MSO brings back its historic Tagalog 'Carmen'
Seventy years after its landmark FEU production, the opera returns as part of a tribute to soprano Conching Rosal.
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Daily TribuneSeventy years after its landmark FEU production, the opera returns as part of a tribute to soprano Conching Rosal.
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Conchita "Conching" H. Rosal.
MSO
MSO
MSO
Tenor Arthur Espiritu
Sprano Rachelle Gerodias-Park
MSO
Mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa.
MSO Music Director Maestro Marlon Chen.
Byeong In Park, international Korean baritone.
Imagine one of the world's most celebrated operas performed entirely in Tagalog.
On 29 August, the Manila Symphony Orchestra presents Opera at Kundiman: The Legacy of Maestra Conching Rosal at the FEU Auditorium, a Buwan ng Wika concert that celebrates the orchestra's centennial and the birth centenary of one of Philippine opera's greatest sopranos.
The program's centerpiece is the return of Tagalog excerpts from Georges Bizet's Carmen—a revival of a landmark production the MSO first staged at the same venue in 1956. At the time, the French opera was performed in Filipino using a translation by Manuel Carballo Santiago and Vicente Liwag, with Rosal in the title role. Seventy years later, the historic adaptation returns to the stage where it first captivated audiences.
The concert also marks a homecoming for the FEU Auditorium. Opened in 1949 and designed by National Artist for Architecture Pablo Antonio Sr., the Art Deco landmark served as the orchestra's artistic home through much of the 1950s and remains one of FEU's architectural treasures as the university celebrates its 98th anniversary.
Born in San Jose, Batangas in 1926, Conchita "Conching" Rosal rose from singing in her parish church to become one of the country's foremost sopranos. From the 1950s through the 1970s, she earned acclaim for her performances in Madama Butterfly, Aida, and Ang Kiri.
She also became one of kundiman's greatest champions, preserving and popularizing the Filipino art song through concerts and recordings. Reflecting both sides of her artistry, the 29 August program pairs Tagalog excerpts from Carmen with works by Nicanor Abelardo, Francisco Santiago, Leopoldo Silos, Constancio de Guzman, and Manuel Velez.
The concert brings together soprano Rachelle Gerodias-Park, the first Aliw Awards Hall of Fame Best Female Classical Performer; mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa, Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition grand finals winner; tenor Arthur Espiritu, Metropolitan Opera artist and George London Award winner; and international opera baritone Byeong-In Park.
They will perform with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, the FEU Chorale, and the FEU Dance Company under the baton of MSO Music Director Maestro Marlon Chen.
Tickets are available through TicketWorld, priced at ₱5,000 (VIP), ₱3,500 (Premium Patron), ₱3,000 (Regular Patron A), ₱2,500 (Regular Patron B), ₱2,000 (General Admission A), and ₱1,000 (General Admission B). Students receive 50% off, while senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and diplomats are entitled to a 20% discount. An early bird discount of 20% is also available using the code CONCHINGEB20 until 14 August at 11:59 p.m.
