The Far Eastern University (FEU) Chorale, celebrates the 20th Anniversary of its revival with a concert series entitled “Dalawang Dekada: 20 Years in Harmony,” which will also introduce its new Artistic Director, Mr. Roijin G. Suarez.
The series opened on November 9 as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the FEU Auditorium. The concert showcased the beauty of choral music from its origins in the Renaissance period up to the present.
The FEU Chorale will also perform in a mini-concert on Saturday, November 16 from 6 to 8 PM in the FEU Chapel.
Then FEU Chair Dr. Lourdes R. Montinola revived the Far Eastern University Chorale in 2004 as a cultural group under the FEU Center for the Arts. Since then, it has become one of the leading choirs in the Philippines winning different national competitions under the guidance of their then Artistic Director, Emerson Hernandez (2004 – 2016), they have performed in various television programs and have collaborated a concert with the Philippine Madrigal Singers at the FEU Auditorium in 2009.
Mr. Karl Angelo Tangco (2017 – 2023) has led the group to win their first International Competition which was the 4th Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival bagging First Prize in Mixed Choir category and Second Prize in Folk Song Category in 2019. That same year, they also won First Prize at the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA) Senior Choir Category. In 2023, the FEU Chorale won 2nd Prize at the Sing! Tarlac! Sing! Choral Festival and Competition before representing the Philippines in Bali, Indonesia for the Asia Choral Grand Prix. In that same year, the group received an Ani Ng Dangal for Music.
Currently, Roijin Suarez who started in 2024, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Major in Power Engineering at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). He is a multi-awarded choral conductor and clinician. He is a recipient of the Special Jury Prize for Most Promising Young Conductor, 10th Orientale Concentus International Choral Festival, Singapore (2017). He was hailed as one of the youngest conductors ever to lead the winning choir at the 16th International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany (2019), and recently received the 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 – 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 at the 6th Tokyo International Choir Competition 2024! He is a graduating choral conducting student at the UP College of Music as a scholar of the Andrea O. Veneracion Sing Philippines Foundation. In June 2024, he led the FEU Chorale to become the Grand Prix Champion at the 2nd Sing, Tarlac, Sing! Choral Festival and Competition.
