UMS's Voca Al Kindi Wins Two Gold Medals at International Event in Malaysia

The Student Choir (PSM) Voca Al Kindi of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) achieved international recognition after winning two Gold Medals at the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod (MCE) International Choral Festival.

At the competition, held in Malaysia, Voca Al Kindi took part in two categories held on 20 and 21 August 2026. On 20 August, Voca Al Kindi performed in the Mixed Youth Category, while on 21 August, they competed in the Folk and Indigenous Music Category.

Supervising lecturer of UMS's Voca Al Kindi Student Choir, Nurhidayat, S.Pd., M.Pd., praised the achievement. He hopes this international-level success can motivate members to train even harder and further develop their abilities.

"You all need to work even harder, because Al Kindi has come this far, having carried the Al Kindi name onto the international stage, all the way to Malaysia," he said on Thursday (27/8/2026).

Chairman of UMS's Voca Al Kindi Student Choir, Gilang Ramadhan, said participation in the competition marked a historic moment for Voca Al Kindi. This was because the event was the first time Voca Al Kindi had performed in an international competition held abroad, after previously taking part in various international competitions held within Indonesia.

"This year has been a historic one for us, because it's the first time PSM Voca Al Kindi has advanced to an international stage overseas," Gilang said.

At the competition, Voca Al Kindi won gold medals in two categories. In the Mixed Youth Category on 20 August, Voca Al Kindi performed "Sahut Namaku" and "Double, Double Toil and Trouble."

Meanwhile, in the Folk and Indigenous Music Category on 21 August, Voca Al Kindi performed "Mana Lolo Banda" and "Yamko Rambe Yamko."

The Voca Al Kindi contingent consisted of 42 people: 40 singers, divided into 14 sopranos, 9 altos, 7 tenors, and 10 basses. In addition, the contingent was also accompanied by one trainer/conductor and one supervisor.

The MCE was attended by 200 choir teams from various countries across Asia and Europe. Voca Al Kindi also received praise and recommendations from the judges during a "meet the jury" session. This gave the team motivation and confidence to maintain and improve their achievements on the international stage.

Gilang explained that preparation for the competition had been planned well in advance. Discussions about participation, registration, and team formation began at the start of the organization's new leadership term.

The preparation process then continued with roughly six months of intensive practice. Members underwent regular rehearsals every Monday through Friday, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM Western Indonesia Time (WIB). Additional rehearsals were also held on Saturdays, and several times on Sunday mornings through afternoons.

Beyond the challenge of rehearsing, funding was another obstacle Voca Al Kindi faced. Participating in an international competition required a fairly large budget, so the team made various efforts to meet that need, from seeking sponsors and fundraising to running various income-generating activities.

"We did a lot, like finding sponsors, fundraising, running small businesses (danusan), and other approaches too," Gilang explained.

During the competition in Malaysia, the presence of the team's supervisor also played an important role in accompanying the contingent, especially since Voca Al Kindi traveled without a dedicated official support team.

According to Gilang, the supervisor's guidance was a great help throughout the entire competition in Malaysia. The supervisor's presence helped the team handle various needs during the international competition.

Gilang hopes these two gold medals will not mark the end of Voca Al Kindi's journey. On the contrary, he hopes the achievement will become a springboard for opening up new opportunities and challenges for UMS's Voca Al Kindi Student Choir on the international stage.

"Al Kindi's dream has come true, but it's not enough to stop here. We hope these two gold medals from this international competition abroad can continue to motivate Al Kindi to keep pushing further," he said.

The MCE International Choral Festival was a valuable experience for Voca Al Kindi to compete against choir groups from various countries. The competition was attended by a number of countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Russia, Kosovo, and Hong Kong.

"This year marks a milestone for Al Kindi, opening a new chapter toward a bigger, grander, and more challenging process, having met such outstanding choirs from other countries," Gilang concluded.

Writer: Dwi Kurniadi

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid