The Embassy of the United States of America in the Philippines, together with the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc. and SM City Cebu treated Cebuanos to a night of music last July 6 at the SM Theater 2 to celebrate US Independence Day.
The show, dubbed Songs from the Heart, featured the Trio Amical, composed of mezzo-soprano Victoria Robertson, clarinetist Marian Liebowitz and pianist Lois Kim.
“Trio Amical means friendly trio, but it sounds better in Latin. We want to extend friendship to the Philippines and it really is who we are. We are very friendly toward each other and to other people. We thought it would be a good name for us,” shared. Dr. Marian Liebowitz, the group’s clarinetist.
Dr. Liebowitz became one of California’s leading wind soloists after she won the U.S. State Department /Kennedy Center Artistic Ambassador Competition in 1997. She is also a teacher and, in fact, met mezzo-soprano Victoria Robertson and pianist Lois Kim at the San Diego State University in 2007 when the two, who were candidates for an Artist Diploma, enrolled in Dr. Liebowitz’ Professional Orientation for Performers.
Dr. Liebowitz has been playing the clarinet for 43 years already. She learned to play the clarinet in school at the age of nine since everyone was required to learn an instrument, and when she arrived, the clarinet was the only instrument left. Her first professional job was as an extra clarinetist for the Rochester Philharmonic.
Victoria Robertson, a mezzo soprano of the San Diego Opera, meanwhile, shared that she started singing in church when she was young and got involved in musical theater when she was 15 years old. She started studying opera at the age of 18 and has since then developed her voice for opera. Victoria is also a former Miss San Diego and a frequent performer on United Service Organization or USO tours. The USO is a private organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the US military worldwide.
Pianist Lois Kim started learning to play the piano in Korea when she was about five years old. She received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan and a Masters and Bachelors degree from the Peabody Conservatory. At San Diego State University, Lois holds the Joseph Fisch and Joyce Axelrod Piano Residency and is an instructor of classical piano. She is set to compete in the Russian Music festival this month.
During their show at the SM Theater 2, the trio performed Broadway pieces such as I could have danced all night from My Fair Lady and Wedding Dance No. 1 from Fiddler on the Roof, as well as classical pieces from Mozart and Chopin, and a medley of songs from The Sound of Music.
“We decide together on what music to play. We were asked to do a little Broadway because people love that, and we also chose some classical pieces. We chose songs from The Sound of Music because people are familiar with the songs,” shared Dr. Liebowitz, adding that with their song choices, they hoped to make people interested in music that they normally don’t listen to.
Victoria also shared that for their Philippine tour, they commissioned an arranger to put together pieces that the three of them can play since there are limited pieces available for piano, clarinet and vocals.
Although the three artists stayed in Cebu for only three days, they saw the tour as an opportunity to share their music and each of them hope their music will bring them back to Asia and the Philippines.