LALÒ (/'la.lo/ or LAH-loh) is a new Filipino-American choral ensemble that honors the past, champions the present, and envisions the future in its music-making.

Since 2021, Filipino choral artists from across the U.S. have gathered in the Bay Area every December to perform an Advent concert at St. Robert Catholic Church in San Bruno, CA. Initiated by St. Robert’s music director and Filipino chorister-composer GP Eleria, these annual performances have allowed Filipino singers to reconnect with long-time friends in the choral community and, more significantly, with their shared roots in Philippine choral music. Inspired by the camaraderie and artistry fostered in these gatherings, several participants envisioned establishing a choral ensemble that would regularly bring together U.S.-based musicians of Filipino heritage, leading to the conception of "LALÒ" in late 2023.

Derived from the Tagalog word meaning “more,” “further,” or “greater,” LALÒ aims to help build a society where diverse cultures and traditions can thrive through singing their stories. As an ensemble of singers with Filipino roots, LALÒ champions the works of composers of Filipino heritage, presenting them at the highest level of artistry alongside works from global traditions. Committed to celebrating composers and traditions historically underrepresented in the choral world, LALÒ draws from a wide range of repertoire across music history and advocates for the commissioning of new works by living composers. The ensemble immortalizes these works through professional recordings, distributed widely through online and commercial channels.

Exploring the breadth and possibilities of vocal music is also central to LALÒ’s mission, realized through performances in various musical genres, including choral, chamber, and solo works, both a cappella and accompanied. LALÒ values artistic collaboration, bringing together diverse fields within and beyond music to create projects that celebrate the richness of human experience.

To achieve the highest standards of musical excellence, LALÒ unites seasoned musicians from across the U.S. and abroad. Its current membership comprises primarily choral artists of Filipino heritage, including singers, composers, and conductors, many of whom are alumni of world-renowned choirs from the Philippines, such as the Philippine Madrigal Singers, University of the Philippines Concert Chorus, Ateneo College Glee Club, Ateneo Chamber Singers, ALERON, University of Santo Tomas Singers, De La Salle University Chorale, Himig Singers, and other acclaimed Philippine choral institutions. Also invited to participate are choral friends and affiliates who share in LALÒ’s vision.

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Under the artistic direction of Dr. Raoul Carlo (Miggi) F. Angangco, LALÒ held its inaugural performances in December 2024, with concerts at Bindlestiff Studio in San Francisco and St. Robert Catholic Church in San Bruno, CA. A special immersive audio recording session, led by LALÒ member Jett Galindo––a Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning Filipino mastering engineer––marked the ensemble’s debut in professional recording.

The December program featured a diverse selection of Filipino compositions and arrangements by Raoul Carlo Angangco, Saunder Choi, GP Eleria, Augusto Espino, Robin Estrada, George Hernandez, Karl San Jose, Paulo K. Tiról, and Philippine National Artists for Music Ryan Cayabyab and Lucio San Pedro. These works were presented alongside pieces by Ēriks Ešenvalds, George Frideric Handel, John Rutter, and Caroline Shaw.