Los Cantantes de Manila is a community choir composed of students, young professionals and devout musicians. LCDM displays versatility of the Filipinos by performing serious music from the works of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy to the dance music of Beyoncé.
Since its inception in February 2014, the choir learned new vocal techniques and were taught the virtues of dedication, respect, humility and loyalty. Under the baton of Mr. Darwin Vargas, LCDM won multiple championships: Champion, Crosswinds Carol Fest; Champion in both Open and LGU/Church categories in the Himig Handog Choral Competition in Tagum City, Davao del Norte; and Grand Prize winner of the 2015 Busan International Choral Festival and Competition in Busan, South Korea. Gold Prize in Classical/Mixed Choir Category and Silver Prize in Pop/A cappella category. The group was also given honorable mention in the adult choir category of the 2015 National Music Competitions for Young Artists. In 2016, the group received its first Ani ng Dangal award given by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Continuing their winning streak, in 2018, LCDM represented the country in Singapore International Choral Festival where they won Gold in the Música Sacra and Mixed Voices Open Categories.
The group was also one of the featured choirs in the 40th International Bamboo Organ Festival performing Johannes Sebastian Bach's "Mass in B minor" under Josef Doller - former conductor of the world-renowned Vienna Boys' Choir. LCDM also received training about baroque music and Bach by Professor Eudenice Palaruan.
Los Cantantes de Manila (LCDM) won the First Prize of the Popular Choir Music Category of the prestigious International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf held in Marktoberdorf, Germany on June 2-6, 2017. LCDM competed with three choirs in the first-ever Popular Choir Music Category of the said competition where the choir was classified with an Achievement Level I rating - the highest rating - indicating that the choir gave an "excellent performance at an international level". The choir was also awarded the following special prizes:
1. Sonderpreis der Walter und Charlotte Hamel Stiftung Prize (for a particularly outstanding, characteristic vocal presentation) for the piece "If I Had My way" by Linda Eder as arranged for choir by world-renowned conductor and adjudicator, Prof. Fidel Calalang, Jr. of the UST Singers. The song has a solo part performed by Jamaica Duron.
2. Oberdorfer Publikumspreis or Marktoberdorf Public Prize where the audience voted for them as their favorite choir during the competition rounds and concerts.
In 2019, the ensemble embarked on its 2nd European Concert and Competition Tour. They held numerous concerts in various venues in Slovenia, Italy and Germany. LCDM represented the country in CantaRode International Choir Festival held in The Netherlands, where they bagged the 3rd Place and the Public Prize. They also competed in the prestigious 16th International Choral Competition Marktoberdorf which was held on 7th - 11th June 2019. The choir was accorded highest Achievement Level 1- “Internationally Excellent”.They were also invited to serve as the rehearsal choir for the 2019 International Masterclass for Choral Conductors which was excellently facilitated by Prof. Erwin Ortner (Austria) and Zoltán Pad (Hungary), with coaching and individual training by Michael Reif (Germany) and Dr. Ingrid Czaika.
Committed to its mission to be Filipino cultural ambassadors of goodwill, Los Cantantes de Manila continuously harnesses its craft to promote goodwill and excellence through its God-given gift of ethereal music.