AS part of its Centennial Season, the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) commemorates a landmark event in both Philippine history. Eighty years ago, on July 5, 1946, following the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines, the MSO presented a Gala Symphony Concert at the Rizal Memorial Stadium as part of the national celebrations marking Philippine independence.

This year’s program brings together works by Filipino and American composers whose music reflects the artistic exchanges and cultural connections that have shaped both nations over the past eight decades.

Opening the evening is former MSO Assistant Conductor Col. Antonino Buenaventura’s prize-winning composition, “Youth,” which received its premiere during the 1946 MSO Gala Symphony Concert.

The program continues with Lucio San Pedro’s “Concerto in D Minor” for Violin and Orchestra. The concerto reflects the educational exchanges that have connected Filipino and American music while occupying an important place in the development of Philippine classical music.

Representing the American tradition are Artie Shaw’s “Concerto for Clarinet,” featuring Jason Marquez, a Filipino-American principal clarinetist in Michigan and Texas; and George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture for orchestra,” arranged by Robert Russell Bennett. Together, these works showcase the breadth of American music, drawing from jazz, popular music and the symphonic tradition.

This concert celebrates not only 80 years of Filipino-American friendship but also the Manila Symphony Orchestra’s continuing role in marking important moments in the nation’s cultural life.