Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

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 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 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 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.