Programs and Events

American Musicians Trio Chicago and Friends Thrill Lao Audiences

Ambassador Haslach thanks the group at the end of the performance at her residence

Deputy Chief Of Mission Mary Grace McGeehan (fourth from left) and Vice Minister for Information and Culture Boua Ngeun Saophouvong (fifth from left) with Trio Chicago and Lao musicians following the concert at the National Cultural Hall.

Elliott Golub gives advice to Lao music students during the master class

The quintet Trio Chicago and Friends held two concerts in Vientiane as part of a State Department-sponsored tour as Artistic Ambassadors. On January 5, the group entertained about 80 guests at the residence of U.S. Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach with a performance that featured jazz pieces and traditional American music. The next night, hundreds of members of the general public attended a concert at the National Cultural Hall. The group also conducted a master class for about twenty Lao music students from public and private schools. This was the group’s second visit to Laos, following a tour in 2002.

At the end of their concert at the National Cultural Hall, Trio Chicago and Friends surprised audiences by inviting noted Lao musician and teacher Ajaan Kamsuan and his students to join the performers for two songs. The combination of western and traditional Lao instruments produced a unique and memorable sound, showing that, in music, there are no borders between nations. Following the concert, Vice Minister of Information and Culture Boua Ngeun Saophouvong congratulated the group on their performance.

Trio Chicago is headed by violinist Elliott Golub and also includes violinist/violist Marlou Johnston, pianist Kay Kim, flutist Laura Hamm, and soprano Alyssa Bennett.
|Jan. 5-6, 2007|