Events

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A special one-night performance by the Philippine Madrigal Singers

Presented as part of the Philippines Guest of Honour program at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025, Songs of a Culture features the internationally acclaimed The Philippine Madrigal Singers in a powerful choral performance. Their repertoire spans sacred hymns, folk traditions, kundiman classics, and contemporary Filipino works—offering a musical reflection of the country’s rich cultural heritage and enduring artistic legacy on the global stage.

About the performers

The Philippine Madrigal Singers have been recognised by UNESCO as Artists for Peace for ‘contributing to the promotion of cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace’. They have won prizes at many prestigious choral competitions around the world, including the Grand Prix at the Concurso Internazionale di Guido d’ Arezzo 2016 in Arezzo, Italy, and even the prestigious European Grand Prix for Choral Singing twice (1997 and 2007).

The group’s virtuosity, continuous promotion of Philippine choral works, and stirring and deeply emotional impact on audiences worldwide have established its reputation as a groundbreaking force in choral music and an inspiring role model for other choirs.

Founded in 1963, the Philippine Madrigal Singers continue to demonstrate that choral music can be socially relevant and transformational. In 2024, the choir was named the ‘National Performing Arts Company for Choral Music’ by the Philippines.

The Philippines will unveil the full scope of its Guest of Honour (PHL GOH) program for the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025 during a press conference in Frankfurt, Germany. The announcement will include an overview of the literary events featuring noted authors and creatives, as well as a cultural program presenting 50 artists through exhibitions, performances, and films. The design concept for the Philippine Pavilion will also be revealed.

 Inspired by a line from Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, the country’s theme—The imagination peoples the air—captures the deep interplay of Philippine literature, culture, and history, inviting the world to engage with its stories. 

Press contact: ARTEFAKT Kulturkonzepte: Alexander Flöth, Elisabeth Friedrich, Damaris Schmitz, Celia Solf | philippines@artefakt-berlin.de

Speakers:

Juergen Boos
CEO and President, Frankfurter Buchmesse

Hon. Loren Legarda
Senator, Republic of the Philippines and Project Advocate
*video message

Karina Bolasco
Head, Literary Program and Curator of Books

Patrick Flores
Curator, Philippine Pavilion

Stanley Ruiz
Designer, Philippine Pavilion

Candy Gourlay
Author of Wild Song (Rotfuchs, 2025)

Blaise Campo Gacoscos
Author of Der Junge aus Ilocos (Albino, 2025)

Annette Hug
Author and Translator

Resource Persons:

Stephanie Coo, Daryll Delgado, Ren Galeno, Paolo Herras, J. Philip Ignacio, Jessica Zafra, Kristian Cordero, Monica Frôhlich, Annette Hug

The Philippines is making a bold literary statement in Germany with its first-ever participation in the Leipziger Buchmesse (LBM), bringing seven acclaimed Filipino authors, three translators, one hundred fifty titles, and translated new German editions of Philippine books to one of Europe’s biggest literary events. The vibrant comic and manga scene is represented by Renren Galeno, J. Philip Ignacio, and Paolo Herras. Award-winning authors Daryll Delgado, Jessica Zafra, and Stephanie Coo, along with translators Kristian Cordero, Annette Hug and Monica Fröhlich, will provide insights into the country’s diverse literary landscape, addressing contemporary themes such as climate change, colonialism, globalization, and social inequality.

The Philippines Guest of Honour at FBM25 will host a reception and launch its literary program on 27 March 2025 at 17:30 at the Philippine Stand (Hall 4, C402) at Leipziger Buchmesse.

For media confirmation: philippines@artefakt-berlin.de

Resource Persons:

Daryll Delgado, J. Philip Ignacio
Authors

Juergen Boos
CEO and President FBM

Hon. Loren Legarda
Senator, Republic of the Philippines

Hon. Irene Susan B. Natividad
Ambassador of the Philippines to Germany

Karina Bolasco
Head of Literary Program
and Curator of Books

At its first press conference as Guest of Honour for the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, the Philippines will unveil an exciting lineup of German-translated works, debut at the Leipzig Book Fair, and showcase cultural and literary programs featuring acclaimed authors and creators like climate fiction author Darryl Delgado (Remains) and graphic novelist/historical fiction author Jay Ignacio (Alandal).

The Booksellers Event is a special event meant to present Philippine books that now have or will have German editions. It’s also a venue to get to know Philippine authors, publishers and other stakeholders that are part of the Philippine publishing and literary landscape.

The Booksellers Event is a special event aimed at presenting Philippine books that have been or will soon be published in German editions. This gathering offers an opportunity to engage with Philippine authors, publishers, and key stakeholders shaping the country’s publishing and literary landscape.

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Stephanie Misa
Joscha Steffens
Artists

Patrick Flores
Curator

The Philippines Unveils ‘Oculus’ as its Inaugural Cultural Program as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025

Heightening anticipation for its Guest of Honour role at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025, the Philippines presents Oculus, an exhibition that brings together moving image, research and installation to reflect on what it means to “see things.”

Artists Stephanie Misa and Joscha Steffens work out how seeing, shaped by both ecology and imagination, can give rise to visions. Oculus immerses audiences in a space where scientific knowledge and aesthetic education intersect, and where the line between real and spectral blurs.

One of the entry points of the exhibition is Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal’s ophthalmological studies in Heidelberg and his novel, Noli Me Tangere, parts of which he wrote when he was in the same city.