Dancing with Tchaikovsky

Presented by the MSO Foundation Inc. and Standard Insurance, in partnership with EastWest Bank, Tchaikovsky’s timeless melodies come to life in this concert, featuring the Festival Coronation March, Rococo Variations for Cello and Orchestra, and a suite from the ballet Sleeping Beauty. MSJO-Standard Insurance scholar and cello prodigy Damodar Das Castillo will join guest conductor Alexander Vikulov for this evening of Russian Romanticism. 

REPERTOIRE 

The Coronation March 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Festival Coronation March (1883), written for Tsar Alexander III’s coronation, brims with ceremonial flair through brass fanfares, festive rhythms, and a controversial quote from “God Save the Tsar.” Composed in just weeks, it has since reached global stages, including the opening of Carnegie Hall in 1891, showcasing Tchaikovsky’s gift for music that is both majestic and appealing. Rococo Variations for Cello Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme (1877) pays homage to Mozart’s classical elegance through a graceful theme and seven contrasting variations. Demanding both lyricism and virtuosity, it challenges the soloist with soaring melodies, rapid passagework, and intricate cadenzas, making it a cornerstone of the cello repertoire. 

Sleeping Beauty Dance Suite 

Sleeping Beauty Suite (1889) by Tchaikovsky captures the magic of his ballet of the same title, through a series of orchestral highlights, blending graceful waltzes, lyrical adagios, and character dances. Renowned for its lush orchestration and melodic charm, the suite captures both the elegance of courtly dance and the fairytale magic that make Sleeping Beauty one of his most enduring stage works. 

GUEST ARTISTS

Alexander Vikulov, Russian guest conductor 

Alexander Vikulov, Russian guest conductor 

Born in Saint Petersburg to renowned ballet dancers Sergey Vikulov and Tatiana Udalenkova, Alexander Vikulov has built an international career that bridges opera, ballet, and symphonic music. Since his 2002 Mariinsky Theater debut with Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, he has conducted at the Vienna State Opera, Finnish National Opera, Seoul Arts Center, Teatro Regio di Torino, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Currently permanent guest conductor of the Saint Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra “Klassika” and musical director at Manila’s Star and Aliw Theaters, Vikulov continues to unite cultures through the universal language of music. 

Damodar Das Castillo, cello 

Damodar Das Castillo, cello 

A top prizewinner of five international competitions including The Young Musician (Tallinn, 2019), the International Anton Rubinstein Competition (Düsseldorf, 2020), The Young Ludwig Competition (Berlin, 2020), the Vienna International Music Competition (2020), and Musica Goritiensis (Italy, 2021), Damodar Das Castillo is one of the most promising young cellists today. He studied at the Pre-College of Mozarteum University Salzburg under Prof. Barbara Lübke-Herzl and, as a scholar of the MSJO–Standard Insurance International Scholarship Program, he performs on a George Gerl cello. 

The Manila Symphony Orchestra 

The Manila Symphony Orchestra 

The Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), founded in 1926 by Alexander Lippay, is one of Asia’s oldest orchestras and the Philippines’ longest surviving artistic institution. A symbol of resistance during World War II, the MSO has since collaborated with legends under the batons of Andre Kostelanetz, Arthur Fiedler, Mendi Rodan, Robert Feist, Gareth Nair, Helen Quach, and Eduard Strauss II. Antonio Molina, Antonino Buenaventura, Lucio San Pedro, Ernani Cuenco, Levi Celerio, and Ryan Cayabyab have also graced its stage. 

Now nearing its 100th year in 2026, the MSO remains one of the country’s most active artistic institutions, presenting world-class performances and nurturing young Filipino talent under Marlon Chen (Music Director) and Jeffrey Solares (Associate Conductor). 

TICKETS: 

VIP P3500 

Premium Patron P2800 

Regular Patron A P2000 

Regular Patron B P1500 

General Admission A P1000 

General Admission B P650 

Reserve your tickets via Ticketworld: https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/.../EATH2025883DT/tickets 

50% off for Students 

Use the code: TCHAIKOVSKYSTUDENT50 

Please present valid IDs upon entry 

20% off for Seniors and PWDs 

Use the code: TCHAIKOVSKYMSO20 

Please present valid IDs upon entry 

20% off Early Bird Promo! 

Use the code: TCHAIKOVSKYEB20 

Code Validity: Until September 15, 11:59 PM 

Early Bird Offer Ends on September 15, 2025 Monday 11:59PM 

UPCOMING SHOWS 

“The MSO 100th Anniversary Concert” 

January 22, 2026 

Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit Makati 

Muyu Liu, piano 

Philippine Madrigal Singers 

Darrell Ang, guest conductor 

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS 

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