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15th International Concert-Tour 2008
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------------------------------------------------The University of Santo Tomas Singers

The University of Santo Tomas Singers, founded in 1992, is the University’s premiere mixed choral ensemble composed of a select group of students and alumni representing the different colleges and faculties of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas – the oldest university in Asia, under the baton of Prof. Fidel G. Calalang Jr.

In the course of 15 years in the international choral music scene with thirteen (13) concert tours that brought them to GERMANY, POLAND, SLOVENIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, HUNGARY, MONACO, AUSTRIA, the NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, SWITZERLAND, DENMARK, ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND, SPAIN, FRANCE, ANDORRA, BULGARIA, ITALY, MEXICO, CANADA, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TAIWAN, SINGAPORE, and SOUTH KOREA, the choir has achieved both national and international recognition as one of the top choirs in the world.

The UST Singers has put together a repertoire of exceptional interpretations that cover significant parts of the choral literature of the last five centuries, paving way to the group’s triumphs in various international choral competitions, particularly in Europe. Since 1993, the group has earned more than 45 top prizes in GORIZIA, ITALY; TOURS, FRANCE; TOLOSA, SPAIN; AREZZO, ITALY; LINDENHOLZHAUSEN and MILTENBERG, GERMANY; MIEDZYZDROJE, POLAND; SPITTAL, AUSTRIA; OLOMOUC, CZECH REPUBLIC, MONSTER, the NETHERLANDS and WALES, UNITED KINGDOM.

In 1995, the UST Singers triumphed at the 49th Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, United Kingdom and won four (4) First Prizes including the CHOIR OF THE WORLD GRAND PRIZE. This event was undeniably a landmark in the history of the Eisteddfod, the oldest international choral competition in the world, as the UST Singers is the first and only Asian choir, to date, to attain such prestigious honor.

In 1998, the UST Singers garnered two (2) First Prizes and the Prix du Public at the 27th Florilege Vocal de Tours in Tours, France and the 1998 Gran Premio “Citta di Gorizia” together with four (4) first prizes at the 37th Concorso Internazionale di Canto Corale “C.A. Seghizzi” held in Gorizia, Italy. The choir bested  21 international entries which entitled the UST Singers to represent Gorizia to the 11th European Grand Prix for Choral Singing held at Varna, Bulgaria in May 1999.

In their 2001 Pacific Concert Tour, which covered Hawaii, California and Mexico, the UST Singers once again proved its world-class excellence as they were chosen the “BEST CHOIR” at the World Choral Festival 2001 in Puebla, Mexico which was participated by choirs from Argentina, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Venezuela, Mexico, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

From their 10th ANNIVERSARY WORLD CONCERT TOUR in 2002 (9th International Concert Tour) where they visited 11 European countries and 12 states in USA and CANADA, the UST Singers was the Philippine representative in four (4) prestigious international choral competitions where they won numerous awards. In June, at the Mundi Cantat Festa Musicale in Olomouc, Czech Republic, the choir bagged five (5) Gold First Prizes in five (5) categories. In July, at the 41st Concorso Internazionale di Canto Corale in Gorizia, Italy, they received two (2) First Prizes, two (2) Jury Prizes and two (2) Public Prizes. In Miltenberg, Germany at the 4th International Chorwettweberb, the choir won First Prize in the Polyphony Category, second in Public Prize, and was awarded the Honor Prize by the Bavarian Prime Minister President for the Best Interpretation of the compulsory piece “Magnificat” by Josef Swider. The fourth competition, “TONEN 2002” in Monster, the Netherlands, drew waves that earned them the “FESTIVAL CHOIR OF THE YEAR” prize, aside from winning three (3) First Prizes in all contest categories and the “BEST CONDUCTOR” award given to Prof. Calalang.

On December 30 2003, the UST Singers was recognized as “ASIA’S MOST OUTSTANDING CHOIR” – an award given by the National Consumer Affairs Foundation and the Rizal Day National Celebration Committee.

In 2004, the choir had its 10th International Concert Tour and participated in the Montreux International Choral Festival in Switzerland where they were awarded the “Excellence Avec Distinction” garnering the highest score in the mixed choir category and the “Ville De Vevey Jury Prize” for Best Programming and Interpretation. In its second participation in the World Choral Festival 2004 at Puebla, Mexico in July, the UST Singers was again chosen as the “Best Choir” among choirs from Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Mexico, Serbia and Montenegro, Portugal and Poland. In that same year, the choir was given a special recognition by the Honorable Jeremy Harris, mayor of Honolulu, declaring August 20 as “UST Singers Day” in Hawaii.

The UST Singers completed its 11th International Concert Tour in 2005 – a two month journey of South Korea and the US from April to June. The tour was highlighted by joint performances with the University of Utah Singers, the grand prize winner of the “Florilege Vocal de Tours 2005” choral competition in Tours, France, at the University of Utah Concert Hall; a special performance with the world-renowned Chicago Children’s Choir at the Chicago Cultural Center; and the “Springtime of Faith” concert with Grammy Award Winning singer Aaron Neville at the Kemper Arena, Kansas City.

In 2006, the choir performed in neighboring countries in Asia. “Go East,” the 12th International Concert Tour covered three (3) Asian countries namely South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. The choir, after its very successful visit the previous year, came back to South Korea to perform in the acoustically crafted halls and cultural spaces of Daegu, Seoul and other key cities. In May, the choir left for Singapore to perform at one of the world’s newest and most innovative halls, the Esplanade, through the help of the SYC Ensemble Singers. The last stop of the tour was a 12-day sojourn of Taiwan where the choir performed in numerous concert halls including the 2600-seater National Concert Hall, Taipei and a televised performance/press conference at the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taipei. The choir, through a grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), also conducted a seminar/lecture on Philippine Folk Music. The Taiwan stint of the choir was arranged by the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and Education. In October of the same year, the UST Singers was invited by the UST Alumni Association of Hawaii, to take part in the Centennial Celebration of Filipino Migration to the United States of America. The choir was given another special recognition by the Honorable Mafy Hanneman, mayor of Honolulu, declaring October 25 as “UST Singers Day” in Hawaii.

The choir’s most recent trip was last July 2007 in Taiwan, where they participated in the 8th Taipei Philharmonic Festival together with choirs, vocal groups and conductors from Russia, Hungary and China. This is an annual musical gathering which is sponsored and arranged by the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation for Culture and education. The choir performed in different cities around Taiwan and at the historic National Concert Hall in Taipei.

2008 European Short Concert Tour Entourage:

CONDUCTOR
Calalang Jr., Fidel G.
                                                             
SOPRANOS
Abeleda, May Anne P.
Alano, Belinda Leigh V.    
Bometivo, Jeanra S.      
Escrupulo, Eunice A.  
Kustandi, Florencia Marlia
Quiso, Irene V.
Ramos, Ma. Pilar Charlene V.  
Villena, Maria Viola L.

ALTOS
Adriano, Maria Alethea Ysabel B.
Arriola, Karen Stephanie M.
Combo, Mylah Ann
Lapido, Maria Lucia M.
Mariano, Maria Melina G.
Mojica, Jaimie Rose O. 

TENORS
Bautista, Ronald Allan G.
Gomez, Enrico L.
Marquez, Venger S.
Mendoza, Juan Alfonso A.
Reyes, Marc Andrei B.
Tiburan, Jemeson M.

BASSES
Abando,Vernie Fernan P.
Azcona, Noel P.
Balantucas, Marlo
Lacsa, Erwin M.
Tagalog, Roberto Gabriel B.
Singh, Jessie Louie N.
Villanueva, Anthony G.