Mark Anthony Carpio

Mark Anthony Carpio is a choral conductor and a countertenor who is the choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Kilyawan Boys Choir and Pansol Choir. He is also a faculty member at the University of the Philippines College of Music in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

He graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1992 with a Bachelor of Music degree (Major in Piano), cum laude, under two full scholarships. Soon after his graduation, he joined the faculty of the UP College of Music, initially with its Piano Department.

That same year (1992), he was invited to be a part of the Philippine Madrigal Singers (also known as the Madz), where he sang as Second Tenor until 2001.

In 1994, together with Ms. Hazel Parchaso-Copiaco, they formed the Kilyawan Boys Choir (formerly known as the Claret Boys Choir).

In 1996 and 1997, he became part of the batch that won the European Grand Prix in Tolosa, Spain and the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing respectively, under Prof. Andrea Veneracion, also fondly known as Ma'am OA. That same year, he was invited to be a part of the World Youth Choir, which held its rehearsals and performances for their summer session in Japan.

Later in 1998, he was selected by Ma'am OA to be her Assistant Choirmaster for the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

In 1999, under his direction, the Pansol Community Choir won Grand Champion in I Concurso Coral de Ateneo, which served as his springboard for being regarded as one of the most promising conductors at that time.

In 2001, he was selected as the choirmaster of the Madz, replacing Professor Andrea Veneracion. His first baptism of fire as choirmaster happened during the Madz's 2000 European concert tour when Ma'am OA asked him to conduct the choir in one of its concerts as she watched from the audience.

Under a new leadership but with the same mission, Carpio had his first tour with the Madz as choirmaster in the United States, Canada and Thailand in 2002 and 2003.

In the Madz's 2004 European Concert Tour, he led the Madz to its victory at the 2004 Certamenes Internacional Habaneras y Polifonia in Torrevieja, Spain, garnering two First Places for both Habanera and Polyphony categories—this, being his first international choir competition.

At the 2006 Florilege Vocal de Tours in Tours, France, he again led the choir in winning two first places in the Mixed Vocal Ensemble Category and Free Program Category, the Prize of University Francois Rabelais (Renaissance Program) and the Grand Prix de la Ville de Tours (making them eligible for the 2007 European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Arezzo, Italy).

In the same year, he also led the Kilyawan Boys Choir to its first international choral competition at the 2006 Xiamen World Choir Games in China, garnering Bronze and Silver medals for the Mixed Boys Choir and Popular Choral Ensemble categories respectively.

Later in 2007, he led the Madz to win the European Grand Prix (EGP) for Choral Singing in Arezzo, Italy, making them the first choir to win the EGP twice in the competition's history and the only Asian choir to do so.

In July 2008, he led the Kilyawan Boys Choir to its victories at the 2008 World Choir Games at Graz, Austria. The choir emerged as 5th World Choir Games Champions for the Pop Choral Music - Vocal Ensemble category and garnered Silver Medals for the Mixed Boys Choir and Music of the Religions categories.

In November 2008, he closed the Cultural Center of the Philippines' 2008 Filipino Artist Series with a recital at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino as the first countertenor to be featured for the annual event. He featured works from Handel, Bach, Mozart and Filipino composers Pamintuan and Balsamo.

In July 2009, his choir, The Philippine Madrigal Singers, was designated 2009 UNESCO Artist for Peace at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The Philippine Madrigal Singers received this distinction in recognition of their efforts to promote dialogue and understanding among peoples in Southeast Asia, their contribution to extend UNESCO’s message of peace and tolerance, and their dedication to the ideals and aims of the organization.

He is a lecturer at the Conducting Choral Ensemble Department of the UP College of Music. He is also a vocal accompanist and coach, and a countertenor soloist.