The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 165th birth anniversary of Juan Novicio Luna #OnThisDay in 1857, with yesterday’s successful run of “Performing Luna,” a performance-led tour of the Spoliarium Hall and the Far East Bank and Trust Company Hall where the masterpieces of Luna, are exhibited. The audience could imagine how Luna lived his personal life and artistic career through the presented musical and dance performances. 
The tour started with a prayer performance of “Ave Maria,” by French composer Charles Guonod which depicts the sufferings of the three Marys in the Bible: Mary the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Cleopas, which complements the suffering depicted in the Spoliarium. After the prayer, the audience was entertained by a solo guitar performance of “Konsiertino sa Gitara” beside the painting “El Asesinato del Gobernador Bustamante” by Luna’s friend, artist Felix Resurrección Hidalgo.
The extensive performance-led tour is in the Far East Bank and Trust Company Hall (Gallery VI) or the Andres and Grace Luna de San Pedro Memorial Hall. 
The performance tour has five stations. Each station had musical and dance performances with pieces composed by Filipino and French composers. The songs chosen relate to the masterpieces created by Luna during his time in France. The performance tour, staged at 10 am, 11:30 am, and 1:00 pm, lasted for more than an hour each and culminated with the audience joining the performers in singing “Happy Birthday” to Juan Novicio Luna.
The student-artist-scholars provided outstanding performances from the Far Eastern University (FEU) Dance Company: Mariah Repe, Ronieth Dayao, Mya Samonte, Ferdinand Yago, and Elaine Perez, with their artistic director, Mr. Eduardo Malagkit. 
The musical performers are scholars of the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (FCCP), namely: Donna Klariz Baluyut (soprano), Joshua Angelo Mondares (tenor), Madeline Jane Banta (pianist), Giuseppe Andre Diestro (cellist), and Jerico Zoleta (guitarist).
The #NationalMuseumPH extends their heartfelt thanks to Mr. Martin Lopez, Director of the FEU Center for the Arts and FCCP President, our musical and dance performers, and most especially, our audience, who made this performance-led tour in celebration of Juan Luna’s 165th birth anniversary a success.
Article and photos by NMP Fine Arts Division. Additional images by Mr. Martin Lopez of FEU Center for the Arts.
