Nicole Laurel Asensio’s ‘Songwriter’ at 78 Salcedo

Filipino singer-songwriter Nicole Laurel Asensio is putting the songs, and the stories behind them, at the center of an intimate new performance at 78 Salcedo in Makati. On September 19, 2026 at 7 PM, Nicole presents Songwriter, a one-night show featuring 20 compositions selected from hundreds she has written over the years.

The set includes songs audiences already know, along with unfinished work, spoken word, fragments, and material that has rarely, if ever, been heard in public. More than a regular concert set, Songwriter gives audiences a closer look at how some of Nicole's music started before it became a finished recording.

I've been following Nicole's work for a long time. I still remember being in awe of her Mimi in 9 Works Theatrical's Rent back in 2010, and years later, her music was among the songs I found myself turning to during some particularly difficult months of the pandemic. That history is part of why a show centered on the songwriting itself immediately caught my attention.

Twenty songs, in two parts

Songwriter is divided into two sets. The first, Pen to Performance, features ten compositions released over the past decade, reworked for the more intimate setting.

The second, Unspoken and Unseen, digs further into Nicole's writing process with spoken word, unfinished compositions, fragments of ideas, and songs listeners may not have known she wrote. That is probably the part I'm most curious about, because it opens up the side of songwriting audiences rarely get to see.

Nicole's work has moved through rock, jazz, soul, blues, classical music, musical theater, and her own original releases. Songwriter brings those different parts of her career back to the writing that came before the recordings and performances.

Most of the music we hear arrives after the recording, mixing, mastering, and release are done. Songwriter makes room for what happens before all of that, including ideas that may still be rough around the edges.

An intimate show at 78 Salcedo

78 Salcedo is a natural venue for this kind of performance. The Makati listening room has hosted Nicole before and has built much of its identity around live music presented at close range.

The September 19 performance also takes place during the opening weekend of a new second-floor space at 78 Salcedo. The larger room is designed for bigger performances without losing the closeness associated with the venue.

That setup should suit a program built around unfinished lyrics, early ideas, and songs being revisited in a different form. Hearing those pieces with the songwriter right in front of the audience is a very different experience from knowing only the final studio version.

Earlier this year, Nicole was also named SHURE Philippines' first brand ambassador for music, another milestone in a career that has continued to move between live performance, recording, and songwriting.

For me, Songwriter is interesting because it offers something I haven't really gotten from Nicole before: a closer look at the work before it becomes the music we already know.

Nicole Laurel Asensio's Songwriter at 78 Salcedo

Songwriter
Nicole Laurel Asensio
September 19, 2026, 7 PM
78 Salcedo, Salcedo Village, Makati

The performance features 20 compositions across Pen to Performance and Unspoken and Unseen. For seat reservations, contact 0917 597 6661.