By Tom Choy
Vancouver, British Columbia
“You hit a homerun not by chance but through preparation.” Roger Maris
Cipriano “Zip” De Guzman , the Philippines’ up and coming, debonair Baritone par excellence has won the First Prize of the 2016 and 2017 American Protégé International Vocal Competition at the Carnegie Hall( Weill) in New York City.
De Guzman, graduated with academic distinction in three Bachelor’s degrees: Major in Communication Arts as an academic scholar from the University of the East (Manila); Bachelor in Music Education Voice Emphasis minor in Piano(Cum Laude) and Bachelor’s Degree n Music Major in Vocal Performance minor in Choral Conducting at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Maestra Irma Ponce-Enrile Potentiano and Jun Francis Jaranilla. He trained for choral conducting under Professor Fidel Calalang Jr.
“ Zip has the ‘it’ factor in the classical opera genre,” quips Cliff Belgica of the classy Company Tribu Productions. “ Zip is not only a baritone singer/performer but is also a choir director for the Manila Chamber Choir (MCC),” adds Cliff.
Cliff met Zip De Guzman in Victoria, BC where the MCC under his baton won in the KATHAUMIXW International Chorale Competition.
The Christmas Special Offering of Tribu Productions dubbed “Pamaskong Handog (Christmas Offering).” It is a charity concert to benefit the Marawi conflict victims. It will be held at the St. Michael Multicultural Anglican Church on December 8, 2017. The St. Mary’s Choir and Hannah Han are also performing in the concert. This will be a great Christmas treat to the Fil-Canadians and their friends in Vancouver. Zip’s musical foundation is solid as a rock.
He is also the first Filipino to get accepted at the prestigious Wales International Academy of Voice-University of Wales St. David Summer Program under the Wales famous tenor Dennis O’ Neill.
He just zapping numerous awards and accolades namely: 2nd Prize (Vocal Category) at the 10th Yokohama International Music Competition(2016); 2nd Prize (Vocal Category) at the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition in London, UK.
His resume also includes Bass Soloist in Handel’s Messiah at the Elizabeth University of Music Christmas Concert in 2016 and also performed with the Hiroshima City Opera’s Production of La Boheme, playing the role of Schaunard in March 2017.
Zip’s other operatic credits include: Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor(Hatsukaichi Sakura Pia Hall (2017); Papageni in Die Zauberflote (2017); and Silvio in Pagliacci (2017). He had other gigs that fully cement his operatic profile in the international opera scene.