Aloha Concert Luncheon (2016)

Hawaii Youth Symphony

Aloha Concert 2016

Youth Symphony I Maestro Henry Miyamura Youth Symphony II Conductors Derrick Yamane & Elton Masaki

May 1, 2016 Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Ballroom 2016 Spring Concert Series

www.HiYouthSymphony.org

Special Guest Marlene Sai

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Acknowledgements We are grateful to our community partners whose generous support and special talents are invaluable to the Hawaii Youth Symphony.

Marlene Sai Master of Ceremonies Ben Gutierrez Hilton Hawaiian Village Susan Smith Invocation Angeline Zhou Audio Engineer Fred B. Li Recording Engineer C&A Recordings HYS Volunteer Stage Crew Les Murata Gary Hirokane Gavin Hirokane Jerry Kushiyama Lloyd Nakamaejo Delbert Nakaoka Tom Shigeta David Yee

Graphic Design Mark Nakamura YSI Concert Parents Lance Uchida Jan Watanabe YSII Concert Parents Stacey Hatakenaka Kristie Matsumoto

UH Music Department Dr. Laurence Paxton, Chair Byron Moon, Facility Coordinator University Laboratory School Keoni Jeremiah, Principal Ira Wong Donald Young

Mahalo to the music educators and private music teachers whose expertise, encouragement and support mean so much to our talented musicians. We are also grateful to the families and friends who volunteer their time and energy to strengthen our program and make it a success.

2015-16 Board of Directors & Staff BOARD OF DIRECTORS Richard K. Ing, President Vice Presidents Roy E. King, Jr. Malcolm Lau Tina Lau Leslie Murata Michael Onofrietti Patti Look, Secretary Jean Tsukamoto, Treasurer Alan Arizumi Nathan Hokama Gladys Hirano Martin Hsia Daniel Momohara Alan Okami Joseph Rothstein, Ph.D. Marjorie Tanoue Chris Yuen

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MUSIC STAFF Symphony Program Henry Miyamura, Music Director & Conductor, Youth Symphony I Derrick Yamane, Conductor, Youth Symphony II Elton Masaki, Assistant Conductor, Youth Symphony II Susan Ochi-Onishi, Conductor, Concert Orchestra Hannah Watanabe, Associate Conductor, Concert Orchestra Academy Program Joan Doike, Conductor, Beginning String Ensemble & String Orchestra Ensemble Chad Uyehara, Conductor, Intermediate String Ensemble & Concert String Orchestra Charlotte Fukumoto, Coordinator, Academy Program Helen Fong, String Sectional Coach

Music in the Clubhouse Joy Waikoloa, Instructor, Music4Kids Wayne Fanning, Conductor, Clubhouse Band ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Randy Wong, Executive Director Carol Tsang, Finance Manager Ann Doike, Programs Manager Janet Morita, Programs Associate Ruth Komatsu, Education Consultant

Hawaii Youth Symphony 1110 University Ave., Suite 200 Honolulu, HI 96826-1598 Tel. (808) 941-9706 Fax. (808) 941-4995 www.HiYouthSymphony.org

Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Message from the Maestro Dear HYS Students, Families, and Supporters:

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t is an honor to present you with this year’s Aloha Concert Luncheon.

We have had quite a year—a remarkable one, in many respects—due to our collaboration with trombonist Toby Oft, and the recent, wonderful residency with the violinist Midori.

But the reason we are here today, and the reason why our organization strives for so many special opportunities, is that we must celebrate the momentum of our young people, and the Senior Class of 2016. Our students are in the most wonderful position, because they have their whole lives to benefit from music, emotionally and academically. Their music speaks for itself, and I cannot wait for you to hear it.

None of this would be possible without the kind of dedication and support that we have. Which is why it’s humbling for HYS to acknowledge our three special honorees: Mrs. Marjorie Tanoue, Dr. Neil McKay, and Mr. Derrick Yamane. Each of these people has supported HYS through their expertise. They don’t get any direct benefit from their contributions – their only benefit is to see the students’ joy and development. I applaud their dedication. Their reward is the health and welfare of the organization, and the growth the students achieve.

We are fortunate to have many dedicated supporters of the youth symphony. We are lucky to have them as friends. And we are grateful that today’s students will go forth into the world and carry with them their Hawaii Youth Symphony experience.

Thank you for your support of HYS and your commitment to the strength of our organization.

Sincerely, Henry Miyamura

Music Director & Conductor, Youth Symphony I

About Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony (HYS) has connected Hawaii’s young people with music education since its incorporation in 1964. We are the only statewide youth music education program, directly serving an average of 650 students, ages 7–18, from over 100 schools statewide.

Our mission is to advance critical and positive links between music study, academic achievement, and social emotional development with programs that service youth through orchestral music education, performance opportunities, and community engagement.

HYS is able to strategically serve any interested student, regardless of previous musical background or ability. We distribute over $30,000 annually in scholarships and financial aid, as well as travel assistance for neighbor island students.

Additionally, HYS reaches neighbor island communities with annual outreach tours that target a different island each season. In total, 20,000+ people attend our 20+ concerts each season!

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Aloha Concert Program Welcome Ben Gutierrez Master of Ceremonies

Invocation Angeline Zhou Punahou School senior

LUNCH SERVICE

Youth Symphony II Derrick Yamane, Conductor Elton Masaki, Assistant Conductor

Dmitri Shostakovich

Folk Feast from The Gadfly

Music by Ennio Morricone Lyrics by Chiara Ferrau arr. Fedor Vrtacnik

Nella Fantasia

Kawaiola Murray, voice

Ethan Moon, voice

Evan Haines, voice

Alex Iokepa, voice Selections from My Neighbor Totoro

Joe Hisaishi arr. Yui Goto arr. Michael Brown

Highlights from Jersey Boys

INTERMISSION

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Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Youth Symphony I

Henry Miyamura, Conductor

Ambroise Thomas

Mignon Overture

Chelsea Tanaka, clarinet

Cody Onishi, horn

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Symphonic Dances III. Lento assai-Allegro vivace

Youth Symphony I with Marlene Sai Ha‘a Heo

arr. Angel Peña

This is Hawaii/Hawaii Aloha

arr. Angel Peña

Sunset

arr. Angel Peña

Youth Symphony I Claude-Michel Schonberg arr. Calvin Custer

Miss Saigon

Senior Aloha Ceremony Queen Lili‘uokalani arr. Douglas Palmer

Aloha ‘Oe

Master of Ceremonies Ben Gutierrez

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en Gutierrez is a general assignment reporter and weekend weather anchor for Hawaii News Now (KFVE/KGMB/ KHNL). He is also involved in music and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts, home of the Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards. He is a proud, longtime supporter of Hawaii Youth Symphony.

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Guest Artist Marlene Sai

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n 1960, Marlene Sai began her entertainment career singing with Don Ho at Honey’s Restaurant & Bar in Kaneohe, Oahu. A 56-year veteran of the entertainment industry, Marlene has headlined major showrooms in Hawaii, throughout the US continent, Europe, and Japan, promoting the culture and history of Hawaii. Some of the extensive engagements were at the Sheraton Moana-Surfrider Hotel, Duke Kahanamoku’s Supper Club (International Market Place), Halekulani Hotel, Las Vegas Circus Circus Hotel, Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel Tapa Showroom, Hawaiian Regent Hotel, and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Monarch Room.

An accomplished actress, Marlene portrayed Hawaii’s Queen Lili‘uokalani in an award winning, one-actress play entitled “Hear Me, ‘O My People” in Hawaii. The play was also performed in 1987 for members of the U.S. Congress at the world-renowned Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. In 1990, the Kukui Foundation, a non-profit, was formed. Its primary project was a Public Broadcasting Systems (PBS) docudrama film entitled “Betrayal,” when she again portrayed Queen Lili‘uokalani, revealing the history of the overthrow of Hawaii’s monarchy.

The film premiered on PBS in Hawaii and nationally on January 17, 1993, on the 100th anniversary of the overthrow.

