‘Hamilton,’ ‘Star Wars’ and more: A glimpse to Manila Philharmonic Orchestra’s 25th anniversary concert

MOVIES, series, and theater productions won’t be complete without soundtracks. Aside from actors’ passionate acting, music is among the factors that make audiences feel certain emotions.

This is what the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) aims to do to celebrate its 25th anniversary: to evoke emotions in its audience through a concert that will bring back hits from several beloved movies, series, and musicals to the orchestra stage.

Titled “Lights, Camera, Encore! Music from the Stage and the Screen,” the anniversary concert will feature orchestral versions of soundtracks from “Hamilton,” “Star Wars,” “A Star is Born,” “Game of Thrones,” several Studio Ghibli films, and more.

It will be held on October 29 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

The show will be conducted by the MPO’s founder and music director, Maestro Rodel Colmenar, who has worked with several outstanding local and foreign classical artists. 

He participated in the Kurt Masur Conducting Workshop in Detmold, Germany, and the masterclasses of French conductor Jean Sebastian Bureau and Italian conductor Pierro Gamba.

Special guests

Audiences can also expect enchanting performances from special guests in the concert: Bituin Escalante, Arman Ferrer, Lara Maigue, the UST Singers, and the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

Escalante, also known as the “Stellar Diva,” has proven her singing and storytelling prowess since the late 90s. One of her notable performances is her rendition of the Original Pinoy Music (OPM) classic OPM classic “Kung Ako Na Lang Sana.”

She clinched roles in several theater productions like Effie White in “Dreamgirls,” Becky in “Waitress,” and Josefa Dizon in “Pingkian.”

Meanwhile, Ferrer is an actor and singer who starred in various musical stages like “Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical,” “Guadalupe: The Musical,” “A Comedy of Tenors,” and “Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag.”

Maigue, a soprano-songwriter, previously participated in the country’s top orchestras and earned various awards including the Best Female Classical Performer and Best Female Crossover Artist from the Aliw Awards.

The UST Singers, the premier mixed choral group of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), has performed in concert tours abroad and clinched top awards in prestigious international competitions.

Lastly, the Philippine Madrigal Singer is a world-renowned choir that has achieved international acclaim by winning the prestigious European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice.

A concert for a cause

More than the celebration of its 25th year, the MPO aims to use the concert to help those in need.

According to the MPO, part of the proceeds from the show will be given to the PARC Foundation’s PARC Aralan Project, which aims to support underprivileged children through music and arts.

A portion will also be used to alleviate the burdens of MPO’s member musicians, who experienced financial and health-related challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ticket prices for the anniversary concert range from 2,500 for the upper balcony to P6,500 for the orchestra pit. Tickets are now available via Ticketworld’s website and outlets nationwide.