Panganiban has found success as a performer outside Masonry, as well. As an undergraduate at Manila’s Santo Tomas University, he was a featured soloist with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. After relocating to the United States (his mother is American, and the family lived in Southern California off and on during Panganiban’s youth), Panganiban joined the Land of Enchantment Opera in Gallup, New Mexico, and performed with the Taos Opera Institute—all while receiving a master’s degree at Cal State Fullerton.

Panganiban has been something of a trailblazer as a Filipino American vocalist. Opera was first introduced to the Philippines in the 19th century, and while the major companies there still mainly perform the canonical works from European composers like Puccini and Verdi, the islands have developed a distinct local take on the form. That heritage can be seen in the Philippine sarswela, a short operetta that blends singing and folk dancing. In form and name, it’s adapted from the Spanish zarzuela, a style seldom seen in the United States. “Our training growing up was more of what you’d call bel canto, or ‘beautiful singing,’” he says—a centuries-old technique.

Though Filipinos are still relatively uncommon among the upper echelon of opera performers, a small number have started to break through. Panganiban points to the tenors Noel Velasco and Arthur Espiritu, the first Filipino to sing at the famed La Scala in Milan. Now a new generation of Filipino and Filipino American performers arebreaking through. “It’s getting more diverse,” Panganiban says of the opera world. “But it’s really competitive. It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work in the choir before we ever hear from most performers. But we’re getting there.”