Mr. Mark Rainiel Agpasa, a 2018 alumnus of the Conservatory of Music and winner of the Grand Prize in the Composition Competition of the 15th Busan International Choral Festival and Competition, had his prize-winning composition, “Jubilate Deo,” premiere in the Busan Cinema Center on October 19, 2019. Performing the work is the multi-awarded Ligao National High School Voice Chorale, under Mr. Celger Venzon.
“Jubilate Deo,” a choral piece setting for 8 voices, was the winning work. According to Agpasa, his composition “is a sacred piece that praises and rejoices our Lord. The musical setting on the other hand is contrasting to the text because it has a rhythmic and oriental mood that gives it an energetic and apocalyptic taste.”
The grand prize winner earned his bachelor’s degree in music, major in choral conducting and minor in piano performance from the Conservatory of Music in 2018, and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Music in UST, under the tutelage of Maestro Fidel G. Calalang, Jr. Agpasa is the incumbent Musical Director of the UST Chorus of Arts and Letters and the Assistant Musical Director of the world-renowned University of Santo Tomas Singers.
In his message to the Thomasian community, whom he described as “a Christ-centered community of diversified talented people,” he called on “aspiring Thomasian musicians and artists [to] let the world see and hear your work. Share it with your feet on the ground and be proud!”
