Cavite church choir Imusicapella won the Grand Prize at the 2024 Béla Bartók International Choir Competition in Hungary, highlighting Filipino musical excellence in contemporary choral music.
Winning the prestigious 63-year-old music competition qualifies Imusicapella for the 2025 European Grand Prix (EGP) for Choral Singing. This gives the Filipinos a chance to surpass their 2019 Top 5 finish in the finals. The Philippine choir earned its spot in the EGP finals by winning the Grand Prix at the International May Choir Competition in Varna, Bulgaria.
WATCH: Cavite choirs in winning harmony in Bulgaria’s Choir Competition
Imusicapella, led by founder and conductor Tristan Ignacio, is based at Imus Cathedral (Our Lady of the Pillar Parish) and St. Peregrine Chapel. They triumphed at the 29th edition of the choral tilt, competing against choirs from Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, and Greece, evaluated by an international jury. The event was held in Debrecen from August 1 to 4, with four choirs in the Grand Prix competition.
Their Grand Prix-winning performances included Morten Lauridsen’s Ov’e, lass’, il bel viso?, Vytautas Miškinis’ Dum Medium Silentium, and award-winning Filipino composer Nilo Alcala’s Sa Silong ng Langit.
WATCH Imusicapella perform Nilo Alcala’s piece:
In addition to the Grand Prize, Imusicapella secured 2nd Prize in the Sacred category, 3rd Prize in the Free category, and a Special Prize in the Church Music category.
Another Filipino choir, Los Cantantes de Manila, led by conductor Darwin Vargas, won top prizes in both the Sacred and Free categories, and a Special Prize for the compulsory interpretation piece.
Competition Results:
Sacred Category:
- 1st prize: Los Cantantes de Manila, 93 points, conductor: Darwin Vargas
- 2nd prize: Imusicapella, 90 points, conductor: Tristan Ignacio
- 3rd prize: Arcova Vocal Ensemble, 89 points, conductor: Caroline Voyat
- 4th prize: Cor Jove Amics de la Unió, 85 points, conductor: Marta Dosaiguas
Free Category:
- 1st prize: Los Cantantes de Manila, 90 points, conductor: Darwin Vargas
- 2nd prize: Arcova Vocal Ensemble, 88 points, conductor: Caroline Voyat
- 3rd prize: Imusicapella, 87 points, conductor: Tristan Ignacio
- 4th prize: Cor Jove Amics de la Unió, 82 points, conductor: Marta Dosaiguas
Special Prizes:
- Outstanding performance of a choral work in the church music category: Imusicapella, conductor Tristan Ignacio
- Best interpretation of the compulsory piece: Los Cantantes de Manila, conductor Darwin Vargas
The Béla Bartók International Choir Competition was part of Imusicapella’s 2024 European Concert Tour and Competition, which began in June and included stops in Germany, France, and Hungary.
Founded in 2002, Imusicapella previously won third prize and a gold diploma in the Classical Mixed and Equal Category of the 2022 Busan Choral Festival and Competition in South Korea.
WATCH Imusicapella’s introduction video to the 2024 BBCC here:
Celebrate Filipino talent! Share this article to spread the word about Imusicapella’s inspiring win.
Be part of our vibrant Good News Pilipinas community, celebrating the best of the Philippines and our global Filipino heroes. As winners of the Gold Anvil Award and the Lasallian Scholarum Award, we invite you to engage with us and share your inspiring stories. For stories Making Every Filipino Proud, reach out to GoodNewsPilipinas.com via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. LinkTree here. Let’s spread good news together!
