CSUN University News Clippings

Music alum Katie Boyle is a member of the group FASO

(April 29, 2009)

Getting to Know FASO

Rocio Marron - Violin

Rocio Marron is a native of Southern California and started playing the violin at age 9. She attended the Colburn School for Performing Arts while in high school, and later went on to receive her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California School of Music in 1997.

Rocio has toured and recorded with singers Marc Anthony, Joan Sebastian and the East Los Angeles-based Quetzal. In addition, she has recorded with acts such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pedro Fernandez, R-15, Tigres Del Norte, Lorenzo Antonio, Grammy nominated Caravana Cubana, and the Grammy winning Mariachi Divas. Rocio has also performed with Josh Grobin, Cuban bass legend Cachao, Los Lobos and Los Trio.

Rocio has recorded for several major motion pictures and has appeared on television programs such as The Young and the Restless, Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, The Rosie O’Donnel Show, and The Tonight Show. She performed on stage at the American Music Awards, Radio Music Awards, and the Grammy’s.

She currently performs with several bands in Los Angeles including Ellas Son, and Dakah hip-hop Orchestra. In addition to her many talents as a musician, Rocio arranges and composes original music for various bands she performs with. She also teaches violin and guitar as a faculty member of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music.

Therese Marie De Guzman - De Mesa - Violin II

Therese was born in Cotabato City but was raised in Cuenca,Batangas. She showed her passion in music at her early age when she competed for NAMCYA for Rondalla Category. She finished her Bachelor of Music in Voice under the supervision of Mrs. Gloria Coronel in University of Santo Tomas, the oldest University in Asia. In her college years , she joined the UST Symphony Orchestra and enjoyed performing with them in the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Paco Park Presents and in some parts of the country for outreach concerts and numerous summer camps.

Playing violin has always been her passion. Even outside UST, she joined different church ensembles. From 2000-2005, Therese was part of the group called UST Singer, the official choir of the University who garnered the title of Choir of the World for the competition in Wales, UK. She had the honor of singing before the Pope John Paul II, Luciano Pavorotti, King of Spain, several President of the Philippines and most especially to our kababayans in different countries. She is singing as a soprano and toured all over Europe, United States, Canada, Mexico and parts of Asia for concert, competitions and festivals. Now, she is an active member of the UST Alumni Singers who is based in the US and one of the pioneer members of FASO as well.

Vincent Reyes – Guitar

Vincent Reyes began playing professionally with jazz trumpeter and arranger Billy May at the age of 15. Since then, he has played in several bands and ensembles including productions of Applause and more recently Pippin with East West Players. He studied music composition under Ruth Schonthal and Mark Antonio Consoli at NYU and has acted as Musical Director for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Free to Be You and Me, in addition to writing music and lyrics for the musical Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp. He is currently composing for classical guitar and has provided music for the cartoon Critter Island, films Graffiti of the Mind, Brown Soup Thing, and an upcoming documentary on musician Eliot Smith.

Katie Boyle – Viola

Katie Boyle has been playing stringed instruments since the age of 8. She studied with Manuel Compinsky, and majored in music at CSUN. She traveled to and performed in Europe, accompanying the CSUN Chamber Singers. She has performed in many local symphony orchestras, and is a member of a professional string quartet. Katie has studied with Paul Stein (of the Los Angeles Philharmonic ), and Christine Frank - of the Anacapa String Quartet.

Leonid Belinsky- Oboe

Leonid Belinsky began his musical training at an early age in his native Russia. He graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Lvov and pursued postgraduate studies in Moscow. Leonid won a number of competitions in his country. He has served as Principal Oboist in Odessa, Lvov Opera House and Philharmonic Orchestras. Leonid also had the unique opportunity to participate in the production of the ballet “Spartacus” under composer Aram Khachaturian. He played with violinist Gidon Kramer in J.S. Bach double concerto.

Leonid Belinsky was associate professor at the Vladivostok Insititute of Music & Arts. In 1975, Belinsky arrived in the United States. Leonid played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood-Wilshire Symphony, Westchester-Marina del Ray Symphony, Doctors Symphony, CETA Symphony LA, Valley Symphony Orchestra and is a member of other chamber groups.

He also gives private instructions. Playing oboe is his passion and love.

Jerico Flores- Violin I

Jerico Flores started his music education when he started playing the piano at the age of 13. Then he migrated with his parents to the States in April of 2003. He then enrolled in Virgil Middle School where he continued his training under the mentorship of Denise Quan. While in Virgil, Jerico discovered the beauty of the violin and decided to learn how to play one. After a few months of studying and learning about the violin and flute, Jerico started to focus on what seemed to be his potential talent in playing the violin, as advised by his mentor – Denise Quan. She then trained and entered him into a couple of grant opportunities which included some PTSA grant competitions where he received some awards and grant money.

In 2004, after graduating from junior high, he was accepted in the Music Academy of Alexander Hamilton High School where he majored in music and performances. The music director, Vance Miller, became his mentor and Music Theory/ History teacher in the Academy. Miller recommended Jerico take private lessons with one of his former students, Edgar Sandoval, who was at that time, a student at California State University , Northridge (CSUN). So, Sandoval privately tutored Jerico for a year.

In the summer of 2005, he joined the West LA Youth Orchestra. After the summer ended, he was offered by Mitchell Newman of the LA Philharmonic a scholarship grant to study and take private lessons from him. In the fall of 2006, he experienced intense training being a member of several different groups which included the Hamilton Orchestra, West LA Youth Orchestra and the Pit Orchestra for the musicals. In the same year, he joined the Glendale Youth Orchestra – under the direction of Brad Keimach, who graduated from Julliard and became an outstanding conductor and mentor to Jerico.

In the winter of 2006, Jerico was chosen to participate in a chamber program at CSUN where he was trained to perform chamber music in a quartet. After the program ended, he auditioned for the Academy’s annual concerto night and was chosen to play the Brach Violin Concerto with the orchestra. He is currently studying in the Thorton School of Music of the University of Southern California majoring in Violin Performance.

Rommel Bautista Agatep-Clarinet

Rommel Agatep, began his clarinet studies at the age of 13 with his grandfather Rosendo Bautista. He continued his clarinet studies at the University of California, Fullerton under the acclaimed clarinet soloist, Hakan Rosengren. He has since studied in the clarinet studios of Yehuda Gilad and Donald T. Foster.

One of the most locally active freelancing clarinetists, Mr. Agatep is the principle clarinetist of Filipino American Symphony Orchestra. He has been a frequent soloist with the Cypress Pops Orchestra. Agatep has performed on occasion with many orchestras throughout Southern California including the Young Musician’s Foundation Debut Orchestra.

Rommel attended South Pointe Middle School, (Walnut, Ca), Colburn School of Music and California State University. He has performed with the following orchestras: Cypress Pops Orchestra (clarinetist and soloist). Southern California Symphony Orchestra (Principal Clarinetist) Aineo Christian Orchestra (Principal Clarinetist). He also played with the Global Wind Ensemble, Fullerton Wind Ensemble Clarinet and Clarinet Ensemble. Agatep currently teaches music and clarinet

( www.asianjournal.com )

( Published on April 29, 2009 in MDWK Magazine p. 8 )

Publication: Asian Journal