Music of John Williams headlines launch of new PH orchestral concert series

Film Concerts Philippines is set to launch a new orchestral concert series celebrating film music in January 2027, kicking off with a tribute to acclaimed Hollywood composer John Williams.

Titled “Film Music Legends,” the series is curated by Gerard Salonga, founder and musical director of the Filharmonika Orchestra, who developed the programming in collaboration with Mikhail Schemm, founder and CEO of Third Culture Entertainment Inc., the company behind Film Concerts Philippines.

The series will feature three concerts throughout 2027, with each installment exploring a composer’s body of work through a mix of iconic film scores and lesser-known pieces rarely performed live. Select programs will also showcase works by multiple composers linked by a common theme, genre, or period in film history.

“This is an exciting new series of concerts dedicated to celebrating the music of these composers,” Salonga said in a press statement.

“The music was originally composed for film, but as you will hear, these pieces can stand up very well on their own as concert pieces,” Salonga said.

The series will be staged at the Proscenium Theater in Makati, whose main hall is designed to showcase the full depth and detail of orchestral music through its natural acoustics, without the need for microphones or amplification.

“One of the things I look forward to most is presenting these pieces in the world-class acoustical environment of the Proscenium, which is the proper setting for symphonic music. No microphones or amplification, just great natural acoustics to share these works with the audience in the best possible light: great music with a fantastic orchestra, in a fabulous-sounding concert hall designed for classical music,” Salonga said.

The debut installment, “The Music of John Williams: 95th Birthday Tribute,” will be held on January 30 and 31, 2027.

The concert pays tribute to the multi-awarded Williams, whose extensive body of work includes scores for iconic films such as “Star Wars,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park,” “Saving Private Ryan” and “Superman,” as well as films in the “Harry Potter” series.

Public ticket sales for the John Williams concert began October 20 through Ticketmelon’s website.

Following the debut concert, the series will continue in May with “Italian Film Music Legends,” celebrating the works of Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota and Nicola Piovani, whose compositions have featured in films such as “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso,” “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “The Godfather.”

The series will conclude in September with a program featuring heroic and villainous scores from across film history, spanning horror, thrillers, Westerns and superhero films.