Internationally acclaimed Filipino American tenor Arthur Espiritu takes center stage in his first-ever concert of “kundiman,” or Filipino love songs, on May 14 at Gallery MiraNila in Quezon City.
Award-winning soprano Stefanie Quintin‑Avila and celebrated pianist Najib Ismail are also featured in the one-night-only “Mga Awit ng Pag-ibig at Kundiman,” which honors the legacy of Ambassador Tomas C. Benitez, a lover of kundiman, and celebrates the richness of Filipino musical heritage.
The event is presented by the MiraNila Heritage House & Library in partnership with Gallery MiraNila by The Blue Leaf, with support from MiraNamin Nest and the Philippine‑Italian Association.
All proceeds will benefit the MiraNila Conservation Program, which has restored numerous at‑risk artworks and now prioritizes structural repairs following severe flooding in 2025 that endangered the 94‑year‑old MiraNila Heritage House & Library.
The program features selections from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ newly recorded 13‑track archive—its first major initiative with the Manila Chamber Orchestra Foundation to digitally preserve Filipino classics performed by the nation’s finest voices.
The repertoire traces the kundiman’s evolution from its patriotic beginnings to zarzuela, love songs, and modern art songs. The featured composers are Nicanor Abelardo, Francisco Santiago, Constancio de Guzman, Ernani Cuenco, Levi Celerio, and Augusto Espino, among other pillars of Filipino music who shaped the nation’s musical identity.
Espiritu, fresh from his title role in Borodin’s Prince Igor at the Munich Opera House, is a recipient of the 2009 George London Award and the Scala award at the Belvedere Competition in Vienna. He has performed in prestigious opera productions and major venues across North America, Europe and Asia. A critic once wrote of him: “When Arthur Espiritu sings, heaven opens up.”
Quintin‑Avila, praised for her stylistic range and expressive clarity, reunites with Espiritu after their acclaimed collaboration in 2024. A recipient of the Delphic Lyra Award and multiple international citations, she will appear at the Gleam International Early Music Festival with Belgium’s InAlto Ensemble in June 2026.
Ismail, one of the Philippines’ most respected pianists, whose performance career spans Europe, Asia and Australia, is a longtime champion of Filipino composers. His artistry anchors the evening’s musical journey.
“Mga Awit ng Pagibig at Kundiman” will be held on Thursday, May 14, 6:30 to 8:10 p.m. (with intermission), at Gallery MiraNila, 26 Mariposa Street, Barangay Bagong Lipunan Crame, in Quezon City. Registration starts at 5 p.m.
Heritage House tours are scheduled at 5:10-5:30 | 5:30-5:50 | 5:50-6:10 p.m. A meet-and-greet session with the artists starts at 8:15 p.m.
Tickets are at ₱2,500 for adults; ₱2,000 for seniors, PWDs, and students with IDs. There is a special sale of NCCA recordings (vinyl LP and secure digital card). For concert guidelines and tickets, text Steve on Viber 09458530963. For best response, text between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. CONTRIBUTED
