The University of the Philippines Manila Chorale

The University of the Philippines Manila Chorale

Background information
Also known as	UP Manila Chorale, UPMC
Origin	Manila, Philippines
Genres	Choral music
Years active	1992–present

The UP Manila Chorale is the multi-awarded official performing group for choral music of the University of the Philippines Manila. The group was established in July 1992 by a few BA Behavioral Sciences students. Presently, the group is led by their musical director, Emmanuel P. de Leon Jr.

Through the years, the group has been performing a wide repertoire: sacred, secular, spiritual, folk, jazz, pop and our very own Filipino music. The UPMC has been able to mold its members coming from non-musical disciplines into well-rounded and versatile singers. In the recent years the UPMC has performed major works and various compositions by Franz Biebl, Morten Lauridsen, Moses Hogan, Z. Randall Stroope, and many more. As an advocate of Filipino choral music, the UPMC has in their repertoire the music of Eudenice "Eudy" Palaruan, Nilo Alcala, and Josefino "Chino" Toledo. Last October 2014, the UPMC performed the Philippine Premier of Edward Elgar’s five-part work (Opus 71 No. 1 & 2, Opus 72, and Opus 73 No. 1 & 2)^[1] together with C. V. Stanford’s Opus 88. During their 8th European Tour, the group performed Stabat Mater by Karol Szymanowski together with internationally renowned choirs and orchestra.

The UPMC has an established record of successful concerts and projects. Its extensive performing experience includes major concerts, benefit coccerts, local and international choral competitions,^[2] local and international choral festivals, seven European concert tours, and performances for heads of state and dignitaries.^[3]^[4] The group is regularly invited to choral competitions, and it has garnered several awards locally and internationally. As of September 2015, the UP Manila Chorale ranks number 47 in the Musica Mundi/ INTERKULTUR World Ranking List - Top 50 Mixed Choirs^[5] and number 30 in the Musica Mundi/ INTERKULTUR World Ranking List - Top 50 Pop/ Jazz/ Gospel/ Spiritual/ Barbershop Choirs.^[6] Meanwhile, the group ranks number 191 in the Musica Mundi/ INTERKULTUR World Ranking List – Top 1000 Choirs.^[7]

In 2013, the UPMC gained International Achievement Level II - very good performance on the International Level at the 13th Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition.^[8] In December 2013, the UPMC became Category Winners in the Spiritual, Sacred, and Mixed Categories of the Sing N' Joy Manila Choral Competition garnering Gold V, IV, and III Diplomas respectively.^[9]

In early 2014, the UPMC, alongside some of the best choirs in the country, participated in the Masterclass^[10] under the Swedish conductor Fred Sjöberg. In July of the same year, the UPMC organized the Musica Iuvenalis Philippine Tour, a 7-day concert tour for the European String Orchestra Musica Iuvenalis.^[11]^[12] On October, the group was invited as one of the guest choirs in the Karuizawa International Choral Festival held in Karuizawa, Japan.^[13] Later that month, the group was awarded the Gawad Chancellor Award for Most Outstanding Student Organization by the university.^[14]

This June 2015, the UPMC eagerly stepped forward, pursuing their most successful international tour. The UPMC travelled and performed in nine European countries and was awarded in two of the most prestigious and longest running choral competitions in Spain. The group was declared third prize winner in the mixed category and second prize winner in the folk category in the 33rd Festival Internacional de Musica de Cantonigros,^[15] and first prize winner in the polyphony category of the 61st Certamen Internacional de Habaneras y Polifonia in Torrevieja, Spain.^[16] This year, the UPMC partnered with Habitat for Humanity Philippines as their beneficiary in their goal of rebuilding homes affected by the 2013 Bohol earthquake.

In February 2016, the UP Manila Chorale together with other prestigious choral groups, composers, and conductors received the Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honors) Award given by the National Committee for Culture and the Arts for their outstanding performance in the field of music.^[17]

Conductor

Emmanuel "Eman" P. De Leon, Jr. earned his Diploma for Creative and Performing Musical Arts (DCPMA) and Bachelor of Music (BM) degree, major in Music Education, from the University of the Philippines College of Music. As a musician, he has established himself as a chorister, conductor, arranger, and teacher, lending his talents by playing these roles to different choirs, organizations, and events. He has composed and arranged pieces for various choral competitions, orchestral performances, television, and stage productions. Former Assistant Conductor of the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus from 2007-2012. He conducted and led the group in winning several international recognitions in different competitions in 2012.

Eman is finishing his master's degree in Music (MM), major in Choral Conducting, at the UP College of Music. He is a faculty of the Conducting Department in the UP College of Music Extension Program and the Ateneo de Manila Junior High School. He also sings Bass-Baritone with the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

Awards and competitions

Year	Award	Competition
1995	Second Place	Instituto Cervantes' Cantar Villancicos en Intramuros Choral Competition
1996	Second Place
1997	First Place
1998 (1st European Tour)	Third Place, Folk Category	3rd International Choir Competition Bad Ischl (Salzkammergut, Austria)
2003	Second Place	Himig ng Puso Choral Competition
2005 (3rd European Tour)	Third Place, Gold Diploma, Mixed Youth Choir Second Place, Gold Diploma, Folksong Category Forderpreis Stadt Bad Ischl	7th International Choir Competition Bad Ischl (Salzkammergut, Austria)
2007 (4th European Tour)	Gold III Diploma and Category Winner, Mixed Youth Choir Category Special Award: Extraordinary Artistic Engagement	1st International Anton Bruckner Choir Competition and Festival (Linz, Austria)
2009 (5th European Tour)	Silver Diploma, Mixed Youth Choir Category Silver Diploma, Folk Category	9th International Choir Competition Bad Ischl (Salzkammergut, Austria)
2009 (5th European Tour)	Gold II Diploma and Category Winner, Mixed Youth Choir Category	2nd International Anton Bruckner Choir Competition and Festival (Linz, Austria)
2011 (6th European Tour)	Gold V Diploma and Category Winner, Mixed Youth Choir	3rd International Anton Bruckner Choir Competition and Festival (Linz, Austria)
2013 (7th European Tour)	Achievement Level II - very good international level	13th International Chamber Choir Competition (Marktoberdorf, Germany)
2013	Gold Diploma V, Category Winner, Spiritual Category Gold Diploma IV, Category Winner, Sacred Category Gold Diploma III, Category Winner, Mixed Category Special Award: Outstanding Tenor Soloist, Greggy Quiocho	Sing N' Joy Manila
2015 (8th European Tour)	3rd Prize ex aequo, Mixed Choir Category 2nd Prize, Folk Category	33rd Cantonigros International Music Festival (Vic, Spain)
2015 (8th European Tour)	1st Prize, Polyphony Category	61st Habaneras and Polyphony International Competition (Torrevieja, Spain)

External links

References

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