19/03/2026
๐๐ฟ๐๐ต๐๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐น๐น-๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ ๐ค๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฎ & ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ท๐ถ๐ฏ ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น
๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐ฐ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ | ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ก๐ถ๐น๐ฎ, ๐ค๐๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐
Internationally acclaimed Filipino American tenor Arthur Espiritu takes center stage in his first-ever all kundiman concert, โMga Awit ng Pag ibig at Kundiman,โ a one night only performance happening on May 14, 2026 at Gallery MiraNila in Quezon City.
Joined by award-winning soprano Stefanie Quintin Avila and celebrated pianist Najib Ismail, the concert honors the legacy of Ambassador Tomas C. Benitez, a lover of kundiman, and celebrates the richness of Filipino musical heritage. The event is presented by the MiraNila Heritage House & Library in partnership with Gallery MiraNila by The Blue Leaf, with support from MiraNamin Nest and the Philippine Italian Association.
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A Spotlight on Filipino Classics
The program features selections from the National Commission for Culture and the Artsโ (NCCA) newly recorded 13 track archiveโits first major initiative with the Manila Chamber Orchestra Foundation to digitally preserve Filipino classics performed by the nationโs finest voices.
The repertoire traces the kundimanโs evolution from patriotic beginnings to zarzuela, love songs, and modern art songs. Composers include Nicanor Abelardo, Francisco Santiago, Constancio de Guzman, Ernani Cuenco, Levi Celerio, Augusto Espino, among other pillars of Filipino music who shaped the nationโs musical identity.
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World-Class Artists on One Stage
Arthur Espiritu, fresh from his title role in Borodinโs Prince Igor at the Munich Opera House, this rare spinto-tenor comes with his radiant tone and powerful artistry. He was recipient of the 2009 George London Award and the Scala award at the Belvedere Competition in Vienna. Having performed in prestigious opera productions and major venues across North America, Europe, and Asia, a critic once wrote, โWhen Arthur Espiritu sings, heaven opens up.โ
Stefanie Quintin Avila, praised for her stylistic range and expressive clarity, reunites with Espiritu after their acclaimed 2024 collaboration. A recipient of the Delphic Lyra Award and multiple international citations, she will appear at the Gleam International Early Music Festival with Belgiumโs InAlto Ensemble in June 2026.
Completing the trio is Najib Ismail, one of the Philippinesโ most respected pianists, whose global performance career spans Europe, Asia, and Australia. A longtime champion of Filipino composers, his artistry anchors the eveningโs musical journey.
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A Fundraising Event for Heritage Conservation
All proceeds benefit the MiraNila Conservation Program, which has restored numerous at risk artworks and now prioritizes structural repairs following severe flooding in 2025 that endangered the 94 year old house.
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EVENT DETAILS
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Venue: Gallery MiraNila, 26 Mariposa Street, Brgy. Bagong Lipunan Crame, Quezon City
Schedule
5:00 PM โ Registration; gallery opens; refreshments (Bizuโs pizzas, pastas + Ralphโs Wine)
5:10-5:30 | 5:30-5:50 | 5:50-6:10 โ Heritage House Tours
6:30โ8:10 PM โ Concert (with intermission)
8:15 PM โ Meet & Greet the artists
Until 9:30 PM โ Food & refreshments remain open
Tickets โ Free Seating
Early Bird (until March 29): โฑ2,000 Adults | โฑ1,500 Seniors, PWD, Students with IDs
Regular Rates: โฑ2,500 Adults | โฑ2,000 Seniors, PWD, Students with IDs
Special Sale: NCCA Recordings Vinyl LP โ โฑ2,000 | Secure Digital Card (SDC) โ โฑ1,000
Tickets & Inquiries
For concert guidelines and tickets text Steve on Viber 09458530963
For best response, text between 3pm and 9pm
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About the MiraNila Heritage House & Library
Built in 1929, MiraNila is a house of the prewar grand style with gardens and interiors presenting a rare reminder of genteel Filipino life during the Commonwealth period. Spanning nine decades, it stood witness to events and personalities that related to the writing of three Philippine constitutions, the occupation by the Japanese imperial forces, the takeover by the U.S. First Cavalry, the creation of a national folk-dance company, and the founding of a political party intent on good local governance. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines acknowledged MiraNilaโs cultural and historic significance in 2011 with a plaque.
