A Filipino opera singer and music educator from the Liceo de Cagayan University Conservatory of Music, Theatre and Dance, recently attained his tenth win in international music competitions.
Cipriano Mercado de Guzman, Jr. aka The Filipino Baritone, won First Prize in the Professional/Senior Category of the International Music Competition Barcelona “Grand Prize Virtuoso” held July 27, 2024 at Petit Palau – UNESCO’s Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona, Spain, along with Israeli Soprano Shiri Magar, and also won First Prize in the Professional/Senior Category at the Solitär Mozarteum Salzburg, Austria, on July 31, 2024.
He previously won prizes in International Vocal Competitions in the World’s Major Cities: New York, London, Rome, Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, and Lugano. He is the first Filipino to twice win the 2016 and 2017 American Protégé International Music Competition at the Weill Recital H all in Carnegie Hall, New York City.
“My self-imposed quota of winning 10 International Music Competitions before reaching the age of 40 has been fulfilled tonight, after winning First Prize (Professional/Senior Category) at Solitär Mozarteum in Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
De Guzman, fondly known as Zip to close friends, won the Best Male Performance in a Concert at the 35th Aliw Awards 2022 and was nominated in the 16th BOH Cameronian Arts Award in Kuala Lumpur (2019, Malaysia) in the Best Male Classical Soloist Category.
He is a two-time recipient of “Ani Ng Dangal in Music” in 2018 and 2019 from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (Office of the President).
Now on its 16th year, the Ani ng Dangal recognizes Filipinos and Filipino works in the arts field who brought glory to the country in the past year. The Ani ng Dangal is given to those who garnered the top awards in legitimate festivals, the NCCA only recognizes competitions which have existed for not less than five years and which have adjudicators.
The awards are given for architecture and the allied arts, broadcast arts, cinema, dance, dramatic arts, literary arts, music and visual arts.
“For me, it doesn’t matter how big or small the competition is, what matters most is bringing pride and honor to your country and uplifting the morale of the people who are rooting for you! My dear friends, teachers, family members and supporters, my win is yours too, we won together. This is for you dear God as well as my beloved birthplace , the Philippines, and my new home, the Grand-Duché de Luxembourg!” he added.
ZIp with his 2nd Ani ng Dangal award during the Eleventh Ani ng Dangal awarding rites on February 27, 2019 with the Liceo de Cagayan University Music Conservatory Team : Assoc. Dean Horst-Hans Bäcker, Dr.Mariano M.Lerin-University President, Zip, Dean Rudolf & Dianne Golez .
De Guzman expressed his thanks and gratitude to those who helped him in his musical journey: his major sponsor GeiserMaclang Family, Tito Nol of Panaderia Dimas-alang Pasig, Father Ron Sandoval, hosts Sister Nelfa, Brother Gonzales Alberto, Tita Lourdesita, Sister Lorna, Nobori-Cho Catholic Community of Hiroshima, friends in Hiroshima and Tokyo where he had concerts two weeks ago, his current and former professors at UST Conservatory of Music, Elisabeth University of Music, Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu Barcelona, Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, Wales International Academy of Voice, Regional Museksschoul Munneref, Gerodias-Park Vocal Studio, Viva Voce, Lyric Opera of the Philippines, Hiroshima City Opera, Kuala Lumpur City Opera, Sequenda Opera, Opera Molise, Associació Andorra Lírica/ Òpera d’Andorra, Choeur de Chambre de Luxembourg, Inecc Luxembourg, his pianists, friends, students and co-faculty members at Liceo de Cagayan University Music Conservatory, and his forever loyal supporters throughout the years!
Up next for the Filipino Bariton are three operas: “Don Pasquale” in Bobbio, Piacenza next week; “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” in Luxembourg in a few weeks; and “La Boheme” in Teatro Savoia, Italy
About the artist Cipriano Mercado De Guzmán Jr.
