TWO graduates from the University of the Philippines bagged major awards in the  2nd International Competition of Composers-New Music Generation 2020.

The university’s College of Music said that Joshua Ansale’s song “Ang Ouroboros” won first prize while Jose Antonio Buencamino’s “PinaginipangHibla” bagged the second prize in the Symphonic Composition category for composers aged 15 to 25.

The competition was held online in Nur-Sultan City, Republic of Kazakhstan and was organized by the Kazakh National University of Arts in cooperation with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Sport.

It aims to popularize contemporary music and support the creativity of young composers.

Ansale, who played the Ang Ouroboros during his graduation recital, wrote in his YouTube Channel that it is a one movement symphonic poem for orchestra.

Buencamino, who graduated summa cum laude in July, said that his composition “PinaginipangHibla” is an orchestral piece in three movements following the imagery of the creative process of weaving.

“The piece was inspired by the T’Nalak of the T’boli people from South Cotabato who find their patterns from nature and are gifted patterns in their dreams. This is my weave of the lines and colors that have come to me in my days, my in-betweens, and my dreams,” he explained.

Ansale and Buencamino will receive an honorary diploma and cash prizes of 200,000 Kazakhstani Tenge or P22,903.87 and KZT160,000 or P18,324.12, respectively.