Madrigal Singers’ one night only concert in Manhattan on Oct 6

Sitting in a semi-circle without a conductor is a Madz trademark.

Sitting in a semi-circle without a conductor is a Madz trademark.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers is currently touring the United States, as part of their goodwill concert tour, before heading to Europe.

They will be performing at the Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola at 980 Park Avenue, on October 6 at 8 p.m. as part of the 29th Sacred Music in a Sacred Space concert series.

For more than 50 years, The Philippine Madrigal Singers has consistently won the hearts of its audiences across the globe. They sing in a very distinctive setup: sitting in a semi-circle without a conductor. The group has established its reputation as a pioneering force in choral music and an inspirational role model for other choirs in the Philippines.

The Madz, as they are fondly called, has consistently won all the top prizes in the world’s most prestigious choral competitions and has the distinction of being the first choir to win the formidable European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice (1997 and 2007).

In August, the group won top prizes in the 64th Guido D’Arezzo International Choral Competition in Arezzo, Italy. This victory made them eligible to compete next year in Tolosa, Spain for their third attempt in the European Choral Grand Prix.

National Artist for Music Prof. Andrea Veneracion, who founded the group in 1963, introduced world-class Filipino choral artistry to the world as the University of the Philippine Madrigal Singers and has since triumphed in prestigious festivals and concerts.

The work of the Philippine Madrigal Singers over the past 50 years has allowed them to be amongst various audiences, from the most prestigious performance halls of the world to simple town halls and school gymnasiums, from world leaders to small crowds in far-flung barangays who seldom hear choral music.

Today, Professor Veneracion’s designated successor Mark Anthony Carpio continues with the mission not just of leading the country’s premier choir, but also to carry on the mission of developing choirs, conductors and singers all over the Philippines.

Mark also serves as the Artistic Director of the CCP’s Hands-On Choral Workshop since 2001 and the Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival since 2013. He also conducts the Sing Philippines Youth Choir, which draws its 50 members biennially from all provinces of the country, in honor of the Madrigal Singers’ founder who established the vision of a nation singing together in harmony and united in song.

Choirmaster Mark Anthony Carpio:  Nurturing young singers is his passion.

Choirmaster Mark Anthony Carpio: Nurturing young singers is his passion.

Known for his collaboration with emerging composers, innovative programming, and approachability, Mark is a much sought-after choral clinician and coach, frequently giving extensive workshops all over the Philippines and around the world.

Mark is a faculty member of the Conducting and Choral Ensemble Department of the University of the Philippines College of Music, where he earned his Master’s degree in Choral Conducting and his Bachelor’s degree in Piano.

Nurturing young singers is a personal passion of Mark. With this, he also directs the Consortium of Voices, a youth choir society consisting of the Kilyawan Boys Choir, Kilyawan Male Choir and the Voces Auroræ Girls Choir.

For tickets to the concert, please visit www.smssconcerts.org or call 212.288.2520. Promo code: MADZNYC entitles all subscribers to a 30 percent discount on tickets. — Philippine Madrigal Singers

© 2017 The FilAm



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