He finished two Master’s Degrees in Music; Master en Interpretación de Òpera at Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona under the tutelage of Joan Martin-Royo and opera coachings with Mezzo-Soprano Teresa Berganza. He also finished Master of Music in Vocal Performance with Distinction (St.Cecilia Award) at Elisabeth University of Music Japan under Baritone Hiroharu Orikawa with full scholarship grant through the Loyola Memorial Foundation and the Japan Association of Catholic Universities.
In the Philippines, he graduated with academic distinction with 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 (Cum Laude) and Bachelor’s Degree in Music Major in Vocal Performance (Cum Laude) under the tutelage of Irma Ponce Enrile Potenciano /Bass Jun Francis Jaranilla † and minor in Choral Conducting under Professor Fidel Calalang Jr. at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music with a full scholarship grant from Klassikal Music Foundation.
He is currently studying voice with Luxembourgish-Italian Mezzo Soprano Luisa Mauro, Chevalier de l’Ordre de Mérite du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg.
His operatic role credits include excerpts and full operatic roles such as Il Notaio in Don Pasquale (Centre des Art Pluriels Ettelbruck, Luxembourg 2024), Marullo in Rigoletto presented by Andorra Lirica (Principality of Andorra, 2023), Silvio in Pagliacci presented by Lyric Opera of the Philippines/Cultural Center of the Philippines (Manila, 2023), Dottore Bartolo in the opera “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” (Opera studio Molise Teatro Savoia, Italy), Jacques Sincère in the opera “Le Val’Andorre” (Opera d’Andorra, 2022), Alidoro in La Cenerentola (Barcelona, 2018), Sylvio in Pagliacci and Maestro Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi (Hiroshima City Opera, 2019), Schaunard in La Boheme (Hiroshima City Opera, 2017), Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor (Hiroshima, Japan 2017), Papageno in Die Zauberflöte (Opera excerpt Hiroshima, Japan 2017), Don Pasquale, Dottore Malatesta, Giorgio Germont (Opera scenes Hiroshima Japan 2017), Frederic in Lakme (University of the Philippines 2014), Escamillo in Carmen (Kuala Lumpur City Opera, 2013), Marquis D’Obigny in La Traviata (Daejeon Opera-Cultural Center of the Philippines, 2012), Monsieur Guillot in Eugene Onegin (Cultural Center of the Philippines, 2006).
Other major performances include Baritone Soloist in Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem at the Ayala Museum Manila, Philippines (2019), Baritone Soloist in Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem in Ipoh, Malaysia (2019), Guest Artist at the Hiroshima Green Peace New Year Concert (2017), Bass Soloist in G.F.Handel’s Messiah at St.Cecilia Hall, Hiroshima, Japan (2016), Guest Artist in Sanata Dharma University Concert in Jogjakarta, Indonesia (2016), Soloist in The Canticle Singers Malaysia productions from 2014-2018.
He has performed in Spain, France, Germany, Andorra, Guam, United States, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan. As an educator, he has given workshops and lectures in different countries such as a guest lecturer at the 2022 National Conference of Music Schools (Philippines), 2018 Texas Educational Theater Association National Conference (Dallas, Texas,USA), vocal and choral masterclasses at several universities in the Philippines; University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music, Santa Isabel College of Music, Centro Escolar University Music Department, De la Salle University Chorale, Liceo de Cagayan University Conservatory of Music, Theater and Dance, Pamantasan Lungsod ng Maynila.
He is also active in doing charity work in the Philippines, sending proceeds of his concerts and performances to different charitable organizations in Manila, war-torn Marawi City, Mindanao, and assisting students in their college education through his personal scholarship program.
He was a Guest Program Host for several cultural programs in the Philippines including Earth Hour Philippines (Rizal Park, 2014), Concert at the Park Manila (2017), GSIS Museum of Arts Concert Series (2010-2011), Paco Park Presents (2014).
