The Manila Symphony Orchestra at 100

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A Centennial Season That Honors Memory, Movement, and the Next Generation

There are milestones that mark time. And then there are milestones that ask what we do with it.

In 2026, the Manila Symphony Orchestra marks its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1926, the MSO enters its centennial year not as an institution looking backward, but as one continuing to shape the present. The Manila Symphony Orchestra Centennial Season, titled In Pursuit of Excellence: The Manila Symphony Orchestra at 100, unfolds across 2026 and early 2027 through concerts, collaborations, and educational initiatives that reflect legacy, continuity, and renewal.

Presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation Inc. with Standard Insurance, the centennial season spans ballet, symphonic repertoire, Filipino compositions, rising artists, and international collaborations across major Metro Manila venues.

What emerges is not a single commemorative concert, but a yearlong cultural statement. One hundred years of orchestral music, still in motion.

Centennial Opening Concert

The Sleeping Beauty

March 13 to 15, 2026
Aliw Theater, Pasay City

The Manila Symphony Orchestra opens its centennial season with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty, performed in collaboration with Ballet Manila. Conducted by Alexander Vikulov, the production brings together full symphonic forces, classical ballet, and theatrical scale to mark the beginning of the MSO’s 100th year.

Ballet Manila is widely regarded as one of the Philippines’ leading ballet companies, known for its commitment to classical technique, contemporary works, and dance education. Alexander Vikulov, a Russian conductor trained at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, brings extensive experience in opera, symphonic, and ballet repertoire, with past collaborations including the Mariinsky Theatre, Vienna State Opera, and Teatro Regio di Torino.

Opening the centennial with The Sleeping Beauty positions the season within a tradition that values craft, patience, and artistic continuity.

Concert for Emerging Filipino Artists

Rising Stars of the Philippines

May 30, 2026
Proscenium Theatre, Rockwell Center, Makati

The second concert of the Manila Symphony Orchestra Centennial Season focuses on the next generation of classical musicians. Violinist Jeanne Rafaella Marquez and cellist Damodar Das Castillo join conductor Joshua Dos Santos and the MSO for a program that highlights technical mastery and musical dialogue.

The concert features Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto in A minor, a work that requires balance between soloists and orchestra. Jeanne Rafaella Marquez is a Juilliard School student, Ani ng Dangal award recipient, and winner of multiple international competitions. Damodar Das Castillo is a Mozarteum Salzburg alumnus and recipient of major international prizes in Europe.

Joshua Dos Santos, who began conducting at the age of fifteen, is recognized internationally through his work with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Filipino Symphonic Identity

Symphony of a Nation

July 4, 2026
Manila Metropolitan Theater

Held at the historic Manila Metropolitan Theater, this concert examines one hundred years of Philippine orchestral music. Featuring violinist Emanuel John Villarin and conducted by Thanos Adamopoulos, the program presents Filipino symphonic works that trace the evolution of national musical identity.

Emanuel John Villarin is a scholarship recipient currently based in Berlin, with awards from national and international music competitions. Thanos Adamopoulos is a Paris-based conductor with long-standing artistic ties to the Manila Symphony Orchestra, the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra, and the Asian Youth Orchestra.

The concert frames Filipino symphonic music not as static heritage, but as a living, developing tradition.

Vocal Heritage and the Orchestra

Legacies in Song

August 29, 2026
FEU Auditorium, Manila

Vocal music takes center stage in a concert celebrating the Manila Symphony Orchestra’s long history with opera and classical song. The program includes selections from Georges Bizet’s Carmen and other operatic repertoire, performed by soprano Rachelle Gerodias Park, mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa, and baritone Byeong In Park, under the direction of conductor Marlon Chen.

Rachelle Gerodias Park is widely recognized as one of the Philippines’ most accomplished opera singers, with multiple national honors and international performances. Michelle Mariposa is a Grand Finals winner of the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition and an alumna of the University of the Philippines and Northwestern University. Byeong In Park is an internationally active Korean baritone trained in Germany.

This concert also honors the legacy of Conching Rosal and the enduring role of the voice within the orchestra’s century-long history.

Filipino Composers Across Generations

Philippine Master Composers, Past, Present, and Future

October 24, 2026
Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University

The fifth concert of the centennial season centers on Filipino composition. Conducted by Marlon Chen, the program features the world premiere of a new work by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab, alongside works by other Filipino composers representing different generations.

Presented at Hyundai Hall in Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, the concert brings together historical influence and contemporary creativity, highlighting how Filipino orchestral music continues to evolve within local and international contexts.

Centennial Finale

MSO 100 Centennial Finale

January 2027
Venue to be announced

The Manila Symphony Orchestra Centennial Season concludes in January 2027 with a final concert featuring conductor Marlon Chen and Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas. Presented in partnership with UNICEF, the finale reflects the orchestra’s commitment to music as a force for cultural engagement and social impact.

Camille Thomas is internationally acclaimed for her expressive artistry and technical refinement, and has performed with major orchestras across Europe and Asia.

A Century Forward

For the Manila Symphony Orchestra, one hundred years represents more than longevity. It reflects adaptation, collaboration, and a sustained belief in the power of collective sound. The centennial season affirms that orchestral music in the Philippines remains relevant not by preserving the past alone, but by continually engaging with the present and preparing for the future.

A centennial is not an ending. It is a continuation.

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