The Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), in celebration of its Centennial Season, successfully presented Opera at Kundiman: The Legacy of Maestra Conching Rosal on September 1, 2026, at the FEU Auditorium, under the banner “In Pursuit of Excellence.” The concert paid tribute to the late Filipino soprano Conching Rosal on the occasion of her 100th birth anniversary, and marked the 70th year since the Manila Symphony Society’s landmark staging of the Tagalog-language Carmen in 1956.
The performance had originally been scheduled for August 29, 2026, the exact 70th anniversary of the opening night of the 1956 Tagalog Carmen, but was moved to September 1 due to inclement weather. In a striking echo of history, the 1956 production itself famously endured a typhoon: its third performance, on September 2 that year, went on before a jam-packed Far Eastern University auditorium even as the surrounding streets stood flooded ankle-deep and a typhoon signal remained up. Seventy years later, the MSO’s tribute concert followed a similar path, with organizers rescheduling the date to accommodate the weather before welcoming a full house to the same historic hall.
Held once again at the FEU Auditorium, the very venue where the original Tagalog Carmen made history, the evening was led by conductor Marlon Chen and featured soprano Rachelle Gerodias-Park as Micaela, mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa as Carmen, tenor Arthur Espiritu as Don Jose, and baritone Byeong-In Park as Escamillo, together with the FEU Chorale and FEU Dance Company.
Part I of the program presented excerpts from Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen, performed in its historic Tagalog translation by Manuel Carballo Santiago and Vicente Liwag (English translation by R. Zulueta da Costa). Part II turned to kundiman and other Filipino vocal works by National Artist Nicanor Abelardo, Francisco Santiago, Leopoldo Silos, Manuel Velez, and Constancio de Guzman, the repertoire that traces the evolution of the Filipino art song alongside the nation’s own history.
Ahead of the evening performance, guests were invited to a series of activities celebrating both FEU’s heritage and the MSO’s century-long legacy – free guided tour of FEU’s UNESCO-recognized Art Deco campus; documentary screening of Bravo!: The History and Legacy of the FEU Auditorium; and the screening of Sinfonia (H)eroica: The MSO 100 Documentary.
The program opened with remarks from Martin Lopez, Executive Director of the FEU Center for the Arts, followed by messages from Maan Hontiveros, President of the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. (MSOFI), and Jeffrey Solares, MSOFI Executive Director.
The concert drew a distinguished audience that included members of the Rosal clan – Maila Rosal-Andal, Gloria Rosal-Magtibay, Corazon Rosal-Perez, Mariel Fatima Rosal-Perez, Lolita Rosal, Rosalinda Rosal, and Estrileta B. Redito – honoring the legacy of their kin, Maestra Conching Rosal.
Also in attendance were representatives from the diplomatic community: from the Chinese Embassy, Counselor Huang Yaping, Second Secretary Li Xiaolong, Second Secretary Zhang Xiaomei, and Third Secretary Zhu Bei; from the Japanese Embassy, JICC Director Matsuda Shigehiro with Matsuda Yuko and Matsuda Sana; from the French Embassy, Cultural Attaché Martin Macalintal and Dewi Macalintal; and from the Embassy of the Netherlands, H.E. Roderick Wols and Nene Wols.
MSOFI trustees Maan Hontiveros and Cora Alvina were likewise present to celebrate the milestone occasion.
Ernani Cuenco’s Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal brought the evening to a stirring close, with the community singing with the artists between two standing ovations.
Opera at Kundiman was presented by MSOFI and Standard Insurance, with EastWest Bank, ACMobility, and BYD serving as co-presenters. The evening was further complemented by the presence of sponsor activations from EastWest Bank, ACMobility, and a car display and test-drive experience from BYD, offering guests an opportunity to engage with MSO’s valued partners.
These beautiful photos are from the lens of Ms. Yan Caringal.