Beside several television commercial works, Ms. Sai has appeared in numerous theatricals (i.e., Side by Side by Sondheim, Hawai‘i, Thank Heaven For The Heathen, etc.) and television supporting roles like Magnum P. I. and recently Hawaii 5-O. She was a regular guest artist on the Webley Edwards Hawaii Calls radio broadcast. She has 20+ recordings and continues to enjoy singing and stage performances.

Marlene with friends Tom Moffatt, George

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Chun, & Toki Anzai started Makaha Records, and launched the recording careers of Loyal Garner, Melveen Leed, Bill Kaiwa, George Paoa, to name a few.

In 1986, Marlene received the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for Female Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts. In 1987, she received the Po‘okela Award from the Hawaii State Theatre Council for her solo performance in the stage production of “Hear Me ‘O My People.”

She’s a 2004 recipient of the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts Na Hoku Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award for her music/recording accomplishments. In September 2007, Marlene was inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame by the Hawaiian Music Foundation. She costarred as Bloody Mary in the Hawaii Opera Theatre’s 2007 Summer Season of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical production of South Pacific at the Blaisdell Concert Hall; 2008 she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City; 2009 sang at the canonization of St. Damien in Rome; continues today with shows/concerts in Japan since 1962; 2010/2011 completed three (Pacific Resources for Education & Learning) P.R.E.L. Hawaiian animated mythical productions for children as ‘storyteller’ entitled Maui, Pele, & Menehune; April 2011 did four concerts in San Francisco Bay area; Nov 2011, released an anthology CD entitled “Marlene Sai LEGACY”; early 2012 narrated Pacific Islander Group documentaries for PBS Hawaii, produced shows to KeauhouKona, Las Vegas, San Francisco & Japan. In 2012 through 2013, she co-starred in a feature film “The Haumana” which continue winning acclaims internationally from hula, Hawaiian cultural interest groups with recognition and awards from Film Festivals.

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Special Honorees Marjorie Tanoue

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rs. Marjorie Tanoue has been a dedicated supporter of the Hawaii Youth Symphony for over 40 years, and a longtime member of the HYS Board of Directors. Born in Paia, Maui, Mrs. Tanoue received her undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii, and then worked as a school teacher in Hana, Maui. She went on to receive a degree in social work from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, a journey that in those days required travel to the west coast by boat and to the east coast by train. Mrs. Tanoue applied her social work training at the Hull House in Chicago, and while working there met Dr. Roy Tanoue, who was completing his surgical training at Cook County Hospital. They were married at the University of Chicago, where Dr. Tanoue had

been a medical student, and then together moved back to Honolulu.

Mrs. Tanoue’s dedication to the Hawaii Youth Symphony dates to the 1970s.

Music was an important part of the education of all four of her children (Dr. Ross Tanoue, Donna Tanoue, Dr. Lynn Tanoue and Wendy Kodama); Lynn was a member of HYS (then the Honolulu Youth Symphony) from 1972–1974. Mrs. Tanoue has been an avid advocate of musical opportunities for youth in Honolulu, including support for chamber music and educational programs at Punahou,‘Iolani, and Hanahau‘oli Schools. Serving on the Board of HYS, watching the organization grow and diversify, and being part of this extraordinary musical community has been one of her most enjoyable activities.

“When I first started conducting with HYS, everything I thought and felt about the organization was due to the positivity of Mrs. Marjorie Tanoue. She has been a very special part of who we are, and was instrumental in supporting our programs long before my conducting career even began.

Mrs. Tanoue has been a true backbone of this organization and it has been an honor to have helped build this program alongside her. Our students’ opportunities to be successful are because of people like the Tanoue ohana. For decades, the Tanoue ohana have worked selflessly, behind the scenes, making it possible for HYS to obtain the necessary support to make us better and better.

Mrs. Tanoue’s energy, vitality, and commitment to young people make her a role model and true HYS hero. Thank you very, very much for all of your outstanding support all these years!”

Henry Miyamura, Music Director

Dr. Neil McKay

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orn in British Columbia in 1924, composer Neil McKay has been a U.S. citizen since 1963. He joined the faculty of the University of Hawai‘i Music Department in 1965 where he taught composition and related subjects until his retirement in 1987.

Dr. McKay began his musical career as a jazz arranger-performer in 1940, was a clarinetist in

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

the Canadian Navy Band (1944–46), and then arranger-conductor in Canadian radio until 1953. After acquiring a B.A. from the University of Western Ontario, he went to Rochester, NY to earn M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in composition at the Eastman School of Music. His master’s thesis, Festival Concertino, won first prize in the Ottawa Symphony competition for Canadian

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composers and was premiered in Canada’s capitol city. His doctoral dissertation, Symphony No.1, was published by E.F. Kalmus and is widely performed in the U.S. and Canada. The slow movement, Larghetto, was awarded the Benjamin Award for quiet music and recorded

by Howard Hanson and the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra (recently reissued by Polygram on the album, “Music for Quiet Listening”).

Dr. McKay’s compositions fall into three time periods. During the first, from 1953–68, his style was relatively conservative, as in the above mentioned symphonic pieces and also, among others, in the String Quartet (premiered by the Fine Arts Quartet), Dance Overture (commissioned by the Duluth Symphony) and the opera Ring Around Harlequin.

A time of intense experimentation followed during the second period (1968–1988) involving musical concepts and/ or instruments of Asia, Africa and Polynesia. Examples are Evocations for concert band (published and recorded by Shawnee Press); Parables of Kyai Gandrung for Javanese gamelan and orchestra (written with Hardja Susilo and commissioned and premiered by the Honolulu Symphony); World(s) for solo koto (performed around the world by Ricardo Trimilios and by Keiko Nosaka in Carnegie Hall and recorded by her for Camerata Records of Tokyo); Soundprints for koto and clarinet (written for Henry Miyamura and first prize winner, American Chamber Music Composition Competition, sponsored by Roncorp in 1983); and Kubla Khan for soprano and chamber ensemble (published by Music Sales/G. Schirmer).

The third period, from 1988 on, reflects McKay’s entire musical experience. Examples from this period are Symphony No. 2; From a Jade Terrace for soprano and chamber ensemble; Kahalaopuna, Princess of Mānoa, an opera for youth; Connexions for clarinet duo; Ku‘u Pua Rose for mixed chorus; and Such Sweet Sorrow for orchestra.

During his teaching career at the University of Hawai‘i, Dr. McKay established courses in jazz improvisation and jazz arranging, and also developed a contemporary music ensemble.

A fellow of the MacDowell Colony, he is also a member of the American Music Center, the Society of Composers, Inc., and the College Music Society. His work as an active composer continues and, as an ASCAP member, he has received an award each year since 1965 for publication and performance of his works.

On the less serious side, one of Dr. McKay’s pop tunes, “I Fell in Love with Honolulu,” has been recorded many times and he continues to arrange music for jazz ensembles here and in Canada.

In 1997 he was a composer-in-residence at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC where his experimental piece, Kaleidoscope, was performed by the Charleston Symphony.

In the same year the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts awarded Dr. McKay an Individual Artist Fellowship “in recognition of artistic excellence, significant accomplishments in Music Composition, and commitment to the Arts in the State of Hawai‘i.”

Hawaii Youth Symphony gratefully acknowledges the musical contributions Neil and Marion McKay have made. The McKays’ output—Neil as composer and arranger; Marion as copyist—have greatly advanced the quality and spectrum of our students’ experience, upholding our Core Values of “Musical Excellence” and “Building a Future for Music.”

Over the course of his association with HYS, Dr. McKay contributed over 100 compositions and arrangements to our music library. Dr. McKay graciously orchestrated some 80 works by Willie K, Ho’okena, Keola Beamer, Martin Denny, the Makaha Sons, Alice Namakelua, Django Reinhardt, Alvin Okami, Ka’upena Wong, and others, making it possible for HYS students to perform with legendary local entertainers in our Na Mele and Aloha Concert events. Mahalo, Neil & Marion, for your service to HYS!

