Film Concerts PH founder Mikhail Schemm on where live music appreciation is headed next

Schemm’s initial interest in this production model stems from two specific performances he attended in 2018. One was a Harry Potter In Concert show while visiting family in Italy; the other was National Geographic: Symphony For Our World at Solaire in Manila.

The Manila concert proved particularly influential on his current business structure. That performance was conducted by Gerard Salonga and performed by the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. Today, Salonga serves as the primary conductor for Film Concerts PH productions, leading The Filharmonika—an orchestra featuring many of the same musicians who performed in that 2018 presentation.

“It was a completely new experience seeing a big screen with video content in sync with the music on top of the orchestra, and it sparked me to look into it,” Schemm recalls. The combination of scale, precision and visual storytelling highlighted a distinct business opportunity for the local market.

A core objective of Film Concerts PH is to break down the perceived barrier between classical music and the general public. Orchestral performances have historically been perceived as exclusive or high-brow. By pairing a full orchestra with widely recognised names like Disney, Harry Potter, One Piece and Star Wars, the business model uses popular culture as an entry point for broader audiences.

“I would say the novelty of it, combined with the shift in the events and entertainment industry to intellectual property (IP) based content,” Schemm says, regarding what drew him to the format. “It combines a centuries-old medium of performance and music, which is the orchestra, and merges it with some of the most popular names in entertainment. What I love most is that it bridges this gap with classical music through these big names, which ultimately exposes a huge number of people to an orchestra and helps to chip away at the notion of the orchestra being high-brow or for the elite.”

Securing licensing for major entertainment properties requires building trust with international rights holders. Schemm has established direct working relationships with global management companies, positioning his organisation as a reliable local partner capable of executing complex live-to-picture productions in Manila.

Curating which titles to bring to the Philippines involves evaluating audience data alongside regional market performance. The selection process relies on assessing local demand through surveys and online communities while tracking international concert trends.

While major blockbusters provide financial viability, Schemm’s long-term vision involves expanding the scope of programming. “In the long run, I’m hoping we can start bringing in more niche concerts and IPs, and that ultimately our audiences start trusting us for our programming as well, even if they might not be that familiar with an IP or the music,” he notes.

This systematic approach to licensing and production paved the way for major international collaborations, such as The Symphonic World of Studio Ghibli, an official event for the Philippines–Japan Friendship Year 2026.

The opportunity emerged when Third Culture Entertainment was already planning a tribute show featuring Studio Ghibli’s music. The Japan Foundation Manila reached out to explore potential concepts for its upcoming cultural program. Given director Hayao Miyazaki’s connection to the country as a 2024 Ramon Magsaysay awardee, the foundation facilitated direct contact with Studio Ghibli to obtain an official endorsement.

“There are many Studio Ghibli concerts out there, but none with the acknowledgement of Studio Ghibli itself,” Schemm explains. “They kept a close eye on every step, so we had to make sure we got the concert right!”

Read more: Ramon Magsaysay awardees 2024: Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki, Rural Doctors Movement, and more

Beyond audience expansion, the operational model of Film Concerts PH provides direct support to the local music ecosystem. Organising large-scale orchestral productions creates consistent employment for classical musicians in Manila, turning irregular performance work into a more stable revenue stream.

“Elevating talent locally and being able to contribute to the classical music ecosystem is something very important to us,” Schemm states. “The more we can put on successful shows, the more consistent work it is for the musicians, which in turn sustains a creative or cultural economy that contributes to the sustainable development of a city, in this case, Manila. And we all know the talent is here; Filipinos have music and performance built in, and I hope what we are doing is giving a platform to highlight this.”

Looking beyond imported intellectual properties, Schemm views local cinema as a future frontier for the format. His ultimate goal as a producer is to mount an original live-to-picture concert centred on a Filipino film score.

As entertainment studios continue expanding their franchises into diverse live formats—including theatre adaptations, exhibitions and virtual reality experiences—Schemm emphasises the need for balanced market offerings. While multi-format IP expansions drive commercial growth, he cautions that the market requires a healthy balance between established brand properties and original content.

For Schemm, the clearest indicator of operational success lies in audience reaction. Concertgoers routinely message his team to share that a show was their first experience watching a live orchestra. In other cases, the impact translates directly into inspiring the next generation.

“Perhaps we have an attendee who watches Moana In Concert with their kids, and one of the kids is so impressed they want to start playing one of the classical instruments or someone gets curious and goes to watch a classical repertoire concert by an orchestra,” Schemm says. “After a concert, I overheard a child once saying to their parents that they wanted to start playing the violin! This is the ultimate validation for me.”

By converting pop-culture enthusiasm into engagement with live orchestral music, Film Concerts PH is shaping how audiences interact with the arts while building a viable, repeatable business model for live entertainment in the region.

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