Asia Cantate International Choral Festival 2018

• Main Author: Tan, Arwin Q., PH.D.
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2019
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/paha/vol9/iss1/5; https://archium.ateneo.edu/context/paha/article/1293/viewcontent/PAHA_209.1_205_20Features_20__20Tan.pdf
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Excerpt: Since 2012, selected choirs from all over the world, mostly from the Asia-Pacific region, converge every two years to participate in a friendly musical competition at the Asia Cantate International Choral Festival. They present a program carefully shaped by their respective conductors and prepared several months in advance, intending it to be performed excellently in front of a panel of highly esteemed international adjudicators and hoping to win the coveted grand prize, which is awarded to the best choir in the competition. The grand-prize winner is normally the choir that renders the most carefully and intelligently crafted program that highlights the vocal abilities of the singers and the group’s knowledge of choral repertoire. Aside from that, the grand prize is also normally awarded to the choir that exhibits the most impressive performance with a high level of musical and technical accomplishment that normally includes impeccable intonation, sensitively shaped choral blending, flawless rendition of delicate musical lines and display of occasional vocal acrobatics, and a remarkable overall stage presence. Therefore, the Asia Cantate International Choral Festival, as a confluence of voices, occasions a rare musical experience that features a high level of artistry coupled with the electrifying suspense and drama of competition.