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Youth Symphony I Henry Miyamura, Conductor & HYS Music Director

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enry Miyamura conducts Hawaii Youth Symphony’s top orchestra, Youth Symphony I, and has been HYS’s music director and conductor for nearly three decades. Joining HYS in the early ’80s, Maestro Miyamura provided the artistic vision that has shaped HYS’s programs and led to tremendous growth of the organization. Miyamura also founded and directs HYS’s summer program, the prestigious Pacific Music Institute.

Maestro Miyamura recently retired from the University of Hawaii, where he conducted the UH Symphony Orchestra. His numerous credits include 14 years as band director at McKinley High School; principal clarinetist with the Honolulu Symphony; and membership in the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Hillel Chamber Concert Orchestra and the Rochester Philharmonic. Miyamura also served as assistant conductor for the Honolulu Symphony, which gave him the opportunity to conduct concerts featuring artists such as Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; David Bar-Ilan, piano; Joshua Bell, violin; and Harvey Pittel, saxophone, as well as Hawaii entertainers.

Miyamura was named winner of the prestigious 2001 Alfred Preis Award by the Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education for his lifetime commitment to arts and education in Hawaii. Miyamura received a Bachelor of Music degree and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, as well as a Master of Music degree from Western Washington University.

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Youth Symphony I Roster VIOLIN I Crystal Cathcart Shin Chang, Associate Concertmaster Chelsea Cline Joseph Fujinami, Concertmaster Megan Ganeku Christopher Inouye Kiana Kendall Eileen Liu Skylar Mizukami Hyeon-Jae Seo Elisabeth Sewell Katherine Sewell Ryder Tanaka Megan Uchida, Assistant Concertmaster Angeline Zhou VIOLIN II Ian Chang Darrell Huang Kurumi Kawata Taylor-Anne Kim, Assistant Principal Alex Kobayashi Kathy Kwock Kenny Kwock Evan Liu Christian Llantero Lauren Llantero Carissa Miyamoto Eunice Park Hana Ra, Principal Shelby Schwartz Caitlin Steele Burson Wang Jinny Wang Ji Eun Yang Junyi Yin VIOLA Cecily Choy Queenie Huang Brian Kim Sean Kwon, Principal Austin Lau Megan Lauw Nicole Nagatoshi Olivia Reano Ethan Tran Charles Zhang

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CELLO Joshua Chang Hyunwoo Lee Chloe McCreery Keane Miyamoto Dong-Woo Seo Uriel Sung Reid Womack, Principal Justin Yee Tracie Young BASS Taiga Benito Avery Farm, Co-Principal Sonia Romero Christopher Yick, Co-Principal FLUTE Julie Chai Margaret Nakayama Tamlyn Sasaki Marissa Watanabe, Principal Hana Yoon PICCOLO Tamlyn Sasaki OBOE Izumi Amemiya, Principal Ryan Hirokawa Daniel Huang Claire Shigeta ENGLISH HORN Ryan Hirokawa CLARINET Max Arakaki Michael Chen, Co-Principal Julianne Matsumoto Chelsea Tanaka, Co-Principal BASS CLARINET Max Arakaki

BASSOON Brendan Hiyane, Co-Principal Jennifer Park, Co-Principal Jake Taniguchi Austin Young HORN Kira Goya Jarod Ishimi Cody Onishi, Principal Emerlynn Shibayama Shane Xu TRUMPET Daiya Fujiki, Co-Principal Tiffany Nakayama Micah Nishimoto Matthew Sahara Nicholas Yama, Co-Principal TROMBONE Joseph Abe, Assistant Principal Jeffrey Hayashi, Principal Julia Lee Steve Park BASS TROMBONE Steve Park BARITONE Ethan Murakami TUBA David Yamamoto, Principal PERCUSSION Mizuki Hamaguchi Marsha Ho Joseph Li, Co-Principal Albert Mackey, Co-Principal Shayn Toothman PIANO Queenie Huang HARP Sharene Lum, HYS Alumna

About Youth Symphony I Youth Symphony I is the most advanced of HYS’s seven orchestras, and is one of the finest youth symphonies in the country. This year, Youth Symphony I is composed of 96 students, grades 9–12, from 20 schools across Oahu. This season, they will rehearse more than 130 hours and perform 9 concerts on Oahu and Kauai. Joseph Fujinami, a senior at Mililani High School, is this season’s concertmaster.

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Youth Symphony II Derrick Yamane, Conductor

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errick Yamane received both his Master of Secondary Education and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. A retired music teacher, he has taught music at various public and private schools on Oahu since 1971. Eleven of those years were also spent as HYS’s Concert Orchestra Conductor.

He credits Mr. Hajime Kuwada, his mentor, and Mr. James Uyeda, his inspiration, for encouraging him to pursue music as a profession. He has appeared as guest conductor of the Colorado All-State Honor Band (Gunnison), Oahu Band Director’s 8th Grade Select Band, and Maui District Massed and Select Band.

Mr. Yamane is a lifetime member of the Oahu Band Director’s Association, Music Educators National Conference and the Hawaii Music Educators Association.

Elton Masaki, Assistant Conductor

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lton Masaki holds a Bachelor of Education degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in music from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Master of Music in Education degree from Boston University. He is currently working on a PhD in Education with an emphasis in technology from the University of Hawaii. Mr. Masaki is the orchestra director at Mid-Pacific Institute where he has been conducting since 2005. He has also taught orchestra at Kamehameha Schools, Iolani School and the Hawaii Youth Symphony Academy String Program. Mr. Masaki also serves as an orchestra clinician for a number of different camps and workshops and manages his own string quartet. Professional affiliations include American String Teacher Association and Association for Education and Communication Technology.

Hawaii Youth Symphony honors and thanks Derrick Yamane for his service and commitment to our students. Mr. Yamane began conducting with HYS in the ’87 –’88 season, and has since served 17 seasons with the organization, as conductor of Concert Orchestra and most recently, Youth Symphony II. The Youth Symphony II program blossomed under Mr. Yamane’s direction; in particular, he formed an annual collaboration between YSII and Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus, which resulted in joint concerts at Kawaiahao Church. Also under Mr. Yamane’s leadership, assistant conductor Elton Masaki was hired. HYS will miss Derrick’s cheerful nature, humor, and most of all, passion for his students; we wish him well in his retirement!

Mahalo, Derrick!

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Youth Symphony II Roster VIOLIN I Nadine Alcantara Courtney Chun Sasha Himeno-Price Stella Hung Allyson Kwong Kauai Paule Moriah Tom Rebecca Verghese Angela Yang, Concertmaster VIOLIN II Lok Yan Chao Marianne Garcia Leilani Ikeda Nicole Jao Brooke Kumasaka Che Won Lee, Principal Yudai Leonzon Josiah Matsuda Maria Matsuki Tomoe Mizutani Camryn Nishita Sunwoo Oh Samuel O’Rourke Ryan Park Alyssa Reyes Shinya Saito Kylee Takanishi Kayla Takemoto Alec Tam Andrew Winnicki Charles Yung VIOLA Gabriel Agno Kaycee Beardeaux Ana Danko Brandon Hong Michael Murakami Mahina Smith Frank Sun Nashya Yoshimoto, Principal

CELLO Abigail Austria Katie Cho Sofia Himeno-Price, Principal Jaden Kim Christopher Kwock Rachel Matsumoto Dylan Merkel Eugene Son Alexa Wong Gradon Wong BASS Isabella-Marie Geppert Sage (Yiming) Guo, Principal Elliott Hee FLUTE Lisa Benjamin, Principal Mikayla Gaspar Lauryn Shinno Sherry Tanaka Aileen Zhang OBOE Kelly Chong Kacie Kajihara, Principal Chance Yagi Sharon Young CLARINET Jonah Blas Kassi Hatakenaka Nakoa Kanahele, Principal Maxwell Miyasato Jolene Siu BASSOON Everett Amemiya, Principal Mikel Ishihara Chanelle Junio Mark Ushiroda

HORN Kamuela Akeo Raquel Hernandez, Principal Jasmine Kim Crystal Lee Shannon Pan Brandon Quach TRUMPET Ace-Kamakani Inouye Brandon Kim David Kimura, Principal Michael Quach Jarin Sakamoto TROMBONE Cody Lee Cobi Toor Rachael Yamamoto, Principal BARITONE Cuyler Murata Tristen Tagad TUBA Jayden Fonseca Lucas Toor, Principal PERCUSSION Kevin Chong Daniel Kam Meghan Murakami, Principal Brandy Shinoda ALTO SAXOPHONE Moriah Tom DRUM SET Daniel Kam

About Youth Symphony II Youth Symphony II is the second most advanced of HYS’s seven orchestras. This year, Youth Symphony II is composed of 92 students, grades 8-12, from 28 schools across Oahu.

