ALERON ALL-MALE CHOIR LAUNCHES THEIR JOURNEY TO EUROPE VIA RELEASE OF “DAKILANG HIWAGA” CHRISTMAS CD ALBUM LAUNCH

   

    “A new instrument has emerged! The performances of ALERON have left the audience in awe and admiration. The broad spectrum of solid male voices of the group will surely provide reason and inspiration for composers to write new and interesting works for the expressive instrument that the group is becoming. We look forward to seeing and hearing more of ALERON and hopefully, for a long, long time,” said Mark Anthony Carpio, the choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

    ALERON, one of the country’s top all-male choir launched recently their debut Christmas album “Dakilang Hiwaga,” which includes a wide variety of songs. Also included in the album are some songs from their European Concert and Competition tour repertoire.

The group aims to further cement the Filipino’s reputation of having some of the world’s most formidable musicians through this trip. The group is set to compete in the most prestigious choral singing festivals and competitions from May to July of 2017.

The most important leg of their tour is the 11th World Symposium for Choral Music which will be held in Barcelona, Spain. The event is hosted by the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) and will feature the world’s finest choirs and choral leaders. ALERON is one of IFCM’s ambassadors for 2017, and they are the only Filipino performer to have been invited to the event.

       ALERON,  translated from Latin as "the winged one,"  is geared towards exploring the male choral soundscape. Through innovative programming and the performance of repertoires across musical styles and genres, the group aims to deliver to its audiences a diverse and unique choral experience.

ALERON first came into existence in 2006 as the alumni ensemble of the Ateneo de Manila High School Glee Club under the musical direction of Christopher Ong Arceo. Today, the group is composed of male choristers from different backgrounds: most of which are from the Ateneo de Manila University and University of the Philippines musical networks.

ALERON envisions to broaden the all-male choral genre by continuously commissioning and premiering new works throughout its concert seasons. To date, the group has performed original works by several established and up-and-coming Filipino composers such as Josefino Chino Toledo, Robin Estrada and Mary Katherine Trangco.

The group was awarded the Ani ng Dangal Award for Music twice (2015 and 2016). They first brought honor to the country by bringing home the Gold Prize (Classical Equal Voices Category) from the 10th Busan Choral Festival and Competition as well as being the Grand Prix Overall Winner.