Voices of Singapore Youth Choir wins Malaysian International Choral Eisteddfod Grand Prix

The Malaysian International Choral Eisteddfod, held from 19 to 23 August, brought together around 220 choirs, including ensembles from across Asia as well as Russia and Kosovo. It is one of five competitions forming the Asia Choral Grand Prix circuit, alongside festivals in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and South Korea.

The Voices of Singapore Youth Choir, conducted by VOS founder and artistic director Dr Darius Lim, competed with 72 singers in the Mixed Choir category. Joined by members of the VOS Children’s Choir Choral Scholars, the ensemble received a Gold award and was named category winner with a score of 93.2, the highest score of the festival.

The VOS Children’s Choir Choral Scholars had earlier won the Teenage category, receiving Gold with a score of 91.00, the festival’s second-highest score.

Both ensembles progressed to the Grand Prix round on 23 August, alongside nine other choirs. The VOS Youth Choir was subsequently named overall Grand Prix Champion.

The result qualifies the choir to represent the Malaysian International Choral Eisteddfod at the Asia Choral Grand Prix in Manila next year, staged in conjunction with the Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival. It will compete there against the Grand Prix winners from the other competitions on the circuit.

Lim said, ‘It is incredibly surreal, and an immensely proud moment for Singapore as we showcase the excellence of Singapore’s choral music-making on the international stage.’

He added that the achievement reflected the contribution of conductors, music educators and voice teachers across Singapore’s wider choral community.

The result continues a series of recent successes for Voices of Singapore at the Malaysian event. VOS Men received Gold and was named a category winner in 2024, while VOS City Chorus won Gold in 2025. This is the first time a Voices of Singapore ensemble has won the festival’s overall Grand Prix.