deVokalis UPSI Brings Pride to Malaysia, Wins Choral Competition in South Korea
Malaysia’s deVokalis UPSI choir emerged as champions in the Pop and A Cappella category at the Busan Choral Festival & Competition 2026 in South Korea. The 22-member team also received Gold Diploma Awards in two categories and a cash prize of approximately RM17,000. Their achievement followed eight months of intensive training and preparation.
deVokalis UPSI Brings Pride to Malaysia, Wins Choral Competition in South Korea
By Bazli Razak
TANJONG MALIM – The deVokalis choir group from Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) has brought honour to the university and Malaysia after emerging as champions in the Pop and A Cappella categories at the Busan Choral Festival & Competition 2026, held at the Busan Cinema Centre in South Korea recently. UPSI Vice-Chancellor Prof. Datuk Dr. Md Amin Md Taff said the achievement also saw the group receive Gold Diploma Awards in the Pop and A Cappella categories, as well as the Ethnic & Traditional category, demonstrating the ability of local university vocal talents to compete at the international level.
According to Md Amin, the competition, organised by the Korea Choral Institute, was held over four days and brought together choir groups from five countries: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Burundi. “The UPSI deVokalis team, comprising 22 members, including 19 students and three accompanying staff members, also competed against three other groups in the final round for the championship title“Winning the Pop & A Cappella category earned the team a trophy, a certificate of achievement and a cash prize of five million South Korean won (approximately RM17,000),” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, Md Amin Md Taff said the achievement reflected the university’s commitment to developing students’ potential holistically, particularly through participation in the arts, culture and co-curricular activities, which help build self-confidence and soft skills.
“This international recognition demonstrates that UPSI students possess the talent, discipline and ability to compete with participants from other countries. “This achievement is also a source of pride for the university and the nation, while highlighting the importance of continued support for the development of artistic talent among university students,” he said. Preparations for the competition took approximately eight months, from March to October 2026, involving intensive training under the guidance of Lilis Syafiza Mohd Yatim, who served as conductor and head coach, while Muhamad Zulfeka Nasrun was responsible for managing the training sessions.
Md Amin said the team also received guidance from UPSI Faculty of Music and Performing Arts (FMSP) Distinguished Adjunct Professor Datuk Syafinaz Selamat through two intensive training sessions before departing for South Korea. He added that, as part of the team’s financial planning, a portion of the prize money would be distributed to students as a token of appreciation for their hard work and commitment, while the larger share would be allocated to the team’s development fun “The funds will be used to finance skills development programmes, including training workshops, as well as cover preparation and participation costs for future competitions and performances,” he said.
KEY FACTS
What Happened: deVokalis UPSI won the Pop and A Cappella category at the Busan Choral Festival & Competition 2026 and received Gold Diploma Awards in two categories.
Who Is Involved: The 22-member deVokalis UPSI team, comprising 19 students and three accompanying staff members, under the guidance of Lilis Syafiza Mohd Yatim, Muhamad Zulfeka Nasrun and Datuk Syafinaz Selamat.
Where: Busan Cinema Centre, Busan, South Korea.
When: October 2026. The university’s official announcement was dated 27 October 2026.
Current Status: deVokalis UPSI has been confirmed as the category champion and awarded five million South Korean won, approximately RM17,000.
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SOURCES
Primary report: Bazli Razak, UPSI Corporate Communications Division.
Event: Busan Choral Festival & Competition 2026.
Location: Busan Cinema Centre, Busan, South Korea.
Source material: Official UPSI article titled deVokalis UPSI Brings Pride to Malaysia, Wins Choral Competition in South Korea, written by Bazli Razak, featuring statements from UPSI Vice-Chancellor Prof. Datuk Dr. Md Amin Md Taff.
Status: deVokalis UPSI won the Pop and A Cappella category, received Gold Diploma Awards in the Pop and A Cappella and Ethnic & Traditional categories, and secured a cash prize of five million South Korean won.
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