Manila Symphony Orchestra's “Legacy” Concert Showcases Generational Musical Talent

Written by Joseph John L. Verallo  |  January 30, 2026

Last Sunday, January 25, 2026, the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) performed at the Proscenium Theater at Rockwell in what seemed to be a symbolic passing of the musical torch. The concert, dubbed “LEGACY: Carmen Sipin-Aspiras and Inna Montesclaros, pianists,” featured the eponymous pianists, two Filipino child prodigies belonging to two generations. The event also represented, in a way, the ever-present talent this country manages to produce at all times. 

Joining the two was internationally renowned Singaporean conductor Darell Ang, who has become somewhat of a familiar face for the MSO, traveling to the Philippines now a handful of times to guide the orchestra. 

That evening, Ang opened with Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80, a humorous but energetic work with its epic moments. Ang led the orchestra with astounding energy, carrying himself with the poise and movements of a dancer. His directions for the orchestra were meticulous but always articulated with elegance, making it quite evident this was an artist who sought ever so passionately to commune with the orchestra. The MSO responded with a balanced sound, each section bringing out its distinctive timbres. 

To contrast the complexity typical of Brahms’ orchestration, pianist Aspiras walked to the front to play a set of solo piano pieces. Aspiras gained national recognition with her orchestral debut at the age of 10. Her talents eventually even earned her a scholarship to study at the Vienna Academy of Music (now Vienna Music University). 

Decades later, Aspiras still performs regularly. She began her performance with two intermezzos by Brahms from his Op. 118 set. The first, in A minor, Aspiras played with a more contained sound than most renditions tended towards. The slower tempo of the interpretation, however, allowed her tone to sing vibrantly. The second number, the beloved Intermezzo in A major, showcased Aspiras’ pianist strength that evening—her voicing. Her melodic line brightly rose past Brahms’ typically thick musical textures. 

She followed with Brahms’ Rhapsody in G minor, Op. 79. Just as with her Intermezzo in A minor, her sound was again more contained. This, in a way, allowed some of the more meditative portions of the piece to be especially alluring, with the inner voices of the music being articulated, something which also displayed the pianist's understanding of the music. Diverging from Brahms, she ended the first half of the evening playing two pieces by Chopin, his Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 55, No. 2 and his Barcarolle in F-sharp, Op. 60, both with freedom and expressivity. 

For the program’s second half, Ang returned to the stage with pianist Montesclaros. Like Aspiras, Montesclaros is another child prodigy who made her orchestral debut at 11, performing Mozart’s D minor orchestra with the MSO. That evening, she performed with the MSO again, this time performing Brahms’ immensely intimidating Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83, which is also considered one of the most difficult concertos, along with Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Concerto. 

Brahms captures your attention by opening the first movement with a solitary horn that gives off a regal theme. Montesclaros faced her instrument with knitted eyebrows, anticipating her entrance, which gave off an equally dignified response to the brass. This serenity, however, is temporary as Brahms interrupts the atmosphere he slowly built with a rapid flurry of notes. Montesclaros wasted no time in conveying her virtuosity with this passage that was followed by a powerful chordal theme. She then passed the baton (pun intended) to Ang, who, with the MSO, took over iterating Brahms’ epic theme. 

The second movement maintained the first’s grandeur, this time, however, with a more solemn character begun by the pianist. Ang and Montesclaros cooperated nicely, especially in moments when the piano and orchestra would build up to a crescendo. The third movement, with its tender character, provided a moment of repose from the restless portions that make up most of the concerto. The concerto’s last movement takes you off guard with a light, playful melody on the piano that breaks the spell of the previous movements’ serious personalities.

After the concerto, Montesclaros treated the audience to an encore of Chopin’s Andante spianato. Then, as a playful sendoff, Ang invited an audience member to conduct the orchestra as he “conducted” the audience to clap alongside Johann Strauss’ Radetzky March. 

Photo courtesy of Yan Caringal and Kim Antinio