The University of the Philippines Concert Chorus

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The University of the Philippines Concert Chorus, also known as the UPCC, is one of the major cultural groups based in the University of the Philippines-Diliman and one of the earliest choirs in the Philippines.

It has grown from an excellent university chorus to an entity of national stature to a choir of international recognition. It has defined and achieved a proud career showcasing excellent Filipino artistry in music and dance to captive audiences worldwide.

A veteran of several world concert tours, the UPCC contributed immensely to promoting the Filipino culture and heritage. It holds the singular honor of being invited ten times to the prestigious Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland and four times for command performances for Queen Elizabeth II. It holds the distinction of being chosen as one of the world's best choirs at the 4th Lincoln Center International Choral Festival in New York City in 1974.

Consisting of students auditioned from the different Colleges of the University, this choral group has the most extensive repertoire of choral music, covering the classical, jazz, opera, zarzuela, Broadway musicals, folk, Original Filipino Music, avantgarde music, contemporary pop and even rock songs. This versatility is what made the UPCC a favorite of many famous composers such as the late Philippine National Artist for Music, Lucio San Pedro, who arranged a number of songs especially for the group. Many internationally renowned composers and conductors (many of whom were former Concert Chorus members) have since followed suit, and have provided a number of compositions and arrangements for the group to sing.

From its humble beginnings as a small school choir in 1962, thus making it the oldest UP performing group, it was called UP Mixed Chorus (UPMC), it was then changed to UP Concert Chorus under the late Reynaldo T. Paguio, professor and former dean of the UP College of Music in 1969. The group now has UPCC alumna Janet Sabas Aracama at the helm.

UPCC has enthralled the nation and the world concert stage. From the trademark head buns (pusod), unique costumes to lively choreography, the UPCC never runs out of ways to make the group stand out from its contemporaries. The Concert Chorus is not just a horde of talented university students — it is a group with the passion to perform.

Many UPCC alumni have started choirs of their own, some of which have also become world famous. These include UP Saring-Himig, led by George Hernandez; the AFP-DFA Choral Groups, under Danny Bernabe; the UP Singing Ambassadors with Ed Manguiat; the Ateneo Glee Club under Joel Navarro; Koionia, led by Boyet Palisoc, and Kontra-Gapi with Edru Abraham, just to name a few. Aside from those groups, many members have also gone on to become respected solo artists in the local and international music industry.

The University of the Philippines Concert Chorus has, indeed, done more than showcase exceptional talent in music and dance — it has created generations of Filipino artists, all with the mission to serenade the world with the music they create.