Here's another feather in every Caviteno and Cavitena's cap.
The Grand Prix at the 2025 Palawan International Choral Festival held in the scenic Puerto Princesa City in Palawan are Cavitenos.
Imusicapella, a group of multi-talented Cavitenos and Cavitenas, won the grand prize in a unanimous votes of the jury composed of highly esteemed global music personalities led by Maestro Jae Joon Lee, a Korean Orchestra Conductor, Chairman; Dr. Joel Navarro, a music scholar who wax once the baton of the Ateneo Glee Club, now known as the Ateneo Chamber Singers and currently the conductor of Hymnos; Dr. Beverly Cheng of the University of the Philippines College of Music and Dr. Ed Manguiat, a graduate of the UP College of Music and founder of the UP Singing Ambassadors (UPSA), all Filipino music greats) and Viktoriya Vakulishyna, a Ukrainian music teacher and conductor in China, members.
According to Robert Delgado, arranger, composer, former member of the Philippine Madrigal Singers or simply Madz and President of the National Association of Filipino Choirs, Inc. (NAFCI), organizing team of the 2025 PICF, it's Imusicapella's initial participation in a competition in the Philippines.
"Yes, they have been joining world choral contests and winning but the Palawan choral search was their first time to join locally," informed Robert, a doctoral degree candidate for music from UP College of Music.
At the 2025 PICF, imusicapella also won the prestigious categories in Sacred and Mixed rendition.
Imusicapella will be one of the Philippines' representatives to the 2025 European Grand Prix in Choral Singing in Tolosa, Spain in October.
According to Imusicapella conductor Tristan Ignacio, they are confident in winning at Spain's contest.
Asked if all the members of Imusicapella are solely from Imus, Cavite as indicated in their name, Tristan replied that members of the choir are also from neighboring towns of Imus.
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