Catherine Loria, 3rd Filipino Grand Champion Performer of the World

• denise
• Jul 27,2008 | 667 Readers
• In: Competition, Featured Pinoys, PGT News, Singers

Thrice As Lucky

After Jed Madela in 2005 and Aria Clemente in 2007, another Filipino rose to greater in the recently concluded 2008 WCOPA. Catherine Loria, in her beautiful rendition of “I Believe I Can Fly” amazed the judges and audience alike to make her the third Grand Champion Performer of the World from the Philippines.

Vocalists from the Philippines and Jamaica were awarded top honors in the 2008 World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) or the Hollywood Olympics’ grand finals night held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel on Friday, July 25. Junior contestant Catherine Loria from the Philippines and senior contestant Andrew Clarke from Jamaica were proclaimed Grand Champion Performers of the World.

13-year old Catherine, who hails from Tiaong, Quezon province, has duplicated fellow Filipina singer Aria Clemente’s feat last year. Catherine sang Yolanda Adam’s version of “I Believe I Can Fly” at the finals. She bested fellow junior contestants Tippy dos Santos and Rachel Razon, junior vocalists also from the Philippines, Courtney Mary Janssen from New Zealand, and Oleksandr Chernenko from Ukraine.

The female Grand Champion Performer had five vocal entries in the preliminary round; namely Broadway, Country & Western, Gospel, Pop, and R&B/Soul/Jazz. Catherine sang the solo version of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston’s “When You Believe” in the semi-final round.

Both Jed and Aria performed in the opening and closing ceremonies of 2008 WCOPA.