24 June 2015 - The Philippine Madrigal Singers (MADZ) held a mesmerizing concert at the Kempinski Hotel in Xiamen on June 06. The world-famous Philippine chorale wowed the audience with their engaging repertoire of classical and renaissance music, OPM, Chinese classics and contemporary pop songs.
The audience showed their delight for the MADZ’s superb performance with their thunderous applause after each song number, particularly during the Chinese suite of popular Mandarin songs.
In his welcome remarks, Philippine Consul General Julius Caesar Flores praised the MADZ as ambassadors of goodwill in promoting and furthering Philippine arts and culture to global audiences. He also mentioned that the MADZ’s tour of Fujian province is a valuable undertaking which contributes to the strengthening of people-to-people contact and cultural exchanges between the Philippines and Fujian Province.
The 22-member ensemble led by Choirmaster Mark Anthony Carpio performed par excellence before 200 guests led by Xiamen Chinese People Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Vice Chair Mr. Pan Shijian and Xiamen City Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (FOCAO) Deputy Directors General Mr. Li Xiaoping and Mr. Johnny Zhang; China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)-Xiamen President Su (William) Yuqun; Xiamen Tourism Bureau Deputy Director General Zhang Guoliang and Xiamen Convention and Exhibition Bureau Director General Joven Wang. Also present were Thai Consul General Pachuen Phornmongkol, Singapore Consul General Chi Chieu Sum, Xiamen City business leaders and members of the Filipino community in Xiamen City, and local government officials from various parts of Fujian province including Quanzhou City FOCAO Deputy Director General Chen Huaiyung, Sanming FOCAO Director General Jiang Ming, Longyan FOCAO Director General Lu Dian, Zhangzhou FOCAO Section Chief Qiu Zhemin and Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province FOCAO Section Chief Chen Jai.
The Chinese officials expressed their sincere appreciation for the Consulate General in bringing the MADZ to Xiamen to highlight the celebration of the three milestone events in 2015, namely, the 117th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence, the 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and China, and the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Consulate General in Xiamen. END