This season, they will rehearse more than 120 hours and perform 7 concerts. Angela Yang, a junior at Iolani School, is this season’s concertmaster.

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Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Launch Hawaii Youth Symphony’s 52nd Season with

He Makana O Nā Mele: The Gift of Music Sunday, November 20, 2016 • Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom

Kalapana’s performance with Youth Symphony I was such a big hit, we’ve asked them to return for an encore performance in 2016!

Maestro Henry Miyamura, Youth Symphony I and

Kalapana emerged as one of the most popular bands on the Hawaiian music scene in the 70s, producing a steady stream of hits. Their 1975 debut album was hailed as one of the best of the mid-70s Hawaiian renaissance. Tracks like “Naturally,” “Nightbird,” “The Hurt,” “You Make It Hard,” and “When the Morning Comes” became household tunes and still enjoy frequent play on contemporary Hawaiian radio.

This year’s show with HYS will feature new orchestrations of familiar hits— don’t miss Hawaii’s iconic band with Hawaii Youth Symphony!

Sponsorship Opportunities Available Inquire with Randy Wong, HYS Executive Director (808) 941-9706

2016 Spring Concert Series

www.HiYouthSymphony.org

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Mahalo to Our Donors The Hawaii Youth Symphony is grateful for these gifts that were made for the 2015–2016 season.

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE ($25,000 & up) Cades Foundation City and County of Honolulu McInerny Foundation The Stupski Family Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation The Thomas J. Long Foundation PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE ($10,000–$24,999) ABC Stores The Al Sherman Foundation The George Mason Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation Nadao & Mieko Yoshinaga Foundation ANGEL ($5,000–$9,999) Anonymous First Hawaiian Bank Friends of Hawaii Charities, Inc. Mrs. Edith Leong The Gloria Kosasa Gainsley Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation

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The Okumura Family Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation The Annie Sinclair Knudsen Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation Hawaii Independent Energy, LLC Mrs. Gladys Hirano John R. Halligan Charitable Fund Mr. & Mrs. Richard Ing Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Mr. Lance Teruya Mr. & Mrs. Robert K. Torrey Mr. & Mrs. Kent Tsukamoto BENEFACTOR ($2,500–$4,999) Mr. & Mrs. Russell Arakaki Bank of Hawaii Dr. John Chen & Dr. Lillian Chen Hawaiian Host, Inc. Hawaii State Federal Credit Union Mr. Warren Price III & Ms. Sharon Himeno

Mr. Martin Hsia Ms. Carol S. Koga Mr. & Mrs. Michael Onofrietti Dr. and Mrs. Geoffrey S. Sewell Strategic Communication Solutions United Laundry Services, Inc. PATRON ($1,000 - $2,499) Anonymous Dr. & Mrs. Ralph S. Carungi Jonathan Y. C. Ching Revocable Trust Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Conley Mr. & Mrs. Owen Fukumoto Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Gainsley Mr. & Mrs. Roy T. Ganeku Mr. Bob Hayashi Hazel H. Takumi Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Kendall N. H. Hee Mrs. Julia S. Ing Mr. & Mrs. Alan S. Ito Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Lau Mr. Malcolm D. Lau Ms. Patti Look LPL Financial Matching Gift Program Mr. Henry Miyamura Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Momohara Mr. & Mrs. David Monk Mr. & Mrs. Craig Nakagawa Mr. Dale Nishikawa Ohata Chun Yuen LLP

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Servco Foundation Mrs. Barbara Shibayama Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Shinsato Mr. & Mrs. Alves Shiu Mr. Brad T. Suan Mr. & Mrs. Melvin Takemoto Mr. Alton Farm & Ms. Reiko Tanaka Mr. & Mrs. Alan Taniguchi Ms. Jennifer Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Toyama Mr. & Mrs. Lance Uchida Mr. & Mrs. Brian Watanabe Mr. & Mrs. Gaylord Wilcox Mr. Randall G. Wong & Dr. Helen Liu Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Y. Wong Mr. & Mrs. Corey Yama Mr. & Mrs. Chris Yuen SPONSOR ($500 - $999) Anonymous Bonny Amemiya Mr. & Mrs. Donald Amemiya City Mill Company, Ltd. / C. K. Ai Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Jerry C. Coiner Mr. Geneson Coloma & Ms. Theresa Kiehm Dr. & Mrs. Ian M. Cooke

Mr. Ed Elms & Ms. Elizabeth Wong Mr. Allen I. Emura Mr. & Mrs. Carlton Gushiken Mr. & Mrs. Mark Hirokawa Mrs. Ann M. Ho Mr. & Mrs. Andy Huang J. Crew Associate Match Program Mr. & Mrs. Gary Johnson Mr. & Mrs. W. Peter Kwong Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Matsumoto Ms. Jennifer Miyamoto Masaki School of Music Mr. & Mrs. Barron Nagatoshi Dr. Steven Nishi & Dr. Pamela Tauchi-Nishi Mr. Joseph Rothstein Mr. Charles B. Salmon Mr. & Mrs. Michael H. C. Seu Mr. & Mrs. Thomas S. Shimabuku Mr. & Mrs. Brian Stapleton Mr. Michael Stringert Mr. & Mrs. Brian W. Sung Mrs. Marjorie Tanoue

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

Mr. Justin Davies & Mrs. Laurel Wong Wong’s Drapery Shoppe Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Yick Dr. Mark M. Yoshida Mr. & Mrs. Randall Young PARTNER ($250–$499) Mr. Alan Arizumi Mr. Julio S. Benito Mr. & Mrs. Sung Wook Chang Dr. Yi-Chuan Ching Mr. Kenin Coloma Mr. Brandon Correa Mrs. Shuli Deng Mr. & Mrs. Gil Farias Crum & Forster Mr. Taukai Chang & Ms. Dexin Guo Mrs. Helen K. Higa Mrs. Molly Inouye Mr. & Mrs. George Irion Dr. & Mrs. Sid Johnson Mr. Sandi Kwee & Ms. Leilani Kaanehe Mr. & Mrs. Ken Kajihara Dr. & Mrs. Toshihiko Kawasugi

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Mr. & Mrs. Martin N. Kim Mr. Joel Bradshaw & Ms. Jean Kirschenmann Ms. Margaret M. Lin Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Love Ms. Chelsea Maeda Dr. Alex Suenaga & Ms. Kay Mattos Mr. & Mrs. Mark Murakami Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Nakamaejo Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Nishimoto Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Oda Mrs. Doris Ogawa Mr. & Mrs. Thomas O’Rourke Pikake Foundation Mr. Steven Premo Randal S. Furomoto & Associates, Inc. Dr. & Mrs. Vern Sasaki Mr. & Mrs. Dean K. Taba Mr. & Mrs. Dean Tanaka Ms. Brenda Tang Ms. Amy A. Taniguchi Mr. & Mrs. Barry Toshi Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Winner Mr. & Mrs. Lionel Yagi Dr. Lester Yim & Dr. Letitia Yim YourCause Dr. & Mrs. Jack Zhou CONTRIBUTOR ($100–$249) Anonymous Mr. Richard Akamichi Ms. Carol Aki Ms. Arline Akina Mr. & Mrs. Masanobu Arakaki Mr. & Mrs. Kendrick Y.H. Au Mrs. L. Christine Ban Ms. Mary Bertolino Mr. & Mrs. Maurice Bolosan Mrs. Esther Cartoon Mr. Stephen Cassarino Prof. David Ross & Ms. Ann Castelfranco

