Was conceived primarily to initiate the masses into the appreciation of the classics. The popular journalist, the late Teodoro F. Valencia, who was also at that time in charge of Rizal Park, provided the venue - the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium, for the philharmonic performances. This patron of the arts believed that the Sunday afternoon concerts would liven up the Park’s cultural fare.

The first sponsors approached had the pre-conceived notion that the Filipino masses for whom the concerts were intended would never appreciate classical music. But the organizer (the Metro Manila Symphony Foundation) persevered and, with Mr. Valencia’s help, was able to tap the support of Caltex (Phils.), Inc. the Herdis Group of Companies and the San Miguel Corporation. The late soprano Conchita Gaston, who was undergoing cancer treatment at that time, and pianist Ingrid Sala-Santamaria were Concert at the Park’s first guest artists. 

Videotaping was done by the National Media Production Center (NMPC) only in the program’s third edition, with producer Ed Finlan coining the title "Concert at the Park". Popular newscaster Tina Monzon-Palma became the program’s host on the sixth Sunday presentation. Thereafter, Concert at the Park would be telecast regularly on GTV-4 and later, would be shown in the US Bay area, in Canada and even in Russia.

Concert at the Park has come a long way from those initial Sunday afternoons in April of 1978. It has established itself as an alternative venue for local and foreign performing artists.

In Concert at the Park, one could be sure of reaching the sincerely appreciative audience, who has grown musically and artistically through the years, after having been exposed to the very best available musical talents in the classical and popular genres.

To date, Concert at the Park, a joint cultural project of the National Parks Development Committee and the National Broadcasting Network (formerly People’s Television Network), has presented 1,514 concerts (as of March 7, 2007) and has garnered top television awards, including the "Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) Hall of Fame Award for Best Cultural Program". It is aired over Channel 4, and simulcast nationwide via satellite over 14 provincial stations, with replays on scheduled days.

Concert at the Park continues to provide the Rizal Park Sunday afternoon crowd the much-needed respite from the weekly grind.