THE Philippine Madrigal Singers will perform live at the John Paul 2 Cultural Center located at the Sacred Heart Seminary on March 9.

The group was organized in 1963 by National Artist Professor Andrea Veneracion and is composed of students, faculty and alumni from the different colleges of the University of the Philippines.

Valentine's 2009 blog

The choir is one of the Asia's most awarded, having consistently won all the top prizes in most of the world's most prestigious choral competitions: Arezzo and Gorizia in Italy, Marktoberdorf in Germany, Spittal in Austria, Neuchatel in Switzerland, Tours in France, Varna in Bulgaria, Debrecen in Hungary, Cantonigros and Torrevieja in Spain.

They hold the distinction of being the first choir in the world to win the European Grand Prix of Choral Singing twice; first in 1997 and more recently, in August of 2007.

The ensemble performs a wide repertoire of various styles and forms: renaissance music, classical music, Filipino and international folksongs, contemporary and avant-garde music, opera and even popular music. Their specialization and focus on the madrigal idiom has inspired their unique set-up of singing, while seated in a semi-circle, without a conductor.

The influence of the UP Madrigal Singers on the Philippine and Asian choral scene has also been far-reaching. Having graduated more than 200 choral and vocal pedagogues from its ranks, the alumni and members are actively involved in organizing and conducting choirs. This has contributed to the emergence of a now active choral life in the Philippines. The Madz Et Al is the network of choirs organized by the UP Madrigal Singers who gather regularly for festivals and workshops. To date, the network has a membership of almost 60 choirs from all over the country.

For inquiries and ticket reservations, contact the Negros Museum at (034)433 4764, (034) 7085080 or email us at negros_museum96@yahoo.com.