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Mrs. Mary Lou Chai Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Q. C. Chang Ms. Linda Mae Chang Mr. Tin Shing Chao & Ms. Lai Ling Ng Mr. Glenn Chinen Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Ching Mr. & Mrs. Robert Choy Ms. Carole ChungYokoyama Mr. & Mrs. R. Dougal Crowe Mr. & Mrs. William Cumpston Mrs. Mook-Lan M. Fan Mr. & Mrs. Bob Fissell Mr. Dennis Danko & Ms. Joan Forester Mr. & Mrs. Shinichi Fujimoto Ms. Charlotte Fukumoto Mr. & Mrs. Randal Furomoto Mr. & Mrs. Ron Geronimo Dr. and Mrs. Orin Gima Mr. Lorin Gima Mr. & Mrs. Van M. Goto Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Goya Mr. Erwin Nell & Ms. Theres Gruter Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Hanaumi Mr. & Mrs. Troy Hatakenaka Ms. Stephanie Hayashi

Mr. & Mrs. Harvey H. Hayashida Mr. & Mrs. Don Hazzard Mr. & Mrs. Randall Hee Mr. & Mrs. Kenn Higa Ms. Susan Higuchi Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Higuchi Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Hiyane Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Hokama Mr. & Mrs. William Holowecki Mr. & Mrs. Paul Hoshino Dr. Yujen E. Hsia Mr. & Mrs. Albert Hu Mr. & Mrs. Namkyu Hyun Ms. Shirley Ann Ishiki Mr. & Mrs. Warren T. Ishimi Mr. & Mrs. Jon Ishimi Ms. Megan Ito Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Jessop Ms. Clarice Kam Mr. & Mrs. Chester Kaneshiro Mr. & Mrs. Osamu Kawata Mr. Vincent Wildermuth & Mrs. Sayoko Kendall Dr. Richard Yoon & Mrs. Sujeon Kim Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Kimura Judge and Mrs. Samuel P. King Mr. & Mrs. Roy E. King, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Eric K. Kobayashi Mr. Ernest Kobayashi

Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Mr. Roy M. Kodani Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Kohara Mr. Richard L. Kurth Mr. & Mrs. Philip Kwon Mr. & Mrs. Jude Lampitelli Col. & Mrs. Daniel Lau Mrs. Joanna Lee Mrs. Mei-Fa T. Liu Dr. Richard Liu & Dr. Amber Liu Mr. & Mrs. Ferdinand F. Llantero Ms. Naomi Lorenzo Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Lum Mr. & Mrs. Meredith Maeda Mr. & Mrs. Chester J. Malins Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Martin Mr. & Mrs. Richard MartinDoike Mr. & Mrs. Roy Masaki Mr. Edward Masunaga Ms. Cari Matsuura Maui Specialty Chocolates Ms. Barbara McClintock Mr. & Mrs. Charles S. McCreery Mr. & Mrs. Gary McFarlane Mrs. Jean McIntosh Dr. & Mrs. Neil McKay Ms. Sharon S. McPhee Ms. Amy H. Mitsuda Ms. Sharon Miyagawa Mr. & Mrs. Dan T. Miyamoto

Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Momohara Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Mori Kenneth H. Morris Mr. & Mrs. Keith Muraoka Ms. Janet H. Murphy Dr. & Mrs. George I. Nagao Ms. Shari Nakakura Mr. Roy K. Nakama Mr. & Mrs. Mark Nakamura Mr. Takashi Nakayama Mr. & Mrs. Melvin S. Nishina Mrs. Susan Ochi-Onishi Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Oishi Mr. & Mrs. Ernest N. Okazaki Mr. & Mrs. Glenn M. Okino Mr. & Mrs. George Okuhara Mr. & Mrs. Rusti Onishi Dr. & Mrs. Tilden Osako Mrs. Helen T. Oshio Mrs. Ruth Oshiro Ms. Kiyomi Oyama Mr. & Mrs. Gerald M. K. Pang Ms. Bonnie L. Pestana Dr. & Mrs. Robert G. Peters Mr. Chris Pitsaroff Pronk Technologies Dr. Praphan Puapong & Dr. Ratana Puapong Mr. Thuong Quach Mr. Kyoungil Ra

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

Mr. & Mrs. Dennis W. Randall Mr. & Mrs. Fred Romero Mr. & Mrs. Mark Sakamoto Mr. & Mrs. David Schulmeister Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Schwartz Mr. & Mrs. William E. Seehafer Mrs. Patricia Sekiya Mr. & Mrs. Steven Shimabukuro Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin H. Shimokawa Shinnyo-En Hawaii Ms. Sheryl Shohet Mr. Bin Li & Ms. Sujuan Situ Ms. Nancy K. Sonoda Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Sorensen Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Taba Ms. Wendy Tachikawa Take 2 Production, LLC Ms. Jill Takemoto Mr. & Mrs. Clayton Takemoto Mr. & Mrs. Brent Takushi Mr. & Mrs. Kent Tamai Dr. Dailin Wang & Ms. June Tang Mr. & Mrs. Hisao Taniguchi Dr. Lynn Tanoue

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Mr. & Mrs. Wesley M. Tanoue Ms. Miho Teipel Mrs. Ethel M. Teruya Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Tom Mr. & Mrs. Andy Toothman Dr. Jennifer Townsend Mrs. Janice Trubitt Mr. Ryan H. Tsukamoto Rev. Msgr. Terrence Watanabe Mr. & Mrs. Frank Wei Dr. Robert Weiner Mr. & Mrs. Vernon K. W. Wong Mr. & Mrs. Clinton Wong Mr. & Mrs. Gin D. Wong Mr. & Mrs. Jim J. L. Wong Dr. Jay Kwon & Dr. Natalie Woo Dr. Kelley Woodruff Mr. & Mrs. James Yamamoto Mr. & Mrs. Grant S. Yee Ms. Mildred A. Yee Mr. Grant Ito & Ms. JoAnn Yosemori Dr. Namthip Sitachitta & Mr. Wesley Yoshida Mr. Robert K. S. Y. Young Mr. Xiang Yee & Ms. Jiangyan Zhu

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FRIEND (Up to $99) Mr. Steven D. Agasa Mr. & Mrs. Michael Amore Mr. Edward Bartolini Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Blas Mr. & Mrs. Philip Brown Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Campbell Mr. Matthew Carr Mr. & Mrs. Robert Chenet Ms. Martha Child Pastor David Chun Dr. Kyungjin Chung & Dr. Ja Yeon Moon Mrs. Ellen Corrie Mr. & Mrs. Leslie G. Crandall Dr. George Chu & Ms. Diane Wong Mr. & Mrs. Arnel Domingo Mr. & Mrs. Dexter J. Ejercito Mr. Roy Epstein Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Farah Rev. & Mrs. Yoshitaka Fujinami Mr. & Mrs. John Geppert Give With Liberty Mr. Scott Gresham Mr. & Mrs. Aaron I. K. Ha‘o

Mr. & Mrs. George Haraguchi Mr. & Mrs. Sean O. Harding Mr. & Mrs. Norman Hashisaka Mrs. DeAnna Hayashi Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Heape Mr. & Mrs. James K. Hijii Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Ho Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hu Ms. Fujiko D. Hughes Mr. & Mrs. Douglas W. Hung Mrs. Jane Ige Mr. & Mrs. Gary S. Ige Mr. & Mrs. Eric Igeta Ms. Ethel C. Iwasaki Kaahumanu Elementary Mr. & Mrs. Guy Kamitaki Mr. & Mrs. Richard Y. Katsura Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Kawakami Mr. & Mrs. Barry Kikuno Mr. & Mrs. Dennis B. Kim Mr. Charles T. Kishimoto Ms. Kim Kiyabu Mr. & Mrs. Roger M. Kobayashi Ms. Sylvia S Koike Mr. David E. Koizumi Mr. & Mrs. Walter S. Kubota Mr. & Mrs. Jared Kumasaka Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Lau Mr. & Mrs. Nelson Lau Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Lau Hee, Jr. Ms. Stephanie Laws Mr. Jong Ho Lee & Mrs. Ann Park Michelle Lee Mrs. Jeong Eun Lee Dr. Tom Leland Mr. & Mrs. Arvin Leonzon Mr. & Mrs. Michael Li Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Lui Mrs. Theodora Luke

Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Ms. Jennie Lum Mr. & Mrs. John Mackey Dr. Larry Magnussen Ms. Ann Mahi Ms. Pamela Masaki Ms. Naomi Masuda Mr. & Mrs. Carl Matsuura James K. Michishima, CPA Mr. Maurino M. Mirador & Ms. Veronique Escareal Mr. & Mrs. Seimasa Miyashiro Ms. Marsha M. Miyata Ms. Edith A. Moe Mrs. Yoshiko Morimoto Mr. & Mrs. Melvyn Mukai Tiffany Mukai Kelsey Mukai Mr. & Mrs. Thomas P. Mullon Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Nakamoto Dr. Elizabeth Nakasone Mr. & Mrs. Shigeo Nakazaki Mr. & Mrs. Sam Ng Mrs. Nancy Nishimura Mr. Ernest T. Nogawa Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Ono Ms. Aya Orozco Mr. & Mrs. William T. Oshima Mr. & Mrs. Kaname Oshiro Mr. Tom Park & Ms. I-Mei Sun Florio Pierre Ms. Joanne Potts Mr. & Mrs. Henry K. Reano Ms. Harriet Y. Roberts Ms. Faith H. Sabat Mr. & Mrs. Roy Y. Saito

Ms. Yuriko Saito Mr. & Mrs. Todd Sakuda Mr. & Mrs. Masahiro Sato Mr. Phil Scellato Ms. Laurie Shimabukuro Mr. & Mrs. Grant Shimabukuro Ms. Ruby Shimabukuro Dr. & Mrs. Alfred Sison Dr. & Mrs. Anthony Siu Ms. Mae Sperry Mr. & Mrs. Edward Sueoka Mr. & Mrs. Loren M. Taguchi Mr. & Mrs. Morris T. Takishima Mr. & Mrs. Herman Tam Mr. Ryutaro D. Tanaka Mr. & Mrs. Xerxes Tata Mrs. Chizuko Telesco Mr. & Mrs. Roland Thom Mr. Robert L. Thomas Mr. Gary T. Todoki Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Toma Mr. & Mrs. Paul Toma Mr. & Mrs. Don Tomich Mrs. Faith Tomoyasu Ms. Kelley Toor Mr. Ed Watanabe Mr. Skol Watanawongskul Mr. John Wollstein Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Womack Mr. & Mrs. Mark Yamamoto Mr. & Mrs. Dylan Yamashita Dr. Byron K. Yasui Ms. Adrienne C. Yee Mrs. Wendy Yee Mr. & Mrs. Keith Yoshimoto Mr. Chao Zheng

The Hawaii Youth Symphony thanks each donor and community partner who has contributed to its programs.

Every attempt has been made to publish a complete listing.

We regret any omissions or errors that may have occurred, and would appreciate if you would call HYS at 941-9706 to advise us of them. Thank you!

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

IN HONOR OF Kelly Holowecki

by Mr. & Mrs. William Holowecki Amanda Igeta

by Mr. & Mrs. Eric Igeta Christopher Inouye

by Mrs. Molly Inouye Edith Leong

by Ms. Linda Mae Chang

by Mrs. Helen T. Oshio Nellie Matsunami

by Kenneth H. Morris Henry Miyamura

by Mr. Richard Akamichi Olivia Reano

by Mr. Ryutaro D. Tanaka Alika Seu

by Mr. & Mrs. Michael Seu Kisa Uradomo

by Mr. David E. Koizumi Marissa Watanabe

by Mr. Ed Watanabe Austin Young

by Mr. & Mrs. Randall Young IN MEMORY OF Ethel Asao

by Mr. & Mrs. Mark Nakamura Geoff Au

by Mr. & Mrs. Kendrick Y. H. Au Jason C. Ban

by Mrs. L. Christine Ban Jean Chinen

by Mr. Glenn Chinen Ed Kanaya

by Ms. Marsha M. Miyata Kevin Bergin Lynch

by Ms. Marsha M. Miyata Patra Puapong

by Dr. Praphan Puapong & Dr. Ratana Puapong Jason Tomoyasu

by Mrs. Faith Tomoyasu Edmund K. U. Yee

by Ms. Janet H. Murphy

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Congratulations Class of 2016 Izumi Amemiya Julie Chai Shin Chang Michael Chen Kelly Chong Cecily Choy Daiya Fujiki Joseph Fujinami Mikayla Gaspar Mizuki Hamaguchi Sasha Himeno-Price Brendan Hiyane Darrell Huang Jarod Ishimi Nicole Jao Kiana Kendall Brian Kim Jasmine Kim

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Taylor-Anne Kim Kathy Kwock Hyunwoo Lee Julia Lee Eileen Liu Ashley Maeshiro Julianne Matsumoto Keane Miyamoto Tomoe Mizutani Meghan Murakami Nicole Nagatoshi Cody Onishi Jennifer Park Steve Park Hana Ra Olivia Reano Sonia Romero

Matthew Sahara Hyeon-Jae Seo Claire Shigeta Kailee Shiraishi Jolene Siu Tristen Tagad Kayla Takemoto Chelsea Tanaka Jake Taniguchi Marissa Watanabe Vincent Reid Womack Shane Xu Nicholas Yama David Yamamoto Ji Eun Yang Christopher Yick Sharon Young Angeline Zhou

Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Class of 2016 Izumi Amemiya

Youth Symphony I, Oboe / Kalani High School

M

y five year journey in the Hawaii Youth Symphony started in my eighth grade year in Concert Orchestra. For the following four years, fortunately, I was able to be a part of YSI. HYS has given me the opportunity to share my passion for music with fellow student musicians around me, and together, touch and inspire the lives of others. I learned the importance of putting my heart into everything I do, and to “go beyond, beyond� my limits when doing so.

I would like to thank Mr. Randy Wong, Mrs. Jan Watanabe, Mr. Lance Uchida, and the rest of the HYS staff for making my experience such a wonderful one. I would like to also thank Mrs. Susan Ochi-Onishi, Mr. Derek Fujio, Mr. Robert Hayakawa, Ms. Kendall Ledesma, Mr. Dennis Kaneshiro, Mr. Daniel Akemoto, and Mr. Henry Miyamura for their years of support, as well as inspiring me to want to become a music educator. In the fall, I plan to attend a four-year university, majoring in music education.

Julie Chai

Youth Symphony I, Flute / Iolani School

W

hen I first picked up the flute as a little fifth grader, I had no idea how much dedication and hard work it would require.

Auditioning for YSII in ninth grade was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life; afterward, I was sure I failed miserably. When I received my letter in the mail, I was both shocked and ecstatic to find I was accepted to YSII. I went on to spend two years in YSII and one in YSI. I cannot imagine what my high school life would have been like without HYS; this program has helped me learn so much, encouraging me to fully immerse myself in music. I have also participated in the HYS Woodwind Quintet, Iolani Marching Band and Wind Ensemble, Solo & Ensemble, and PMI. I would like to thank Ms. Kawakami, my family, dog, and friends for supporting me through my magical musical ride. I plan on majoring in computer science in college.

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

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Class of 2016 Shin Chang

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Kalani High School

P

laying violin as a member of HYS for the last five years had been an extremely fun, exciting, and eye-opening (ear-opening) experience. It was great going through all the concerts, even the long rehearsals, and experiencing all the hardship and laughter as I make music with my awesome and talented musician friends. From Mr. Miyamura, I learned to go beyond “Beyond” when making music, and will be applying this lesson in doing things in life: learning to go beyond my own expectations and producing the best I can. I am forever thankful to Mr. Miyamura, all the HYS staff, Kalani Orchestra director Mr. Daniel Akemoto, and my violin teacher Mr. Iggy Jang for the musical journey and all the life lessons. I also want to thank my family and God for all the support they have given me. Outside of HYS, I participate in my school’s math team and National Honor Society, am co-captain of the Science Olympiad Team and also the current President and concertmaster of the school orchestra. I also act as the student coordinator of the Hawaii CyberSpace Academy. After high school, I plan to continue playing violin and to major in bioengineering. I will be attending a four year university on the mainland.

