Grammy-nominated conductor Darrell Ang, born and raised in neighboring Singapore, always looks forward to his returns to Manila despite the notorious traffic jams or the uncertain weather. This month is special to him and the country. Asia’s oldest orchestra marks its 100th year with back-to-back performances on Jan. 22, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at Samsung Performing Arts Theater at Circuit Makati and Jan. 25, 2026, at 7:30 p.m., at the Proscenium Theater, Rockwell in Makati. Both times Ang will helm the Manila Symphony Orchestra.
The January 25 concert, Legacy, featured soloists interpreting works by Brahms and Chopin are two generations of pianists, Carmencita Sipin Aspiras and Inna Montesclaros.
In an exclusive with The Diarist.ph, Ang described the MSO as “an incredibly tenacious and stalwart collective of individuals.”
Maestro Ang rehearsing with the MSO at Glorietta 5 in 2015
In 2015 when he conducted it for the Cinderella comic opera La Cenerentola, he recalled, the orchestra had no permanent home and they were reduced to “rehearsing in a crowded mall shop-space or wherever good fortune sent them at any given time.”
Other factors could’ve discouraged musicians with lesser determination. Ang said, “Throw in all manner of inordinate traffic congestion, the most unforgiving and inclement fluctuations of weather, and you wonder why any sane person would ever agree to showing up to rehearsal with a positive attitude. But the players of the MSO do just that. They are courageous, they are fastidious, and they want to be a part of the MSO and its music. For that, I salute them.”
Ang experienced getting caught in Manila’s gridlock one night in 2019 after a concert. Someone booked him a motorcycle or what writer Pablo Tariman reported as a habal-habal. It served as Ang’s ride from Meralco Theater. He gamely put on a helmet, strapped on his backpack securely and zipped out of the Pasig compound in time to catch his plane to Japan for another concert.
Today he considers “every rehearsal, every concert that I do with the MSO as a mission—it’s a God-given quest to steward this amazing group of people to a unified vision of music so that their audience may be moved and Manila’s residents may enjoy the gift of music.”
Asked if he visits the country frequently in the belief that he, a mentee of such conducting greats as the late Lorin Maazel, can make a difference in achieving the MSO sound that would distinguish it from other orchestras in the country, he answered, “I remember the first time I met the MSO. Although not knowing what to expect, I was immediately captivated by their positive energy and the players’ desire to really give of their best. There was a palpable, and extremely infectious, sense of camaraderie with each other and with the conductor. They made me feel like a part of their family at once. I, too, wanted to make my artistic and loyal commitment to the MSO.”
Since then, he has looked forward every year to returning, to “being a part of MSO’s history and development. It is an honor as well as a genuine pleasure! Filipinos are special: everywhere in the world you go, Filipinos are known to be the most jovial, the most caring and generous people. And that also describes the members of the MSO. It’s no wonder I enjoy working with them.”
‘It’s the sound of promise…. that passionate men and women make when they feel part of a greater, almost sacred purpose’
Describing the MSO sound, he said, “It’s the sound of promise, it’s the sound of gusto that passionate men and women make when they feel part of a greater, almost sacred purpose.”
He wished his “dear friends in the MSO another 100 years of grand adventures and great music-making. Performing is a privilege, it is a gift we should all treasure. Even more so is the opportunity to perform for an audience: it really is a great responsibility because a musician could either make listeners fall in love with music or hate it altogether. Imagine that: we wield such power!”
Ang admiring the paintings of Jaime de Guzman at the National Museum
Ang has also done a lot for the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra by transforming it into “one of the best orchestras in China (indeed, in East Asia) in a very short time. I’m extremely grateful to have led that process, and fortunate to have been given the opportunity to create something out of the corners of my mind and ears. Last year, we performed Mahler’s Third Symphony: everyone in the audience, in the chorus and in the orchestra erupted in tears in the symphony’s closing moments.”
He continued, “We also performed Bruckner’s Seventh and Eighth Symphonies, and to get a Brucknerian sound out of the orchestra took some time but once they caught on, they were in Bruckner-heaven.”
Ang with famous Filipino tenor Arthur Espiritu (Contributed photo)
He recalled that when he first arrived in Sichuan, “there was no classical music scene. Now there are four orchestras competing for prominence and audience loyalty. In its early stages of infancy, the orchestra required at least a full week of rehearsals to prepare for a program, now they require no more than three days. Although there is still room for improvement, there is a chamber-like flexibility and fluidity in the players. They are able to move and breathe as one. That took eight years to achieve. I recently stepped down from the orchestra as I desire to turn my attention to other pursuits, but I have left behind a beautiful and impressive instrument that will be the pride of any country and culture.”
For reservations to the Ang-conducted concerts, contact TicketWorld at https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx…
