palad (Bass), and Mariel Ilusorio (Piano). The instrumentation promises clarity, balance, and sparkle. Strings that chime and sigh. Piano lines like clean light.

Why this night matters

This collaboration sits on a long arc of cultural friendship. The Philippine Italian Association, now on its 63rd year, continues to link communities through language instruction, translation services, and social support via Patronato Acli. The Manila Symphony Orchestra remains one of Asia’s oldest orchestras, steadfast in nurturing Filipino musical talent and widening the country’s appetite for classical music. Joel’s Place adds a contemporary lifestyle lens to the partnership, bridging daily living with curated taste. 98.7 DZFE-FM The Master’s Touch, the country’s lone full classical music service since 1954, keeps the signal strong for masterworks and public service.

These are not just logos on a poster. They are institutions that carry mission and memory. Put them in one room and you get a concert with purpose.

Ticketing and details at a glance

  • Date and Time: October 16, 2025, 7:00 PM

  • Venue: Asia Pacific College Auditorium, 3 Humabon Place, Magallanes, Makati City

  • Ticket Price: ₱1,500

  • Discounts: 20% for Senior Citizens and PWD, or 10% for PIA Members

  • Inquiries and Reservations: Ms. Jan Dacera at 0995 430 5118 or philitalassociation@gmail.com

  • Follow PIA: Facebook The Philippine Italian Association, Instagram @philitalian

What to listen for

  • The lift and sparkle of Rossini to open the ear.

  • The narrative ache of Tartini’s Didone Abbandonata.

  • The cinema-bright tenderness of Morricone.

  • The familiar joy of Funiculì Funiculà that can turn an auditorium into a shared grin.

  • The pastel light of Debussy, placed with care.

  • The Filipino set that lands like a memory: Bayan Ko in new clothes, Cavatina with its lyric line, Dahil Sa Iyo with its enduring charm, and folk tunes that carry the hush of childhood and the cadence of the regions.

Final note

Concerts like this do more than entertain. They remind us that culture is not an abstract idea. It is a lived exchange. A violin phrase that travels continents and finds a second home. A kundiman that sits comfortably beside Vivaldi and Debussy. On October 16, the conversation plays out in real time. Sit inside it. Let it move you.

If you want me to turn this into a short caption for socials with a neat poster blurb and a carousel copy, I can prep that next.

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