Michael Chen

Youth Symphony I, Clarinet / Punahou School

A

fter starting my musical journey on the violin, I focused my studies on the clarinet at age nine under the guidance of Ms. Lynne Nakaura, who has remained my teacher for over eight years. Since then, I have been part of various orchestras and ensembles, including CO, YSII, YSI, the Punahou Symphony, and the Punahou Wind Ensemble. This past year, I participated in Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute and as a soloist in the Punahou Symphony Concerto Concert. I am particularly grateful for HYS, because it has expanded my musical horizons to include classical, contemporary, and jazz pieces through exciting concerts alongside renowned performers from around the world. Through long yet rewarding weekly rehearsals for the past five years, HYS has shown me the importance of both teamwork and individuality in creating and sharing meaningful musical performances. At school, I have been involved in student government, math team, science bowl, the Varsity Tennis team, the Ka Punahou newspaper, and the Science Department as a chemistry and physics teaching assistant. Before I leave, I would like to give my sincerest thanks to Mr. Henry Miyamura, Ms. Lynne Nakaura, Mr. Michael Nakasone, my parents, and my siblings for their unwavering support throughout my musical endeavors. As of now, I plan to attend Harvard University in the fall; although I will not be majoring in music, I hope to continue the clarinet, whether in an orchestra or as a hobby.

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Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Class of 2016 Kelly Chong

Youth Symphony II, Oboe / Sacred Hearts Academy

I

first started my music endeavors in the sixth grade when I chose to play the oboe. Being an oboe player in YSII has been a great honor and has made an indelible impression on me. I will never forget the Sunday rehearsals. I am endlessly appreciative to the HYS conductors, Mrs. Susan Ochi-Onishi, Mr. Keith Higaki, my family, and the supporters that have helped me to grow in music. One of the best things about being a member of HYS was playing with a full symphony group, being given the opportunity to play at different venues, and being challenged with a variety of music. The biggest life lessons I have learned in HYS is that perseverance and discipline pays off in the end. Aside from HYS, I have been playing in the Sacred Hearts Academy Wind Ensemble since freshman year. I am currently a member of the National Honors Society and have volunteered at The Ronald McDonald House, Leahi Hospital, Kaimuki Trash and Graffiti Clean Up, and the Papahana Kuaola lo‘i field. This fall, I will be studying architecture at the University of Hawaii. Lastly, I want to thank the amazing oboe squad!

Cecily Choy

Youth Symphony I, Viola / Iolani School

I

started playing the viola five years ago and currently study with Colin Belisle. Although this is my very first year in the Hawaii Youth Symphony program, I am proud that I can say I was a part of something so great. It has been an incredible experience performing pieces at such a high caliber with peers who are so dedicated and passionate about music. In addition to HYS, I am also a member of Iolani School’s Orchestra V and the Tam & Young Quintet. I have also had the privilege of playing with the Maui Pops Orchestra for their 2014–2015 season. Aside from music, I am involved in student government and am also in the process of conducting my own scientific research. In the fall, I will be attending Carleton College. Although I plan to major in biology, I will continue playing the viola—music will always be a part of my life.

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

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Class of 2016 Daiya Fujiki

Youth Symphony I, Trumpet / Kalani High School

I

t was an honor to be a part of the Hawaii Youth Symphony for three years - one of which I was in YSII, and two in YSI. Playing music with talented fellow musicians under the direction of Mr. Miyamura was truly an amazing experience. I started playing the trumpet in the sixth grade at Kaimuki Middle School. In high school I was a part of the Kalani Falcon Marching Band for four years; a soloist for three years, and a section leader in my senior year. After graduating high school, I will be attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, majoring in Engineering. I would like to thank my parents for all of the support they have given me throughout my life, and Mr. Derrick Yamane, Mr. Elton Masaki, Mr. Henry Miyamura, Mr. Grant Okumura, Mr. Culbert Shimada, Mrs. Susan Ochi-Onishi, and Mr. Dennis Kaneshiro for directing my musical education.

Joseph Fujinami

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Mililani High School

“T

he LORD is my strength and my shield….” (Psalm 28:7) It is with a grateful heart that I am able to look back at the incredible journey I have experienced in my ten years with HYS as a violinist. Starting at age 3 with Jennifer Burton at the Suzuki Institute of Dallas, I continued my violin studies under Sasha Margolis, Darren Kimura and, last but not least, Dr. Nicole Routman Ebisu. Beginning with HYS’ summer string program, I gained valuable experience over the years as I matured through the ranks to this day where I have been given the honor of serving as 2015–16 season concertmaster for YSI. My mother, who was my piano accompanist for every competition throughout the years, is also proud to have played under Maestro Miyamura’s baton as a child when he conducted the Honolulu Symphony and the UH Symphony Orchestra. Besides leading the orchestra at Mililani High, I have also served as president of Mu Alpha Theta and SkillsUSA, lead CAD designer for our FIRST robotics team and a member of NHS. This Fall I will be entering the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

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Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Class of 2016 Mikayla Gaspar

Youth Symphony II, Flute / Kaiser High School

T

he first time I picked up a flute was in the fourth grade at Kamiloiki Elementary, and ever since then music has played an amazing role in my life. Although I’ve only had the pleasure of being in Hawaii Youth Symphony for two years, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of something bigger than myself. YSII has taught me to persevere and work hard towards the goals that I’ve set, and has given me new friends who are as passionate about music as I am. I would like to thank my flute teacher Mrs. Aileen Kawakami, my band teacher Mr. Michael Bataluna, and all the other teachers and clinicians who have helped shape and develop my musical and personal growth. At Kaiser High School, I am a member of the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, and Orchestra. In the fall I plan to attend the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, majoring in American Sign Language-English Interpretation.

Mizuki Hamaguchi

Youth Symphony I, Percussion / Sacred Hearts Academy

T

his amazing music opportunity for the past two years makes impact music experience in my life. I have been playing percussion since when I was 10 years old. I did not have opportunity to playing, listening and watching symphony in Japan, I really honored to be part of Youth Symphony in Hawaii. Three years ago I moved from Japan by myself, I thought music is universal language. However different culture has different music opportunity and style. I like Youth Symphony about every Sunday we had practice straight three hours, we could be trained to think what I need to be improve individual skills and how important to practice. I learned under Youth Symphony how one person is important to playing. In the band two or three people playing same part but symphony player has been selected and took audition to play their part. It is really important to be every practice and performance. At Sacred Hearts, I am a member of Wind Ensemble and marching band percussion section leader. After graduating, I plan to attend Santa Monica Community College.

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

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Class of 2016 Sasha Himeno-Price

Youth Symphony II, Violin /Punahou School

B

eing a part of HYS and YSII has been a truly remarkable experience. I have learned so much about the power of music and the connections it brings. I was introduced to music by Elizabeth Coraggio, and am grateful for her patience and kindness in nurturing my love for music. After my introduction to piano, I started violin with Duane Padilla, who continued to teach and encourage me throughout this journey. I would also like to thank Cathy Goto, who has taught me another form of expression through my voice. I appreciate the YSII conductors, Mr. Yamane and Mr. Masaki, and the Punahou Symphony Orchestra conductors, Dr. Carlson and Mr. Young, for expanding my knowledge of music. Finally, I would like to thank my family for supporting me throughout my musical endeavors and always being there for me. I plan to continue playing music in college, while majoring in Psychology at a four-year university.

