The Manila Philharmonic Orchestra is taking a fresh swing at symphonic rock with MPO ROCKS!, happening on November 29 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Ayala Malls Circuit Makati. The program pulls from global and local icons alike, with the anthems of Queen, Coldplay, and My Chemical Romance colliding with Eraserheads classics, all rebuilt on the scale of a full orchestra.
The concert will feature powerhouse vocalist Bituin Escalante, Mig Ayesa, best known as the frontman of a Queen tribute band, and the internationally renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers. Beyond its showmanship, MPO ROCKS! doubles as a fundraiser. A portion of proceeds will benefit PARCaralan, a joint project of Manila Philharmonic Orchestra and the Performing Arts & Recreation Center Foundation that gives underprivileged youth and emerging artists access to training and creative spaces in the performing arts.
What sets the show apart from most concerts is how the orchestra bends classical training to meet contemporary sound. Instead of sticking to film scores and the classical canon, the Manila Philharmonic is making a case for pop as a flexible art form. By staging it with the force of an orchestra, they remind audiences that these songs have the staying power to crosses genre, audience, and generation.
