A Filipino singing group, the Kiko Choir, which performs regularly at the oldest Catholic church in Melbourne, St Francis’ Church, was given the opportunity to be tutored by the world-renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers, famously known as “Madz”.
Through a partnership between the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne and the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA), a local talent was selected to study singing and performance techniques from the Madz as part of the flagship project titled “Sentro Rizal Masterclass with the Madrigal Singers.”
This activity is part of the Consulate’s cultural diplomacy campaign that seeks, among other things, to promote Filipino talent in the performing arts worldwide. Sentro Rizal, on the other hand, aims to safeguard and promote Filipino culture among Filipinos overseas, especially among migrants and their children.
A two-day online Masterclass using the Zoom platform was held from 12 to 13 September 2022. The Choral Music Singing course included lectures and videos about singing techniques as well as interactive sessions to test their application.
Voice Workshop, 12-13 September 2022
On day 2, the audience was divided into four breakout groups based on their voice classification and taught techniques tailored specifically to them.
Prof. Mark Anthony Carpio, Madz choirmaster since 2001, provided much of the content and engaged the Kiko choir members in a wide-ranging discussion about the Madrigal Singers’ ongoing success over the years.
Members of the Kiko Choir appreciated the opportunity to learn from the Madz, who are renowned for their talent and prestige. They described the experience as “very inspiring, very nice and informative.”
In particular, they appreciated the opportunity to interact with the Madz choirmaster. This collaboration between the PCG Melbourne, NCCA, and the Madrigal Singers was truly wonderful and memorable. It was a great experience for every member of the Kiko Choir to learn from Mark Carpio and the Madz Mentors. The Kiko Choir’s current president, Nino Deomano, called it “totally priceless.”.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Consul General Anthony Achilles Mandap thanked the NCCA for the initiative and expressed great anticipation from the sessions and the learnings shared by the prestigious singing group.
Maria Cristina Malvas, the Consulate’s cultural officer, looked after the entire proceedings and expressed hope that, with Madz’s tutelage, Kiko Choir would be even better than they have been. It was her hope that Kiko would showcase their new techniques in future events, especially during the Christmas season.
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