As a fundamental core of the group’s identity for the past 25 years, The Philippine Choral is now Koro Filipino.
The new name is symbolic of a new era as the group celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The choir hopes that this will also mark the next phase of their development as they take their music in other directions.
“[The name change] marks a new beginning for the group and leads us to many more years to come,” says Chito Atienza, the choir’s president. “Our commitment to our passion of singing and sharing our unique brand of performance and appeal will remain, as always – the best,” Atienza explains.
The 23-strong group will continue to illustrate Filipino culture through their diverse repertoire and jovial showmanship. Well-known in the performing arts community as one of Edmonton's leading Filipino show choirs, Koro Filipino actually started as a small church choir in 1991. Through their unique harmonies, they inspired many churchgoers with their uplifting spiritual hymns and mass songs. Their love for music and community service eventually widened their repertoire to include classic and contemporary Tagalog songs as well as English, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish and even South African pieces.