IPB University Student Choir (PSM) Agria Swara Achieves Glorious Achievement in The 34th Praga Cantat International Choir Competition and Festival
IPB University Student Choir (PSM) Agria Swara, under the management of Arvin Zeinullah returned to make Indonesia proud by winning the Grand Prix title as the General Champion of the Competition in The 34th Praga Cantat International Choir Competition and Festival at the National House Na Vinohradech, Prague, Czech Republic, on 11/11.
As the overall champion, Agria Swara Choir won a number of prestigious awards in various categories. Starting from being awarded as Winner of Mixed Choir Category, winning Gold Medal in Mixed Choir and Folklore Category, to getting Special Prizes for their outstanding performance in performing the composition “Malin” by Bagus Satrio Utomo. A special award was also given to Vinisa Auliriyani Bellaputri for best solo in the same composition.
In a press conference, Arvin Zeinullah stated, “This achievement is the result of hard work across generations and the diversity of our team. We are not just a team, but a strong family,” he said.
The Czech Ambassador, Jaroslav Doleček, also congratulated and appreciated Agria Swara’s efforts. He expressed his pride in the representation of Indonesian culture. “This achievement can enrich the relationship between Indonesia and the Czech Republic through arts and culture,” he said.
The 9th IMAC delegation leader, Sekarini Aksobya, said that the team formation and training process started in April. Then the delegation team intensively practiced two to three times a week, every day before the competition.
“A lot of people cried because we didn’t expect to win the Grand Prix. We only thought we could win the category, but God gave us more. There were so many challenges that we had to face to be able to go and compete. But God rewarded our prayers and efforts through our achievements,” she said. He hopes that Agria Swara Choir will continue to be strong in all situations and continue to achieve brilliant achievements in the future.
The 9th IMAC PSM IPB Agria Swara team will continue its achievements by holding cultural concerts at BORG Guntramsdorf, Austria, and at the Weltmuseum, Vienna, Austria on November 14th, 2023 by presenting a variety of Indonesian folk songs wearing traditional clothing from various tribes.
In this competition in the Czech Republic, Agria Swara Choir proved that the richness of Indonesian culture can be a world attraction through stunning vocal art and extraordinary achievements on the international stage.
This competition was attended by seven countries, including Indonesia. Agria Swara Choir in this competition involved 40 singers, acousticians, documentation team, and officials who were members of “The 9th IMAC (International Mission in Art and Culture)” team. Agria Swara Choir participated in two categories, namely mixed choir and folklore, and managed to amaze the judges with songs in various languages, including German, Latin, Czech, and Indonesian. (IAAS/MKY)
