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MSO marks 80 years of Fil-American friendship with July 4 concert

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ABS-CBN Lifestyle

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17829648728032 - Poster.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div>MANILA — The Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Filipino-American friendship with a concert on July 4 at the Manila Metropolitan Theater as part of its Centennial Season.Titled &quot;In Pursuit of Excellence: Celebration — The MSO Centennial Season Concert III: 80 Years of Filipino-American Friendship,&quot; the program recalls a historic moment in Philippine history. On July 5, 1946, shortly after the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines, the MSO performed a gala symphony concert at Rizal Memorial Stadium as part of the country&#x27;s independence celebrations.The July 4 concert will feature works by Filipino and American composers, highlighting the artistic and cultural exchanges between the two nations over the past eight decades.Opening the program is &quot;Youth&quot; by the late Col. Antonino Buenaventura, a prize-winning composition that premiered during the 1946 gala concert. The work, dedicated to Filipino youth, reflects themes of resilience, freedom and hope in the aftermath of World War II.Also on the program is Lucio San Pedro&#x27;s &quot;Concerto in D Minor&quot; for Violin and Orchestra, regarded as the first complete violin concerto written by a Filipino composer. Written in 1948 while San Pedro was completing his studies at the Juilliard School in New York, the piece will be performed by violinist Jeanne Marquez, a recent Juilliard graduate.Representing the American repertoire are Artie Shaw&#x27;s &quot;Concerto for Clarinet&quot; and George Gershwin&#x27;s &quot;Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture,&quot; arranged by Robert Russell Bennett. Shaw&#x27;s work will feature Filipino-American clarinetist Jason Marquez.The concert will be conducted by Jose Reyna Jr., an award-winning Filipino conductor based in the United States.The event also marks the orchestra&#x27;s return to the Metropolitan Theater, a venue closely associated with the MSO since the theater opened in 1931. Organizers said the concert signals the beginning of a renewed partnership between the orchestra and the historic venue.The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. on July 4 at the Manila Metropolitan Theater.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Filipino-American friendship with a concert on July 4 at the Manila Metropolitan Theater as part of its Centennial Season.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will commemorate the 80th anniversary of Filipino-American friendship with a concert on July 4 at the Manila Metropolitan Theater as part of its Centennial Season.

Manila Symphony Orchestra marks 80 years of Fil-American friendship with July 4 concert

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Manila Symphony Orchestra marks 80 years of Fil-American friendship with July 4 concert

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

Published July 02, 2026 12:04 PM PHT

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