San Miguel Master Chorale

The San Miguel Master Chorale (SMMC), now non-existent, was the first professional choir in the Philippines. It was composed of an all-Filipino roster ranging from faculty members and honor graduates of reputable music conservatories, alumni of various internationally awarded choirs, noted choral conductors, composers, arrangers, and outstanding soloists in the Philippine music scene. In bringing together the best choristers in the country, the SMMC aspires to set a new tradition of excellence in the choral arts in the Philippines and beyond.

The SMMC, together with the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, was disbanded in January 2007 by the San Miguel Corporation.

The SMMC was established in 2001 by The San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts, an organization owned by the San Miguel Corporation and committed to the enrichment of arts and culture in the Philippines. Since the SMMC is backed by the largest food and beverage company in the Philippines, many singers from other music groups were lured into joining the SMMC. In 2000, close to 400 people underwent a rigorous series of auditions before an international panel of experts, but only the top 40 made it to the final roster.

In 2002, the SMMC participated in the 4th Taipei International Choral Festival in Taipei, Taiwan, and the Jeonju Sound Festival in Jeonju, South Korea.

In 2004, the SMMC performed an all-Filipino repertoire in "Kayumanggi" and "Klasik Kayumanggi" at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

In 2005 the SMMC was asked to perform at Kyoto, Japan in the prestigious 7th World Symposium on Choral Music. Brian Newhouse, an American music critic who watched the performances in Kyoto, has this to say about the SMMC:

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