Meet the Jury for this year’s Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the Philippine Madrigal Singers unveil the roster of acclaimed members of the choir community locally and internationally, who will serve as the jury for the upcoming Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival (AOVICF). 

The AOVICF is a melting pot of culture synchronizing in perfect harmony through musical artistry. Reflective of this are the jury members for AOVICF 2025 who hail from different cultural regions across the globe: Maria Theresa Vizconde-Roldan and Mark Anthony Carpio from the Philippines, Elise Bradley from New Zealand, Andrea Angelini from Italy, Gene Peterson from the United States of America, Ana Maria Raga from Venezuela, and Roni Sugiarto from Indonesia.

Maria Theresa Vizconde-Roldan (Philippines)

Dr. Maria Theresa Vizconde-Roldan co-founded the Treble Choir Association of the Philippines with her husband, dedicated to teaching and nurturing children, and promoting Philippine choral music. They also arranged Filipino folk songs, made materials for children’s choir and contributed articles to the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) Choral Magazine. One of her notable works is pioneering the GESTAPHOR method in choir rehearsals which promotes the use of gesture, words and metaphors in explaining abstract concepts.

As the founder and conductor of the Young Voices of the Philippines, Dr. Vizconde-Roldan has led the group to win multiple championship titles in all categories during the 2023 Golden Gate International Choral Festival in San Francisco. The group is also no stranger to major music centers such as the Carnegie Hall and the Dekelboum Concert Hall in the USA. They also sang for the late Pope Francis at the World Children’s Day in Rome in May last year. Under Dr. Vizconde-Roldan's leadership, the group has been honored with many local awards and recognitions including the Ani ng Dangal Award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the AWIT Awards given to them by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry.

Mark Anthony Carpio (Philippines)

Chosen by National Artist for Music Prof. Andrea Veneracion to succeed her as the Choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers since 2001, Prof. Mark Anthony Carpio led the group to perform and win awards in premier world competitions such as the Habaneras y Polifonia in Torrevieja, Spain in 2004 and the Concorso Polifonico Guido d'Arezzo in Arezzo, Italy in 2016. Aside from being a choirmaster, he also gives masterclasses and serves as a jury in competitions, festivals, and music institutions across Asia, North America and Europe.

Carpio has also worked with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Philippine Choral Directors Association in helping promote and shape Philippine choral music. He also directs the community ensemble Pansol Choir at the Sta. Maria Della Parish.

Elise Bradley (New Zealand)

Elise Bradley’s work as singer and choirmaster for various choral groups in New Zealand and Toronto has earned her a number of awards and even landed her a spot as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM), an honour awarded to her from Queen Elizabeth II.

From guiding school and community choirs in both New Zealand and Toronto, she has also received many invitations to extend her talent and musical wisdom, may it be conducting, adjudicating choirs or speaking at conferences all over the world, including the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music in Spain, and the World Choral Symposium in Turkey in April 2023.

Elise Bradley also co-founded the Choral DirectioNZ and the New Zealand Children’s Choral Academy and has returned to teaching music in primary classrooms as part of the Creatives in Schools initiative by the Ministry of Education in New Zealand.

Andrea Angelini (Italy)

As a world-renowned conductor and music educator, Andrea Angelini is a leading figure in choral festivals both within Europe and the international scene. His music education, from studying the piano and organ, as well as composition and choir conducting, is reflective of his prominence in choral festivals and competition all over the world.

Andrea Angeli is the founder and artistic director of the Associazione Musicale Musica Ficta and formed the Vocal Ensemble Musicaficta. He also served as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Choral Bulletin. He is currently serving as the President of Associazione Emiliano-Romagnola Cori that aims to provide courses and strengthen the Italian choral community.

Gene Peterson (USA)

Dr. Gene Peterson has worn many hats as a music academic and practicing conductor. From his tenure as Director of Choral & Vocal Studies and Professor of Music at universities in California, Minnesota and Tennessee, to leading school, church and community choirs, Dr. Peterson is a landmark figure in the American choral sphere. He has led performances in major venues including the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City and the Carnegie Hall in New York.

Currently, he is the Artistic Director for Perform International/Perform America that gives aid to touring music groups in their travel and performance. Furthermore, he sits in various committees and associations that help in the promotion of choral music—and music in general—in the United States of America.

Ana Maria Raga (Venezuela)

Ana Maria Raga is the founder and president of the Aequalis Foundation, an organization dedicated to "music for human development". Her foundation’s core focuses on artistic performance, educational programs and community-based musical activities.

Raga's methodology as a music trainer and conductor highlights the conductor's role as a music interpreter, trainer and builder of the choral instrument. Aside from teaching music, she also stands as an adjudicator at international choral and composition competitions such as the ICCC Marktoberdorf and the China International Choral Competition. As a conductor, she worked with choirs across the USA, Europe and Asia including Aequalis Aurea female choir, and the prestigious World Youth Choir in 2009.

Roni Sugiarto (Indonesia)

Roni Sugiarto’s musical journey was shaped by mentors Joseph Kristanto and Avip Priatna, and has deepened through masterclasses with renowned musicians including Mark Anthony Carpio and Jonathan Velasco (Philippines), Julie Spittill (Australia), Marcus LaPratt (USA), William Lock (USA), and André de Quadros (USA). These engagements have contributed to his international artistic perspective and his highly regarded approach to vocal ensemble work.

He passes on his extensive musical training by teaching and guiding youth choirs like the award-winning Saint Angela Choir (SAC). Through his leadership, he has helped SAC mark their name in the international music competitions like the Tolosa Choral Contest in the Basque Country, the Tokyo International Choir Competition and the World Choral Championship in which they won the top podium in 2024. Sugiarto is not a stranger himself in the international choir stage having performed in Milan, South Africa and East Asia.

He currently works as the Music Director of the Saint Angela Choir and ITB Student choir, and Artistic Director of the Saint Angela International Choir Festival and Satya Dharma Gita International Choir Festival.

The AOVICF is a choir competition open to choirs all over the world. Named after the founder of the Philippine Madrigal Singers and National Artist for Music Andrea O. Veneracion, it aims to showcase the musical artistry and culture from different regions of the world as well as foster the international music community.

For more information about the AOVICF, you may visit https://www.aovchoralfestph.com/ and Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival Facebook page. You may also follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for updates on future events and public programs.