Banda Kawayan Pilipinas Brings Home Gold and Bridges Cultures in Vienna

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Vienna, 4 July 2025 — Fresh from winning gold and the Grand Prix at the 2025 Bratislava International Festival, Banda Kawayan Pilipinas (BKP) continued to captivate audiences during their visit to Vienna from 4–6 June 2025, with performances organized by the Philippine Embassy, United Nations Women’s Guild (UNWG), ENFiD-Austria, and Tres.

At the United Nations Vienna on 4 June, BKP performed for an international audience in a special program titled “A Celebration of Filipino Music, Culture, and Global Friendship.”
The event opened with welcoming remarks by Maya Subki, UNWG Welcoming Coffee Chairperson, speaking on behalf of UNWG President Nora Aubert, and by Mr. Zoilo Velasco, Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General of the Philippine Embassy, who warmly acknowledged BKP’s role in promoting Filipino culture on the world stage.

The group’s vibrant performances, instrument demonstrations, and workshops charmed guests—who even danced the Tinikling—and concluded with a fellowship reception offering Filipino and Austrian light snacks. Attendees included members of the UNWG, VIC Music Club, VIC Art Club, VIC Club Filipino (VIC CF), and Philippine Austrian Cultural and Educational Society (PACES), among others, as well as media representatives from as United Nations Correspondents Association Vienna (UNCAV https://uncav-vienna.org/ ), MENA Editors’ Network (https://menaeditorsnetwork.org/), and the Afro-Asia Media Correspondents Association (https://afro-asia-media.org/ ).

BKP also performed at Keplerplatz Church and Floridsdorf Parish on 6 July, thanks to the support of Fr. Ron Sandoval and the Philippinische Gottesdienst Gemeinde (PGG). Their music united the Filipino community and local audiences, further underscoring the universal language of music.

The performance on 4 July ended with the awarding of an ENFiD-Austria laudation and on 6 July with a WFWP Certificate of Appreciation for “using music for peace.”

Photos: Hedi Bousnina, Mandy Salonga, Helmut Rybar, Harold Khan, Gizelle Khan, Lolit Kaszuba

About the Author

Maria Zelda “Marizel” Rojas is a Board Member of the United Nations Correspondents Association Vienna (UNCAV), Chairperson of the European Network of Filipino Diaspora-Austria (ENFiD-Austria), and a current ENFiD Adviser. She is also the 1^st Vice President of the United Nations Women’s Guild (UNWG), a member of the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), Treasurer of the VIC Music Club, and Activities Coordinator of the VIC Art Club. In addition, she is a founding member and former president of the Philippine Austrian Cultural and Educational Society (PACES), adviser and former president of the Vienna International Centre Club Filipino (VIC CF), liaison for the Philippines and councilor of the European Police Association (EPA), and a member awardee of the Filipina Women’s Network (FWN).