On a crisp November evening at the historic Kattus Sektkellerei, the vaulted cellar filled slowly with the warm hum of conversation and anticipation. But as the lights dimmed and the first notes of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 18 floated across the room, it became clear that A Symphony of Hope was no ordinary concert. It was a celebration of culture, of community, and above all, of the power of education to change lives.
Hosted by the Philippine-Austrian Cultural and Educational Society (PACES), the concert transformed a sparkling Viennese cellar into a cultural space with classical tradition, Filipino heritage, and contemporary soundscapes. Guests had traveled from Italy, Switzerland, and even the Philippines, in a gentle pilgrimage of support in what music and education can change.
Though the program offered a dazzling variety of pieces—European classics, Filipino kundiman, pop soundtracks and modern OPM—the evening felt less like a sequence of performances and more like a musical journey. Even more, as PACES President Dr. Jane Gerardo-Abaya would introduce it, the night unfolded as a luminous celebration of community, where the power of music lifted hearts in support of Filipino scholars.
Ode to the Classics
The concert opened with Mark Christopher Tullao performing Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 18, his crisp articulation in the first movement setting a bright, confident tone. The piece’s lightness and humor drew the room in immediately: this was a young artist interpreting a giant of classical music with respect and ease.
From there, the atmosphere shifted with Damodar Das Castillo’s brilliant rendering of Piatti’s Caprice No. 7. A technically demanding work, it showcased Damodar’s remarkable maturity and command of the cello. Later in the evening, Castillo and Tullao would return for an expressive interpretation of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata, their dialogue of cello and piano unfolding tenderly across the bricked wall.
Violinist Philipp Goldnagl brought both elegance and earthiness to Paganini’s Cantabile and Kreisler’s Liebesleid, each note ringing with the warmth of his family’s three-generation tradition of crafting fine string instruments. His tone was meld by the intimate knowledge of his instrument’s soul and enchanted the listeners.
Kundiman and the Stories Our Hearts Remember
Perhaps the most reminiscent moments of the evening came from the Filipino pieces.
Mark Tullao’s rendition of Francisco Buencamino’s Damdamin was a quiet triumph, yet enormously expressive. The audience of Filipinos and Austrians alike fell into a shared silence as the melodies of longing and love washed over them.
Later, soprano Maria Isabel Zavala delivered Ernani Cuenco’s Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal with luminous clarity with the song’s iconic swell from yearning to hope. In her voice lived the essence of the kundiman—traditional Filipino love songs known for its tender melodies and poetic yearning.
Indeed, Filipino music are cultural touchstones that carry the gentle ache of memory.
Where Timeless Tracks Meets Today’s Hits
The second half erupted with fresh, youthful dynamism.
Joffrey Tullao led the audience into an entirely different sound world with pieces from the Angel Beats soundtrack and BTS Jungkook’s Euphoria. The music slipped to contemporary with graceful ease, bringing the audiences delighted with the refreshing shift.
But the night truly came alive with Cup of Joe’s Multo, arranged by Mark Tullao and performed by the full ensemble “Minumulto na ako ng damdamin ko”—my feelings are haunting me—felt almost autobiographical for many in the audience who listened in rapt excitement.
As the final notes faded, the audience rose in a cascade of bravos, a standing ovation that affirmed the power and heart behind every performance. A sudden lighting malfunction may have momentarily dimmed the awarding of plaques of appreciation, yet the audience responded instinctively: phone lights lifted and turned the disruption into a scene of warmth and community.
Beyond the Music: Hitting Notes and Hearts
While the performances dazzled, the heart of the evening pulsed with the event’s mission. Every donation and tombola ticket supported PACES’ STEM and TVET scholarship programs for underprivileged Filipino youths.
During her welcome address, Ambassador Evangelina Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas emphasized how cultural exchange strengthens the Filipino-Austrian community and uplifts the next generation of scholars.
The celebration extended far beyond the final notes of the concert. While adobo peanuts (garlic-fried peanuts) and empanadas welcomed guests as appetizers, the reception that followed brought everyone together over more Filipino delicacies: lumpia (spring rolls), pancit (a classic noodle dish long believed to bring long life) rich with tradition, and sweet cassava treats that carried many homeward memories—as well as a warmly received apple crumble Streusel pie generously.
A Symphony of Hope revealed something far greater: how the next generation of Filipino talent can leave its mark on stages and communities even those far from home. As demonstrated by their performances, our young Filipino-Austrian musicians poured their skill, time, and passion into every note. And when music moves people, it moves them to generosity, and this is how we witnessed the night transform artistry into a vessel of hope that carries the dreams of future Filipino scholars.
To date, PACES has supported eleven university scholars to graduate across diverse STEM fields, providing tuition, school fees, a monthly living allowance, and support for textbooks and supplies.
As Dr. Jane Gerardo-Abaya, President of PACES, reflected in her welcome address, “Will you help lift a young person out of poverty? That question from one of our scholarship applicants reminds us why we are here—to bring hope through education and help break the cycle of poverty,” capturing the very purpose behind the event.
One thing’s for sure, the symphonies of hope we have heard will continue to live on far beyond Vienna’s walls into classrooms, into the futures of young scholars, and into the memory of a community united by culture, compassion, and the power of music.
— Written by: Pamela Eyre Victoria Lira
About the Author:
Hailing from Leyte, Pamela is currently an Erasmus Mundus Scholar pursuing a double master’s degree in Copernicus Digital Earth at Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, specializing in Geocommunication and Geovisualization. A passionate climate leader, she co-founded Sponge City for SEA and Project KARTAng Isip, the latter exhibited in Queens, New York. She has earned recognition in several national and international writing competitions, including those by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Magna Carta Observatory, and the Oxford Smith School.
