Novo Concertante Manila
established 1998
Novo Concertante Manila is a chamber choir from Quezon City, Philippines. It was originally formed as a recital choir, and it continues to reinvent itself as it develops into one of the Philippines’ most outstanding choirs. The choir has been honored with the “Ani ng Dangal” award by the National Commission for. Culture and the Arts in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2015, in recognition of Novo’s achievements in international choral competitions.
The choir’s repertoire covers music from the Renaissance period to the 21st century, showcasing the various possibilities of the human voice. Aside from the classic choral compositions of European masters such as Palestrina, Gesualdo, Monteverdi, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and many others, the Novo Concertante Manila sings interesting folk, popular and contemporary songs from around the world, highlighting music written by Filipino composers and arrangers, such as Francisco Feliciano, Lucio San Pedro, Ramon Santos, Ruben Federizon and Eudenice Palaruan. The choir has premiered many works of its resident composers and arrangers: Ralph Hoffmann, Jay-el Viteño, Joshua Cadelina, and Tinnah de la Rosa, among others.
In its 21-year history, Novo Concertante Manila has competed and won in several international choral competitions, among which are: the 1st Lanna International Choir Competition in 2016; the Grand Prize Awards at the 49. Międzynarodowy Festiwal Pieśni Chóralnej w Międzyzdrojach in Międzyzdroje, Poland in 2014; the 1st Asia Cantate Interna2onal Choral Competion in Phuket, Thailand and the Grand Prix in the Mixed Choir Category of the 1st Xinghai Prize Choir Championships in Guangzhou, China in 2012. In 2009, Novo won the 1st Prize (Kunstlied Kategorie) and 2nd Prize (Volkslied Kategorie) at the 46° Internationaler Chorwettbewerb in Spittal an der Drau, Austria and the 1st Prize in the Polyphonic Category at the LV Certamen International de Habaneras y Polifonia in Torrevieja, Spain. In 2003, the Novo Concertante Manila emerged as the Grand Prize winner at the 1st A Voyage of Songs International Choral Competition in Genting Highlands, Malaysia. The choir is currently ranked no. 3 in the Top 1000 mixed choirs of the world by Interkultur.
The choir has performed in numerous international and local choral festivals such as The Third Macau International Choir Festival in Macau; The International Choir Fes2val in Szczecin, Poland; The International Choral Song Festival in Międzyzdroje, Poland; The International Organ and Chamber Music Festival in Kamień Pomorski, Poland, and The Festival in Murowana Goślina, Poland in 2018; The 2017 Overseas Choirs Gala Concert and 5th Malaysian Chinese Independent High Schools Southern Region Choir Camp in Johor Bahru, Malaysia; the 50th Organ and Choral Festival in Kamien Pomorski (2014), Poland, the 7th Organ Festival in Szczecin, Poland (2014), and the 6th International Edmund Szymański Choral Festival in Murowana Goślina, Poland (2014), the Jubilate Choral Festival in Singapore (2004), the Chinese Choral Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur (2010), the 1st Manila Choral Festival (2007), the 2nd International Silent Film Fes2val (2008), the Glorificamus Te, Mundawit, “Madz et al.” and “A Merry Novo Christmas” Choral Festivals.
The Novo Concertante Manila sings regularly during the 12 noon Sunday mass at the Christ the King Church in Green Meadows, Quezon City.