Led by Venezuelan conductor Joshua Dos Santos, the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) continues its Centennial Season with a concert that moves from the Classical style to the late Romantic symphony.
“From Mozart to Mahler” will be presented on May 30 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Proscenium Theater in Makati by the MSO Foundation Inc. and Standard Insurance, and co-presented by EastWest Bank in partnership with the Austrian Embassy and the University of Santo Tomas.
The concert opens with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Sinfonia concertante in E-flat, K. 364” for violin and viola, a work celebrated for its technical precision. The piece will be performed by rising Filipino artists Emanuel John Villarin on violin and Christian Wrona on viola.
It culminates in Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1,” a work that is expansive in scale and rich in emotional contrasts.
The MSO will be joined by selected members of the UST Symphony Orchestra in a side-by-side performance to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the UST Conservatory of Music. Many past and current MSO musicians have been connected to UST as students or faculty members.
Guest conductor Joshua Dos Santos’ career spans Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He began training in Venezuela’s legendary El Sistema at age 7 and made his conducting debut at 16 under the mentorship of Maestro José Antonio Abreu. He was appointed associate conductor of the Simon Bolivar Chamber Orchestra in 2023.
Emanuel John Villarin is a Hanns Eisler scholar and MSJO-Standard Insurance scholar, performing on a master-crafted Gençer Cerit Eskisehir violin. He attended the Universität für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and was awarded the New York Young Performers Prize in 2021 and the National Music Competitions for Young Artists prize in 2020.
Christian Wrona is a Filipino Canadian violist and Hanns Eisler scholar currently studying at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. He is an Asian Youth Orchestra alumnus, mentored by renowned artists including Tabea Zimmermann and Kim Kashkashian.
The UST Symphony Orchestra, established in 1927, holds the unique distinction of being the only all-student symphony orchestra in the Philippines. Under the baton of Associate Prof. Herminigildo Ranera, it has showcased a diverse repertoire ranging from classical masterpieces to contemporary works.
Tickets are available at Ticketworld.
