The De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ) Chorale brought home two Gold Prizes and a third-place finish at the 7th Tokyo International Choir Competition, held from July 25 to 27, 2025. Made up of students from Grades 5 to 12, the DLSZ chorale carried the Philippine flag with distinction, capturing the attention of international judges and audiences alike.
The Philippines has long fostered young voices through children’s choirs that became cultural institutions. The UP Cherubim and Seraphim, founded in 1971, built a repertoire that elevated Filipino children’s music by commissioning works from National Artists Ramon P. Santos, Lucio San Pedro, and Ryan Cayabyab. The DLSZ Chorale continues this legacy, guided by conductor Michael Kenneth Natividad, who grounds the group in the core standards of competition singing: musicality, technical skill, blend, and artistic impression. Under his direction, the chorale has grown into a full ensemble capable of commanding international stages.
The group’s repertoire in Tokyo combined classical works with traditional Filipino pieces, balancing technical precision with emotional resonance. Their folk program, in particular, highlighted the country’s cultural heritage, delivered with striking theatricality. Online footage of their performance shows the choir moving from quiet chime-accompanied harmonies to thunderous, coordinated stomps. At one point, the ensemble shifted into an intense dramatic passage that evoked the sweep of biblical storytelling, transforming the stage into something closer to theater than a conventional choir showcase.
By the end of the competition, the DLSZ Chorale had earned top recognition in the Children’s Choir Under-18 Category and the Folklore Category, winning two Gold Prizes. The choir also finished third overall and received the coveted Audience Favorite Award. Being deeply rooted in tradition and rigor, their performances offered more than the expected polish of a children’s choir; instead, it is with the discipline and artistry of ensembles that have shaped the country’s choral scene for decades.
