THE Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presented the second concert of “Celebration: The MSO Centennial Season” with a gala performance, titled “From Mozart to Mahler.”

The concert took place at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati on May 30, 2026. Co-presented by Standard Insurance and EastWest Bank, the event was organized in partnership with the Austrian Embassy Manila and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Conservatory of Music.

The performance featured guest conductor Joshua Dos Santos leading the orchestra, alongside featured soloists Emanuel John Villarin on violin and Christian Wrona on viola. For this production, the MSO performed side-by-side with selected members of the UST Symphony Orchestra. The highly anticipated evening drew a completely sold-out audience, culminating in an enthusiastic standing ovation amid the hour-long Mahler masterpiece.

The concert program paired two major works from the classical and romantic canons, featuring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra in E-flat Major, K. 364 and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major “Titan.”

Prior to the musical performances, the MSO screened an eight-minute documentary summary directed by J.C. Jose, detailing the institution’s 100-year history and its deep historical ties to Austria.

The centennial event also featured honorary speeches delivered by Maan Hontiveros, MSO Foundation Inc. president; Margit Loidolt, chargé d’affaires of the Austrian Embassy in Manila; and Jeffrey Solares, MSO Foundation Inc. executive director.

This collaboration with the Austrian Embassy Manila serves as a milestone in a yearlong partnership celebrating the historic cultural exchange between the musical institution and the country of Austria.