The Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presented the third concert of its landmark centennial season celebration, The Manila Symphony Orchestra Celebration: The MSO Centennial Season, with a gala performance titled “LIBERATION: 80 Years of the Philippine Republic.” The concert took place on July 4, 2026, at 7:30 PM. Presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation and Standard Insurance, co-presented by EastWest Bank and PAGCOR, and sponsored by Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, the grand was organized in partnership with Bagong Pilipinas, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and The Metropolitan Theater. The performance featured guest conductor Jose Reyna, Jr. leading the orchestra, alongside featured soloists Jeanne Marquez on violin and Jason Marquez on clarinet. The gala performance directly commemorated the historic milestone of July 4, 1946, when the American flag was lowered at Luneta and the Philippine flag was raised, marking the formal birth of a proud, sovereign republic.
The concert program paired major historic works from the Filipino and American orchestral canons, featuring Antonino Buenaventura’s symphonic poem Youth (1946), Lucio San Pedro’s Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 51 (1948), Artie Shaw’s Concerto for Clarinet, and George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture (arranged by Robert Russell Bennett).
The repertoire choice held deep historical significance for both the nation and the musical institution. Buenaventura’s “Youth” originally won first prize in a National Music Composition Contest launched by the Independence Committee to celebrate the birth of the republic. The piece was premiered by the Manila Symphony Orchestra itself on July 5, 1946, during a gala concert held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Similarly, San Pedro’s Violin Concerto traces its roots to the same 1946 composition contest where his submission, “Hope and Ambition,” was awarded a special prize, enabling his subsequent advanced studies at The Juilliard School in New York. Notably, San Pedro’s masterpiece recently received a prestigious grant from the NCCA to be professionally encoded and recorded. Following the intermission, the program shifted toward American masterpieces, highlighting the cultural exchanges and artistic friendships that have enriched the Philippines’ musical heritage over the decades.
The centennial event also featured a commemorative message from Marianne B. Hontiveros, President of the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, who noted that the performance reflected the MSO’s ensuring mission to champion artistic excellence, nurture Filipino Talent, and connect generation through music. The celebration was further elevated by the dynamic support of corporate partners, including EastWest Bank, which delighted the audience with a special iPhone giveaway, and Panasonic Philippines, whose technological support vitalized the evening by illuminating the grand 100-year history of the MSO.
The gala performance was attended by an array of distinguished cultural and diplomatic figures. Among the prominent guests was Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) President Kaye Tinga, alongside MSO Foundation Trustees Marianne “Maan” Hontiveros, Atty. Jose Feria, Atty. Katrina Legarda, and Corazon Alvina.
The evening drew significant diplomatic representation and regional leadership, with dignitaries attending from the Austrian Embassy Manila, represented by Ambassador H.E. Johann Brieger and Mme. Roswitha Brieger, and the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, represented by Media & Public Diplomacy Manager Kevin Punzalan. Also in attendance were Mr. Olivier Dintinger on behalf of Alliance Française de Manille, and May Codia-Bayta representing the Philippine Council for NGO Certification, Inc.
Heirs of National Artists for Music Buenaventura and Sab Pedro were also present.
Jeanne Marquez, violin, is an acclaimed virtuoso whose musical growth has been long nurtured by the MSO Foundation. Recognized as an MSJO-Standard Insurance International Scholar and an “Ani ng Dangal” awardee, she is a former scholar of the Colburn Music Academy and recently graduated with her Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School in New York.
Jason Marquez, clarinet, is a prominent soloist and orchestra professional. An alumnus of Andrews University in Michigan, he has performed extensively as a principal clarinetist in the United States and is highly regarded for bridging classical discipline with complex jazz idioms.
Jose Reyna, Jr., guest conductor, is a distinguished Filipino conductor and educator based in the United States. Reyna works extensively with the next generation of orchestral musicians and collaborates closely with the MSO to promote the continued development of Philippine classical music.
Official Photos by Yan Caringal
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