On July 12, 2026, The Philippine Madrigal Singers arrived in Japan, opening their tour in Yamagata the following day and going on to perform nine concerts across the country.
Under the artistic direction of Prof. Mark Anthony Carpio of the University of the Philippines College of Music, the ensemble is one of the world’s most decorated choral groups — a two-time winner of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing, recognized by UNESCO as Artists for Peace, and designated the National Performing Arts Company for Choral Music by the Philippine government. The group performs in a style inherited since its founding: singers seated in a semicircle, facing one another and their conductor, building their signature harmonies in unison.
The a cappella program ranged from Renaissance choral works and Filipino compositions to songs from the opera Noli Me Tangere, Japanese favorites Natsu no Omoide (Memories of Summer) and Hana wa Saku (Flowers Will Bloom), and choral renditions of “Circle of Life” from The Lion King and Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” Audiences responded with sustained applause and visible emotion throughout.
Attendees described feeling the living pulse of music in the singers’ voices, and sensing a deep conviction that great singing belongs in the service of peace. Others were struck by the richness the ensemble drew from an unaccompanied hall, and by the care with which they had prepared Japanese repertoire.
At the July 17 performance in Katsushika, Tokyo, H.E. Ms. Mylene de Joya Garcia-Albano, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Japan, attended alongside diplomatic representatives from 22 countries and regions, and presented flowers to Prof. Carpio onstage. The final performance on July 26 in Matsuyama, Ehime, was attended by Ms. Donna M. Rodriguez, Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka, who presented flowers during the curtain call.
Afterward, Prof. Carpio reflected that Min-On and the ensemble share a common belief — that music has the power to transform human lives, and that cultures brought together can build peace. He spoke of music as a universal language that connects people even without shared words, and said the tour had given him the opportunity to feel that truth more deeply than ever. He expressed a heartfelt wish to one day repay the sincerity shown to them in Japan, and asked that his gratitude be conveyed to the many staff members and audiences who welcomed them across the country.
On July 16, the group visited the Min-On Music Museum, offering an impromptu performance of Japanese songs before touring the Classical Piano Room and Automatic Instrument Room. The group departed Japan on July 27.
Min-On extends its heartfelt appreciation to all those who attended the performances, as well as to everyone whose support contributed to the success of the tour.
