The beauty of music is in the ear of the beholder. Words alone can’t do justice to the audible gasps of recognition that filled the hall when the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) began its first notes – a fast-paced, lively mix of soundtracks from popular K-dramas such as The World of the Married and Mr. Sunshine.
As the music swelled, so did the audience’s emotions. Under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo G. Ranera, each crescendo summoned collective memories of heartbreak, doomed love, and quiet redemption; the stories replayed countless times on screens big and small.
On a rainy October evening, the Samsung Hall in SM Aura, BGC saw its audience transported into the cinematic multiverse. The event, OST Symphony II: K-Drama in Concert, was a collaboration among the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. More than a partnership between institutions, though, it stands as proof of the cultural connection and mutual love of storytelling that unites South Koreans and Filipinos.
This was not the typical orchestra crowd where reverent silence reigns. It was a gathering of fans who had loved, wept, and dreamed alongside fictional characters for years, who did not hesitate to cheer when their favorites came on and clap after every song.
And because admission was free, the audience represented a rare democratic cross-section – students, parents, office workers, younger children – who might not ordinarily attend a concert but came for pure love of the stories that loved them back. The PPO’s performance allowed ordinary Filipinos to inhabit the sonic grandeur often reserved for concert halls, while still connecting through something as personal and relatable as K-drama soundtracks.
Familiar melodies feel both elevated and deeply personal. It was as if the concert was saying these stories also belong in the halls of art.
Though one might question why the K-drama strikes such a deep chord with many Filipinos, one only has to examine our shared emotional DNA. Filipinos are romantics at heart – dramatic, expressive. We are endlessly drawn to grand gestures, bittersweet endings, and narratives of love persisting against all odds.
Korean dramas speak to this sensibility, not hesitating to mirror the Filipino taste for intensity and melodrama with equally shameless sentimentality. Their soundtracks give those emotions permanence. In a culture where music underscores daily life, from karaoke nights to heartbreak playlists, it’s no surprise that Filipinos have embraced K-drama OSTs as part of their own emotional language.
When the first clear strains of ‘My Destiny’ from the Filipino adaptation of My Love from the Star echoed through the hall, sung by actress and singer Kyline Alcantara, it was pure nostalgia. Alcantara introduced the song by reflecting that ‘K-dramas have found beloved homes in the hearts of Filipinos.’
Actress Angel Guardian performed the theme song ‘Bagong Tadhana’ from Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre, a homegrown fantaserye inspired by Filipino mythology. Despite recovering from illness, Guardian delivered a performance as heavenly as her name. ‘Para sa iba, isa lang itong awit,’ she later wrote on Instagram, ‘pero para sa akin, ito ay bunga ng ilang linggo ng pagsisikap.’ Her determination, like the heroines she sang of, became part of the night’s story.
One medley later, singer-songwriter Isaac Hong made his entrance. His ‘Fallin” from Queen of Tears became one of 2024’s most-streamed OSTs. His vocals filled the hall, moving seamlessly into ‘In You’, his original composition, and ‘My Love By My Side’ from When Life Gives You Tangerines.
Between songs, Hong candidly admitted, ‘The Philippines was my first foreign country – I came here when I was in fourth grade. I never dreamed I’d be standing here again, singing for you guys.’
One medley later, Korean vocalist Yegny took the stage and easily commanded it with her resonant, powerful vocals. She performed iconic tracks such as ‘Starry Pieces’ from You Are the Apple of My Eye, ‘Golden’ from K-Pop Demon Hunters, and ‘Diamond’ from Itaewon Class. Clad in sleek black, she performed with the poise of a diva and the warmth of a storyteller. Her rendition of ‘Beautiful Life’ from Goblin silenced the hall; her crystalline tone captured both the ache and hope of eternal love.
As the concert neared its close, the audience erupted into chants for an encore. The organizers hadn’t planned for one, but the applause was relentless – the kind born not of politeness but of passion. The orchestra obliged, returning to play the Goblin OST and a symphonic reprise of ‘My Destiny.’
At its core, OST Symphony II wasn’t just about the music of Korean dramas. It was about what those dramas mean to Filipino audiences. K-dramas have become cultural companions – mirrors that reflect our own romanticism, our yearning for poetic justice, and our belief that love, no matter how tragic, must always be beautiful.
When the lights finally dimmed, few in the hall wanted to leave. People lingered in their seats, humming the last bars of ‘My Destiny’ under their breath. Outside, as the night air filled BGC, fans clutched their phones, replaying clips they had captured, already nostalgic for a moment that had barely ended.
And perhaps that’s the most fitting finale. Because if there’s anything both the Philippines and South Korea understand deeply, it’s that some stories – and some songs – are too beautiful to say goodbye to.