Ramon Molina Lijauco, Jr.

 

Ramon, "Bojo," Molina Lijauco, a singer, conductor, and flutist, is director of the award winning Ambassadors Chorale Arts Society at Adventist University of the Philippines, a position he has held since 1998. He also teaches music theory, conducting, composition, and choral arranging at AUP.

Although Lijauco obtained a B.S. in nursing from AUP in 1994, he continued music study at the university and graduated with a B.Mus. in 1997. During his time as a student, he conducted several of the department's choral groups, served as principal flutist of the AUP Wind Symphony, and conducted the school's Flute Chamber Ensemble, a group he co-founded with flutist/soprano Arnie Lou Salazar Baker. He studied composition with nationally noted composer Lucio San Pedro and has composed and arranged chamber and choral works that have been performed at home and abroad.

Lijauco has also collaborated with Italian conductor Ruggero Barbieri in performances by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the San Augustin Museum International Music Festivals, doing major orchestral and choral works such as John Rutter's Gloria, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and Handel's Messiah.

He has sung, conducted, and performed as a flutist in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the U.S., and Canada. A flute student of Esmundo Salazar, Antonio Maigue, and Eric Barcelo, he is currently simultaneously working on an M.A. in music at AUP.

In 2006 Lijuaco took the AUP Ambassadors to the Choir Games in Xiamen, China, a biannual event that started in 2000 in Linz, Austria. In competition with 400 choirs from 47 countries, they won one silver and two gold medals. They were also awarded the title of World Champion in the gospel-spiritual category.

In July 2011 they competed in the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod festival held in Wales, United Kingdom, where they won top awards in three categories including the Choir of the World Title and the Pavarotti Trophy. Following their winning of first place in the Mixed Choir and Chamber Choir categories, the competition for the top honor and trophy was moved to later in the evening on Sabbath, July 9, so that the choir could compete against five other choirs.

The Ambassadors has performed numerous times with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and toured extensively internationally. Their success in winning competitions has earned the choir a listing in Musica Mundi's top 1000 world choirs. Lijauco was honored in August 2011 as Conductor of the Year at the joint AUP alumni associations (EASNAC/AWESNA) Convention held in Washington, D.C.

ds/2011

Sources: "Maestro Ramon, "Bojo," Molina Lijauco, Jr. 2011 Choir of the World Conductor," CNN iReport 14 August 2011cnn.com/docs/DOC 652025; AUP Ambassadors website (www.pucaupambassadors alumni.com/AboutUs.html); Ramon, "Bojo," Molina Lijauco, Jr. website; SDA News Network, 15 July 2011 (http://news.adventist.org/en/archive/articles/2011/07/15).