UNS – Voca Erudita (VE) Student Choir of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta re-earned achievements and made Indonesia famous internationally by participating in two International Choir competitions in Italy. They were 58th Seghizzi International Choral Singing Competition in Gorizia and 8th International Choir and Orchestra Festival in Florence, Italy, and VE successfully won eight awards from both.
VE participated in choir competitions held in two different cities in Italy: Gorizia and Florence, on July 19-22 and July 24-26, 2019. Accompanied by the supervisor, Prof. Dr. Ir. Susy Susmartini, MSIE, an official, also two conductors, Redi Sabtono S.Sn and Ardian Dika Adhyatma S.Sn. as well as the team with 34 singers, they started at the 58th Seghizzi International Choral Singing Competition which one of the oldest and prestigious international choir competition in Europe was held in Gorizia. The choirs joined in this event had gone through various stages of audition, and VE was chosen as the one and only delegation from Indonesia to perform in front of the eyes of the world against other 12 choirs from 10 different countries.
In this competition, VE partook two categories of the program music, 1D “Historical Period since 1911 to the present day” and 2A “Folk and traditional songs”. They managed to become one of six vocal groups that played part in the Grand Prix and compete five other groups from Austria-Lithuania, Canada, Philippine, Japan, and Ukraine. VE successfully achieved four awards, they are 4th Place of category 1D “Historical Period since 1911 to the present day”, 3rd Place of category 2A “Folk and traditional songs”, Prize Choreography and Costumes, and also 4th Place of 31st Grand Prix Seghizzi.
Their journey continued to the second competition, 8th International Choir and Orchestra Festival which was a choir and orchestra competition held in the heart of Florence, Italy. In this competition, they joined A “Mixed Choir Adults” and M “Modern and Contemporary Music” categories. With the same team selected through the audition system, again, Voca Erudita Student Choir of UNS was being the solely Indonesian representative to compete for 14 other participants from six different countries.
Their efforts in this second competition also paid off with the four awards: 1st Place of Category A “Mixed Choir Adults”, 1st Place of Category M “Modern and Contemporary Music”, the Best Performance of Italian Composers Work “Vezzosi Augelli by Luca Marenzio”, and managed to get “The Golden David” as a symbol of the Grand Champion of 8th International Choir and Orchestra Festival. Regarding “The Golden David”, the Head of Voca Erudita, Muhammad Hazim Fauzi, explained that the achievement was a reward as the vocal group that had the best performance in interpreting the songs performed in each category and also chosen as the best participant in the 8th International Choir and Orchestra Festival.
On the sideline of the events in Italy, UNS Voca Erudita acquainted the Italians with the Indonesian cultures through a series of cultural mission concerts which was held in Mossa and some churches in Florence, Italy. The choreography arranged by a choreographer, Paulus Krisna Wisnumurti, sweetened the VE’s performance delivering the Indonesian folksongs which was amazed the Italian people in the category of folklore and when performing the cultural mission concert.
After passing through a sequence of intensive training for about five months as well as the various fundraising events that have been carried out in a frame of hardworking, UNS Voca Erudita Student Choir reminisces to thank for the prayers and supports. The supports given by the various sides were the VE’s power to achieve the awards and make Indonesia famous internationally.
“A big thanks for UNS Rector and all the executive leaders, academic communities of UNS, and all of the people who have to support us in any way so we can compete, and thank God, we can bring the satisfactory results that make UNS, Solo, and Indonesia people are proud,” expressed Maria Vegasari, the Chief Committee of VE’s Departure to Italy.
UNS Voca Erudita Student Choir hopes that they can be acknowledged by the wider communities and can inspire the Indonesian youths to uphold the nationalism and chase achievements wherever they are. Humas UNS/ Dwi/Try