This scenario would have been unthinkable had it happened right after the former First Lady Imelda Marcos built the center in the 1960s. Hard-core patrons of the CCP would have shaken their heads in disapproval.

But Low Ngai Yuen, a Malaysian director, writer and actress, who does advocacy work with organization Kakiseni as its president, found it inspiring.

She understood that most of these students were probably entering a venue like CCP for the first time and it was just a matter of maybe setting aside five minutes to help the students contextualize the symphony orchestra.

The audience cannot be blamed. Its wonderful to feel that the audience wanted more, Ms. Low said. I have worked with GMA7 and ABS-CBN for TV formats, she noted (and was responsible for bringing Carmen Soo to the country), But this trip to the Philippines taught me something Ive never seen before: the huge and strong movement of young artists. Theres a lot of energy from young people who want to perform and to contribute artistically. The energy does not only come from the performers, but also the audience. What your country/government has done, its emphasis on art education, [has led to an] enlightened audience. The audience is already exposed, and educated. This is not to be taken for granted. Well done! she remarked.

Ms. Low was in town over the weekend to attend the three-day ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Performing Arts Market as a buyer. The CCPs annual Pasinaya festival (which serves as a preview for the centers upcoming performance season) happened on the markets third day, enabling her and fellow delegates to have a buffet of sorts of local arts and culture.

Noor Seela Binti Noor Sulaiman agrees. Ms. Sulaiman is the senior assistant director of the National Department for Culture and Arts of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia. The new generation is so creative, she said, noting that this cuts across different productions, whether theater, dance or music. She cited the playing of Tchaikovsky using gamelan gongs, and wayang kulit (puppets and shadow play) of Star Wars in her own country.

Vietnam showed a video of award-winning outfit Sine Crew which combined hip-hop and Vietnamese folk dance. This shows the peace that dancing brings, and that peace is the final destination in Zen Buddhism, said Le Minh Duc of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam.

Among the performances most admired by representatives of Thailand and Vietnam were those of CCP-based dance company Ballet Philippines (BP), which is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. The ballet company has just finished a tour to six cities in North America, and is going to Hawaii next year. It will tour the US East Coast in 2016, says BP Executive Director Jenny Bonto.

Thanks to our Spanish heritage, and to a certain extent our American heritage, our dances are quite unique. From Luzon to Mindanao, we have a variety of dance menus to offer, giving us a nice mix of East and West, noted Eva Mari Salvador of the Arts Education Department of CCP. For instance, buyers respond to or appreciate our contemporary dance, she said.

WHY AN ARTS MARKET? The ASEAN Performing Arts Market is designed to enrich the ASEAN creative industry, especially in promoting and marketing the performing arts content of each ASEAN country to participating arts markets/festivals and cultural centers. At the Arts Market, performing arts professionals or groups network, showcase, pitch performances and seasons, and engage in business matching and exhibits.

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The ASEAN Arts Market