The University of Santo Tomas Singers, the University’s premiere chorale, is currently in its 34th international concert tour. The UST Singers, under the baton of Prof. Fidel Gener Calalang Jr., held concerts that received numerous standing ovations and clamor for encores in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Spain. They have been praised with much acclaim by numerous critics from different news publications across Europe.
The two-time choir of the world winner was invited to perform
on July 24 as guest artist to open the 64th edition of the prestigious
Certamen Internacional de Habaneras y Polifonia in Torrevieja, Spain,
where the choir won the top prizes in 2010 including the Premio de
Habaneras, Premio del Publico, and Premio Intercontinental for garnering the highest points in both the Habaneras and Polyphony categories. The said competition is one of the oldest and highly regarded choral competitions since its foundation inThe choir showcased a virtuosic repertoire ranging from sacred, classical, international, folk, broadway, and spiritual genres.
The group performed as guest artist in the 39th Festival Internacional de Cant Coral Catalunya Centre in Castellbell, Spain together with choirs from other parts of the world. On July 19, the UST Singers performed at the Basilica de Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, making it the first Filipino choir to perform inside the historical Basilica designed by world-renowned architect, Antoni Gaudí. The choir sang at the medieval Basilica de Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain, a famous pilgrim site in the region which houses the Black Madonna. The Singers was also a featured artist at the International Music Festival in the St. Blasien Cathedral in Black Forest in BadenWürttemburg, Germany, one of the largest dome cathedrals in
Europe.
The UST Singers was founded in 1992 by Prof. Fidel G. Calalang Jr., and has since represented the Philippines in 23 international choral competitions, garnering a total of 82 topprizes. Most notably, the Singers is the only choir to have won twice the most coveted Choir of the World-Luciano Pavarotti
Grand Prize in Wales, the United Kingdom, in 1995 and 2010.
