University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers


The University of the Philippines Madrigal Singers, also known as the Philippine Madrigal Singers or simply Madz, is one of the major choral groups based in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Its current conductor and musical director is Mark Anthony Carpio. They are the first choir in the world to win the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice. To date, only four choirs in the world have attained this achievement.

History

The Philippine Madrigal Singers was founded in 1963 by National Artist for Music, Professor Andrea O. Veneracion. The Madz is mostly composed of students, faculty and alumni from the University of the Philippines.
The group performs a variety of styles and forms but it specializes in the Madrigal, a polyphonic and challenging musical style popular during the Renaissance period where singers and guests would gather around the table during a banquet to sight-sing and make music together. This served as the inspiration for their unique style of singing - singing seated in a semicircle without a conductor. As Philippine ambassador of culture and goodwill, the Madz has had the pleasure and privilege of giving command performances for royalty and heads of state. These include Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, United States Presidents Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Queen Sofia of Spain, King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
As resident artists of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, outreach concerts have taken the Madz to far-flung areas seldom reached by most performing artists.
Presently under the leadership of Madz alumnus Mark Anthony A. Carpio.

Awards

In June 1997, the Philippine Madrigal Singers came home from their ninth world concert tour, winning the grand prize in the Grand Prix European de Chant Choral Competition in Tours, France, besting five other grand prize winners of the most prestigious choral competition in Europe: Guido d'Arezzo, Italy; Debrecen, Hungary; Varna, Bulgaria; Gorizia, Italy; and Tolosa, Spain. The Madz displayed a virtuoso performance so moving one juror had to describe the group's music as the "most beautiful sound on earth".
On August 26, 2007, the Philippine Madrigal Singers won, for the second time, the grand prize in the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Arezzo, Italy. This victory makes them the first of the only four choirs in the world to win the grand prize twice. The European Grand Prix is widely understood to be the Olympics of the choral circuit.
On July 27, 2009, UNESCO honored the Madz and designated the group as UNESCO Artist for Peace. This title is given to celebrity advocates charged with the mission of embodying and raising awareness in the UNESCO ideals, which include peace, security, fundamental human rights and freedom.
On September 19, 2010, the Philippine Madrigal Singers was conferred the Guidoneum Award 2010 by the Fondazione Guido d’Arezzo in Italy. Foundation President Francesco Lusi, said during the awarding that the foundation "followed attentively and with great pleasure the fruitful activities of the Madrigal Singers and are grateful for all that the Philippine Madrigal Singers have done for the choral world”. He further stressed that "the foundation honored the Madrigal Singers “for the artistic and choral promotion activity that they carried out after they won the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in 2007.”
On August 27, 2016, the Philippine Madrigal Singers won the Grand Prix at the 64th International Choral Competition in Arezzo, Italy. Their win qualifies them for the European Grand Prix to be held in Tolosa, Spain in 2017.

Recent Milestones

The Philippine Madrigal singers had performed various arrangements from some Choral Arrangers/Composers like Josu Elberdin. They also sang arrangements from Filipino Composers including Robert Delgado, Anna Abeleda-Piquero, Nilo Alcala. Some of their members like Saunder Choi and Ily Matthew Maniano also arrange and compose songs for the group.

Discography