Palm Beach Atlantic University Inc.

06/30/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/30/2026 06:03

Palm Beach Atlantic University Choir Wins International Competition

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Palm Beach Atlantic University's (PBA) choir recently returned from a 12-day European tour through the Czech Republic and Austria. The 34 students, accompanied by three faculty members, competed in and won the international choral competition. In addition to showcasing their vocal talents, choir members explored the local culture and spread the gospel.

Competing for Christ

The choir competed in the 53rd Festival of Songs Olomouc (Svátky písní Olomouc) from June 4 to 7 in Olomouc, Czech Republic. The festival is one of the largest in the country and the oldest in Europe and aims to bring the choral arts to the public by celebrating some of its most talented practitioners. At the heart of the festival is the Mundi Cantant (which, translated from Latin, means "the world sings") Competition, which is meant to celebrate a choir's technical excellence and creativity. This year, the competition's theme was Nordic composers, recognizing the contributions of artists from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

PBA's choir, led by its director, Sonia Santiago, performed only sacred music, despite the competition also allowing secular pieces. The chosen pieces carried stirring messages meant to praise the Lord and touch the audience. This selection of music made the student representatives of not only the choral arts, but also of Christ.

Breaking Records

PBA's choir was the first American group to be invited to the Mundi Cantant Competition. They entered two categories: Youth Choir and Sacred Choirs. On the first day of competition, the choir achieved the highest score in the competition's history with a total of 29.3/30 points. The final competition was held at Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Olomouc, where PBA competed against six other choirs from three different countries. The PBA students broke their own record for the highest score by achieving 29.7/30 points. The choir was then announced as the "absolute winners" of the entire festival.

"We received many compliments and clearly made an impact on the audience in attendance," said Santiago.

Sharing the Light

After the first day of the competition, the PBA choir was invited as a guest choir for the country's annual celebration of St. Pauline, the patron saint of Olomouc. The celebration begins with a procession through the town to the St. Maurice Cathedral for a combined choral concert. PBA presented the Sorenson "Requiem" as their feature in the concert.

To continue sharing the Good News in the Czech Republic, students also distributed hundreds of Czech-language Bibles at four of their events. This kind of ministry is crucial to spreading the gospel in the Czech Republic because 30% of the population speaks only Czech, and only 9 to 13% consider themselves Christian.

"We brought the Light of Christ to a dark part of the world and shared the joy of salvation everywhere we went," said Santiago.

The PBA choir continued its musical ministry at two of the most famous cathedrals in central Europe: Dom zu Salzburg in Salzburg and Peterskirche in Vienna, Austria.

The PBA choir's performances in the Czech Republic and Austria add to the long list of impressive venues where they have showcased their vocal talents, including Carnegie Hall and the American Choral Directors Association of Florida Conference. The choir looks forward to someday returning to Europe or wherever else God calls them to spread His message through music.

To learn more about PBA's musical opportunities, visit here.

Palm Beach Atlantic University Inc. published this content on June 30, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 30, 2026 at 12:03 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]