The Manila Symphony Orchestra recently staged a milestone tribute performance, “Opera at Kundiman: The Legacy of Maestra Conching Rosal” as part of its Centennial Season under the banner “In Pursuit of Excellence.”
The concert honored two significant milestones: the 100th birth anniversary of legendary Filipino soprano Conchita “Conching” Rosal and the 70th anniversary of the MSO’s landmark 1956 Tagalog-language production of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.”
Originally set for August 29, the exact date of the 1956 “Carmen” opening night, the performance was moved to September 1 due to inclement weather.
During the original 1956 run, a typhoon flooded the surrounding streets, yet audiences still filled the Far Eastern University Auditorium. Seventy years later, classical music enthusiasts once again gathered in the same historic Art Deco venue, designed by National Artist Pablo Antonio Sr., to witness a full house performance.
Born in San Jose, Batangas, in 1926, Rosal began singing in her local parish church before training at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music. She rose to fame in the 1950s through 1970s. Beyond opera, Rosal was instrumental in preserving and popularizing “kundiman,” bringing traditional Filipino art songs to mainstream audiences.
The evening’s repertoire bridged Western operatic tradition and native song craft. Part I of the program presented excerpts from Bizet’s “Carmen,” sung in the original 1956 Tagalog translation by Manuel Carballo Santiago and Vicente Liwag (English translation by R. Zulueta da Costa). Part II featured “kundiman” and other Filipino vocal works by National Artist Nicanor Abelardo, Francisco Santiago, Leopoldo Silos, Manuel Velez, and Constancio de Guzman
Conducted by MSO Music Director Maestro Marlon Chen, the performance featured distinguished vocalists Michelle Mariposa (mezzo-soprano) as Carmen, Arthur Espiritu (tenor) as Don Jose, Rachelle Gerodias-Park (soprano) as Micaela, and Byeong-In Park (baritone) as Escamillo, together with the FEU Chorale and the FEU Dance Company:
Before the concert, guests participated in heritage tours of FEU’s UNESCO-recognized campus and attended screenings of two documentary films “Bravo!: The History and Legacy of the FEU Auditorium” and “Sinfonia (H)eroica: The MSO 100 Documentary,” tracing the history of the FEU Auditorium and the MSO’s century-long journey, respectively.
The program opened with remarks from Martin Lopez, Executive Director of the FEU Center for the Arts, followed by messages from Maan Hontiveros, President of the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. (MSOFI), and Jeffrey Solares, MSOFI Executive Director.
The event brought together notable attendees, including members of the Rosal family, diplomats from China, Japan, France, and the Netherlands, leadership from the Manila Symphony Orchestra Foundation, Inc. (MSOFI), and representatives from Far Eastern University.
The evening concluded on a high note with Ernani Cuenco’s “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal,” prompting an enthusiastic sing-along between two standing ovations.
Seymour B. Sanchez
Seymour Barros Sanchez is an advocacy filmmaker, communication and film lecturer, freelance writer, creative producer, technical consultant, and a former producer for news and current affairs programs. He served as Bacolod Film Festival director in 2024 and Technical Consultant for Academic Linkages of the Film Development Council of the Philippines from 2022 to 2025. He is a member of the Academic Film Society Advisory Committee of the FDCP, a representative of the Education Sector to the National Committee on Cinema Executive Council, and Secretary of the NCC.
