Celebrating 50 years of discovering and nurturing the best, young musicians in the Philippines, the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) presents Gintong Pamana: The 2023 NAMCYA Festivals and Competitions, featuring a myriad of performances and other musical activities starting this March.

The NAMCYA was formally organized in 1973, under Presidential Proclamation 1173, and amended in November 1988.  Through PP 1173, which designated the last week of November of each year as National Music Week, the NAMCYA Competitions became the main highlights of the celebration.  In 2001 Presidential Proclamation No. 80 affirms the mission of NAMCYA for the nation’s young artists.

Republic Act 11915 designates the NAMCYA as the Philippine National Youth Development Program for Music which will serve as the conduit for the discovery of outstanding musical talents in the country; the development of musicians; the preservation, development, and promotion of Philippine music as an art form; and the undertaking of a continuing program of research, documentation, and publication of Philippine music for dissemination to schools and the general public.

Starting March 1, NAMCYA is accepting entries for its various competition categories including Choir (Children’s and Senior), Guitar (Senior), Piano (Senior), Rondalla (Children’s Solo and Junior), Strings (Violins and Lower Strings: Viola, Cello, Contrabass), Traditional Music, Voice (Senior), Woodwinds (Open), and Composition, which is this year’s special category. Deadline for submission is June 30, 2023.  Application forms may be accessed from the NAMCYA website.

Eliminations will happen starting in July, through hybrid (on-site and online) adjudication; followed by the semifinals in six regional center clusters, namely South-Central Mindanao (General Santos City), Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas (Bogo City, Cebu), Northern Luzon (Alcala, Cagayan), Southern Luzon, and the National Capital Region.  The National Final Round will be on November 21 to 26, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.

With the mission to ensuring the future of Philippine music, the competition will be led by distinguished chairpersons, including Dr. Arwin Tan (Choir – Children’s and Senior), Nathan Manimtim (Guitar – Senior), Dr. Michelle Nicolasora (Piano – Senior), Mariefrance Ballester (Rondalla – Children’s Solo Rondalla Instrument and Junior Rondalla), Diomedes Saraza Jr. (Strings – Violins and Lower Strings: Viola, Cello, Contrabass), Dr. Felicidad Prudente (Traditional Music), Ma. Austregelina Alfornon aka Nenen Espina (Voice – Senior), Antonio Maigue (Woodwinds –Open), and Mary Katherine Trangco (Composition).

Aside from the main competition, NAMCYA presents its series of concerts, kicking off with “Bata Ang Bukas (The Children, Our Future): Children’s Choirs in Focus” slated on April 29, 4pm, at Ayala Museum.  The concert will feature UP Cherubims and Seraphims, Balon Dagupan Children’s Choir, and the Loboc Children’s Choir.

The next concert, Tumutubong Katutubo (Evolving Traditional Music Expressions), put the spotlight on traditional music performed by the San Nicolas High School Cultural Ensemble, the Massalingga Dacalan Ensemble, the Puljus Udliwang Ethnic Ensemble, the Antonio D. Pendatun Elementary School and Upper Labay High School Music Ensemble, and Fataldao Banisil Colot IP Implementing Schools Music Ensemble.  It will happen on May 6, 4pm, at the CCP Liwasang Kalikasan.

Galing Namcya, Balik Namcya! Concert of Winners gives the stage to the former winners of various categories on August 12, 7pm; while NAMCYA Extravaganza (Noon, Ngayon at Bukas): The Closing Ceremonies will feature some of the best solo and group competition winners on November 26, 3pm. Both concerts will be held at the Metropolitan Theater.

For its golden anniversary, the NAMCYA will also hold concerts in both local and international festivals, music camps, seminar-workshops, and publications. Venue partners are the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Manila Metropolitan Theater, the Ayala Museum, the Manila Pianos Inc., the Rizal Park Open Air Auditorium, and other venues provided by local government units.

NAMCYA thanks the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission On Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the National Youth Commission (NYC).

For more information and application requirements, visit the NAMCYA website. Follow the official NAMCYA social media accounts in Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for the latest updates.