First Asia-Pacific Catholic University Choirs Symposium Opens in Hong Kong with Liturgical concert

Catholic voices from across Asia and the Pacific united in song on June 17 as the First Asia-Pacific Catholic University Choirs (APCU) Choral Symposium officially opened with a liturgical concert at St. Andrew's Church in Hong Kong.

Hosted by Saint Francis University, the inaugural symposium brought together more than 150 student singers, conductors, and music educators from Catholic universities across the region under the theme “Harmony in Diversity.”

The opening concert featured sacred choral music performed by participating choirs, setting the tone for a week of musical collaboration, cultural exchange, and spiritual formation aimed at strengthening ties among Catholic institutions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Participating groups include the Saint Francis University Choir of Hong Kong, the De La Salle University Chorale of the Philippines, the Fu Jen Catholic University Choir of Taiwan, and representatives from Universidade Católica Timorense of Timor-Leste.

Throughout the symposium, participants will engage in masterclasses, workshops, rehearsals, and cultural activities designed to enhance musical excellence while fostering friendship and mutual understanding among people from different countries and traditions.

Saint Francis University Provost Prof. Annie Bligh said the symposium was born from a desire to learn and to share how to sing praise the Lord together.

“The world is changing a lot, and we talk about war and [there is a lot of war] at the moment. So we want these young people, as you can see, to learn from each other, from the cultures and how to live together in harmony,” Bling said.

Providing artistic leadership for the symposium is internationally acclaimed Japanese composer and conductor Prof. Ko Matsushita, who serves as Guest of Honor and will lead rehearsals and warm-up sessions for the participating choirs before conducting the culminating massed performance at the Closing Concert on June 20.

The closing concert will showcase the combined voices of the participating choirs and serve as the highlight of the symposium's performance program. The symposium will conclude on June 21 with reflection and evaluation sessions aimed at strengthening future cooperation among Catholic university choirs in the region.

Organizers expressed hope that the gathering will become a regular platform for collaboration among Catholic universities and a testament to the power of music to unite people across cultures and borders.

Centered on the theme “Harmony in Diversity,” the symposium seeks to demonstrate that while participants come from different nations, languages, and traditions, they can come together as one community through faith, friendship, and song.