Congratulations! TCS Women’s Choir 2 Wins Top Prize in Singapore!

TCS Women’s Choir 2 Brings Home Victory from Singapore

Youth Daily News reporter 黃朝琴, Taipei

TCS Women’s Choir 2, an affiliated ensemble of Taipei Chamber Singers, sent good news home tonight from the competition of the 6th Singapore International Chinese Choral Festival, winning the gold medal and the overall championship. Founded only four years ago, the choir has been active in the choral world with its distinctive, warm sound. This time it won over Singapore with refined, pure women’s voices, moving judges and audience alike, raising Taiwan’s profile through song, and demonstrating the nation’s soft power internationally.

The Singapore International Chinese Choral Festival does not allow choreography or solo leads; judging focuses on the music itself, on how the singing conveys the meaning and emotion of the repertoire, which may be called the hallmark of the competition. Women’s Choir 2’s performances in the preliminary round and grand final displayed rich artistry and emotion and were widely recognized as nuanced and profound. Conductor 鄭有席 said that it is not easy for such a young choir to win the overall championship: it requires not only unlocking the members’ potential and pushing past their own limits, but also uniting them in shared conviction and broadening their choral horizons, and the transformation along the way is what is most precious

Taiwan’s choral standards have continued to rise in recent years. Taipei Chamber Singers marks its 25th anniversary this year and takes on a social mission; by 2017 it had established four affiliated choirs. Artistic Director and Conductor Yun-Hung Chen, dedicated to the transformation and development of choral music in Taiwan, has shaped a vocal brand along three axes, “artistic depth,” “far-reaching vision,” and “social breadth,” carrying forward the beauty of choral singing with the most persuasive voices, connecting with the international scene, and letting the world see Taiwan.