University of Baguio Voices Choral wins DOUBLE GOLD in Taipei International Choral Competition

Baguio City, Philippines—With their world-class talent and outstanding cultural expression, the University of Baguio Voices Choral (UBVC) won third place at the recently concluded Taipei International Choral Competition (TICC).

Held from July 30 to August 1, 2025 in Taiwan, said international competition showcased top-tier performances, expert juries, workshops, and concerts, giving the chance to the participants and guests to experience the beauty of said country.

UBVC bagged two gold medals in the event, particularly in the Youth Choir Category and Folk/Ethnic Category, earning them the third spot in the youth category.

The choral group is the official university choir of the University of Baguio with a rich history dating back to 1961 when it began as the "Voices and Graces."

In an interview with GURU Press Cordillera, Assistant Conductor Harold Deane Piog, a member of the choir since 2019, recounted that the UBVC has been competing internationally since its founding.

Despite a three-year pandemic hiatus, the group returned in 2023 and has consistently won gold medals, including two gold medals when they competed in Bangkok, one gold in Pasay City in 2023, and two more gold in Taipei in 2024.

Piog said they were given a seven-month preparation, but the group only had two months of intensive practice due to academic commitments, facing challenges like class suspensions due to typhoons and officer transitions.

"The group had been given 7 months to prepare; however, since the members of the group are student-scholars, they were only able to have an intensive rehearsal for two months during their summer break. Some of the challenges that were memorable were the constant class suspensions due to heavy rains and the transitioning of new officers," the Assistant Conductor said.

Piog added they intentionally programmed songs for ethnic/traditional and youth categories, performing diverse folk pieces incorporating the Apayao attire and selections from Baroque to contemporary Filipino composers to provide diverse experience from their performance.

"The programming of our pieces has always been intentional. In this competition, we joined two categories—the ethnic/traditional and the youth category. For the ethnic/traditional, we made sure that we showcased folk songs from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Latvia. This is to ensure that we show the flexibility of the choir and to also honor different cultures. We wore the Apayao Attire during this performance. During the youth category, we sang a piece from the Baroque period, a piece that is entertaining, and a piece promoting a 21st-century Filipino composer," he explained.

Piog further shared that UBVC highlights Cordilleran culture internationally through traditional attire and folk songs, which he says left a strong impression on the audience and judges during the event.

When asked about how they feel about winning two gold medals, Piog said that winning gold brought the group immense joy, saying, "We were overjoyed as we were able to sustain our three-year gold streak."

On the group’s next plans, Piog said they are eyeingmore competition in Asia before moving to Europe and hope to expand their Musikaramay outreach to more choirs in Baguio City.

"We are still eyeing to compete more in Asia before the group decides to compete in Europe. We are also hoping to continue our outreach program entitled Musikaramay to be able to reach more church, community, and school-based choirs around Baguio City," he concluded.