LALÒ (/'la.lo/ or LAH-loh) is a 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. gathered in the Bay Area every December to perform an Advent concert at St. Robert Catholic Church in San Bruno, CA. Annual “Magnificat” concerts––initiated by St. Robert’s music director and Filipino composer-conductor GP Eleria––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 through online and commercial channels.

To achieve the highest standards of musical excellence, LALÒ unites seasoned musicians from around the U.S. Its current membership mostly comprises singers, composers, and conductors of Filipino heritage––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, University of the East Chorale, San Miguel Master Chorale, 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 leadership of its Artistic Director and Conductor, Dr. Raoul Carlo “Miggi” F. Angangco, LALÒ held its inaugural performances entitled “Panunuluyan” 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. In the summer of 2025, LALÒ embarked on its first California tour, “From Sea to Shining Sea,” performing in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The ensemble has so far garnered acclaim from audiences and government institutions alike, with the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco lauding the choir’s “powerful and moving program that showcased both the richness of Filipino musical heritage and the ensemble’s commitment to diversity, storytelling, and cultural exchange through music.” (See: “Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco Support Filipino Musical Excellence at LALÒ Ensemble’s “From Sea to Shining Sea” Concert”)

With creative director Paolo Villanueva, LALÒ also brings spatial choral experiences to the Apple Vision Pro with the new LALÒ IMMERSIVE app––a pioneering innovation within the choral industry.

LALÒ commits to featuring the works of Filipino composers and arrangers alongside those from choral traditions worldwide. Filipino composers programmed thus far include Nilo Alcala, Raoul Carlo F. Angangco, Saunder Choi, GP Eleria, Augusto Espino, Robin Estrada, George Hernandez, Eudenice Palaruan, Karl San Jose, Paulo K Tiról, Darren Vega, and Philippine National Artists for Music Ryan Cayabyab and Lucio San Pedro.

––August 2025