UST Coro Tomasino finished second at the close of the Taipei International Choral Competition (TICC) on Aug. 1 at the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan.
The official choral group of the Conservatory of Music earned gold diplomas in the ethnic and mixed voices categories.
In addition, the choir’s musical director and Music faculty member, Mark Agpasa, won a special jury prize given to a promising conductor.
This was Coro Tomasino’s first international competition since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
According to Agpasa, the group had no expectations in the competition. They simply sought to promote Thomasian talents on the international stage, he said.
“We just want[ed] to showcase the talents and music of the UST Conservatory of Music. The Philippines is very rich with its choral music scene and we want to share our Thomasian artistry to the world through our performances,” said Agpasa.
For the ethnic category, the choral group performed “Come Away, Sweet Love” by Thomas Greaves, “Pater Noster” by Mark Raeniel Agpasa, and “Sa Silong ng Langit” by Nilo Alcala for the Mixed Voices Category.
For the Traditional Music Category, they performed “Sarung Banggi” arranged by Mark Raeniel Agpasa, “Caturog Na Nonoy” arranged by Fidel G. Calalang Jr., and “Inglay” by Normita Rio-Pablico.
Coro Tomasino performed “Sa Silong ng Langit” and “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” by Aaron Dale in the grand prix category.
The setlists were chosen in accordance with the competition’s repertoire requirements.
“The songs that I chose for the choir have varied and contrasting musical characteristics that best fit the vocal capabilities of my members,” Agpasa said.
The festival began on July 28, with the Grand Prix and awarding ceremony following on August 1.