Brendan Hiyane

Youth Symphony I, Bassoon /Mililani High School

B

eing a bassoonist in YSI has really helped me grow not just as a musician but also as a person. The lessons learned from countless hours of Sunday rehearsals are something I treasure and will apply back to the classrooms of future college courses and hopefully in my own classroom as I hope to someday teach what I love doing. One of the other things I will treasure is the times I had with the people here. I will never forget the amazing and talented people who I have crossed paths with. Aside from YSI, I have taken lessons from Mr. Christopher Ventura. He has helped me to prepare for various things which have allowed me to participate in the Solo and Ensemble festival for the past 6 years, and the OBDA Select Band. I also had the honor of being the principal bassoonist for the Mililani High School Wind Ensemble for the past 3 years. This fall, I plan to study music education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

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Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Class of 2016 Darrell Huang

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Kalani High School

I

started out in HYS as an eight-year-old violinist in Summer Strings. Since then, I have made life-long friendships with talented musicians from all over the state, learned dozens of violin pieces and playing techniques through the teachings of Mr. Hung Wu, and performed orchestral music under the guidance of HYS’s wonderful conductors. Music has instilled in me traits of diligence, perseverance, and responsibility. More importantly this musical journey has taught me to see and appreciate the heart within people. I am always amazed by the devotion of all the volunteers, administrators, and conductors in the Hawaii Youth Symphony. Whenever Mr. Miyamura calls for us to emote passionately in our playing, I think of all the behind-the-scenes work that gives us this opportunity to learn music; it works every time.

Outside of HYS, I am a student, an athlete, and an avid contributor to my community. At Kalani High School, I am a part of the Science Bowl Team, the Graduation Committee, and National Honors Society.

I am also the team captain for the school tennis team. Next year, I plan to major in electrical engineering at a 4-year university.

Jarod Ishimi

Youth Symphony I, Horn / Roosevelt High School

I

began playing the French horn in 6th grade at Kawananakoa Middle School and started lessons with Eric Kop. I’ve been in HYS since 9th grade and am currently in YSI. Youth Symphony played a huge role in my life. It exposed me to challenging music such as Gershwin’s American in Paris and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances.

I also made friends from high schools across the island. But what I am most thankful for HYS is it changed my life. If I never tried out for HYS then I would probably have no interest in pursuing a career in music. Outside of HYS I swam with Manoa Aquatics and the Roosevelt High School Swim Team. I have also played with OBDA high school select band and PMI. I’d like to thank my lesson teachers Mr. Kop, Mrs. Mccune and Ms. Filson for pushing me to my full potential. I’d like to thank my band teachers Mr. Chin and Mr. Abe for their generous support. Finally I’d like to thank my HYS conductors Mr. Yamane, Mr. Masaki, and especially Mr. Miyamura. After high school I plan to attend either UNLV or Central Washington and major in music.

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

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Class of 2016 Nicole Jao

Youth Symphony II, Violin / Punahou School

T

his experience I’ve had playing in the HYS program has been amazing, to say the least. I started playing violin as a principle second violinist in Concert Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and have been so fortunate to spend the last few years with Youth Symphony II. The music selection was always so diverse, ranging from classic overtures to contemporary pieces. I loved exploring new genres with my peers, and conductors Mr. Yamane and Mr. Masaki. I’ve met so many people I could not have met otherwise, and I thank them for teaching me the importance of teamwork, music, and friendship.

I would also like to thank to my longtime private lesson teacher, Mr. Chad Uyehara. He has helped me grow and become the musician I am today. I also want to thank YSII concert parents, Aunty Stacey and Auntie Kristie, for making my rehearsals all the more memorable.

Aside from YSII, I have participated in Punahou School’s Symphony Orchestra. I also am involved in Punahou’s admission tour guides program and Mandarin Chinese immersion program. After graduating, I plan to major in international relations at a four-year college.

Kiana Kendall

Youth Symphony I, Violin / McKinley High School

B

eing a part of HYS these past three years has been a really great learning experience for me. Not only was I provided with many opportunities to perform a variety of difficult pieces with the orchestra, I also had the chance to meet many friends that share my love of music and who I would not have met otherwise.

The lessons I have learned during my time in HYS will be extremely useful to me during my college years and future endeavors in music.

Every Sunday rehearsal has in some way, big or small, made me into a better player. This upcoming school year, I plan to go to the University of Colorado Boulder as a violin performance major, which will help ready me for a career in music. I am very excited for what the future holds, and I am grateful to HYS for all they have done to help get me where I am!

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Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony

Class of 2016 Brian Kim

Youth Symphony I, Viola / University Lab School

I

like meeting new people and playing different types of music. I enjoy how the music selection is decided for us so I can experience a wide array of compositions. Despite my participation in Youth Symphony for most of my life, I was never able to overcome my fears of public performance. Over the years, Youth Symphony taught me the virtues of hard work and honesty. Everything can be achieved through hard work and effort. I competed in the Hawaii State Science and Engineering fair for two years and the Pacific Symposium for Science and Sustainability (PS3) for three years. I presented at the 2013 Ocean Sciences Conference once and taught summer robotics the same year.

I will attend the University of San Francisco under a Physics and Engineering degree and possibly a medical degree from the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Jasmine Kim

Youth Symphony II, Horn / McKinley High School

I

was introduced to music at a young age at the piano but I disliked going to lessons every week and gave up in the end.

However, as I got older, I became determined to follow my true passion of playing the French horn. It was not until last year I met one of my role models, my private lesson instructor, Ms. Marie Lickwar. No other teacher had believed in me as much as she did and with her guidance, I developed my confidence as a horn player.

I have been honored to play under all the talented conductors: Ms. Susan Ochi-Onishi, Ms. Hannah Watanabe, Mr. Derrick Yamane, Mr. Elton Masaki, and Mr. Henry Miyamura through different HYS programs. Although I had a late start in the youth symphony, through these few years I have met great people and made many memories with my HYS family. This year, my school wind ensemble was given the privilege of performing at a festival in the ever so famous Carnegie Hall. I have also participated in Select Band I for the past two years, won medals with both solos and ensembles, but I would have never gotten this far without the support of my teachers, family, and friends. This Fall I plan to study at the University of San Francisco, and of course I will continue to play the horn.

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

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Class of 2016 Taylor-Anne Kim

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Mililani High School

B

eing a part of HYS has been an incredible learning experience, and words cannot express how grateful I am for what I gained from the program. I loved being able to know that every Sunday I could spend time working with talented, young musicians from across the state, and that every rehearsal I could learn something new about music and about myself. After being in YSII for one year, and then playing in YSI for these past two years I have really come to appreciate the existence of this program. Without it I would not have had the opportunity to work with such wonderful conductors and fellow high school musicians. I’d like to thank my family, my violin teacher Mr. Chad Uyehara, my music directors at Mililani High School, and of course Mr. Masaki, Mr. Yamane, and Mr. Miyamura for teaching me all that I know and for inspiring me to continue to work hard every day. Besides HYS, I have been a part of Pacific Music Institute, Honor Orchestra, the MHS String Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra, and the MHS Trojan Marching Band as a percussionist. I plan to study Mechanical Engineering at a four-year university.

Kathy Kwock

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Roosevelt High School

I

fell in love with the violin when I was in sixth grade. A year later, I auditioned for the academy program and started my first year in SOE. Over the years, under the tutelage of many teachers and mentors, I slowly worked my way from being in SOE to YSI, challenging myself to new things as the music got more difficult.

During rehearsals, I learned about how incredible music actually is, such that a musician can always continue on, far beyond what they have already accomplished. But most importantly, I learned to be much more attentive to little details. Little details separate the good from the great. Being in the Hawaii Youth Symphony for the past six years has given me the opportunity to challenge myself, while working with other talented and amazing musicians across the islands. I would like to sincerely thank Mrs. Joanna Zane Fan, Mr. Iggy Jang, and Mr. Abe for always being there to help me go beyond my capabilities in expressing myself and living through music.

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Class of 2016 Hyunwoo Lee

Youth Symphony I, Cello / Moanalua High School

B

eing in the Youth Symphony program changed my thoughts about music greatly. Before I joined the program I only thought of music as a fun way to spend some time. But after 3 years in the Youth Symphony program, now I think of music as a way to change other people’s lives. This is because I learned to look at music through the perspective of the music itself. I keep thinking about how the music should be played, how the music should sound, and how each individual note has to sound in order for the music to sound its greatest. I want to thank everyone in the Youth Symphony program for teaching me about music and the way music should be played. I learned from the conductors that music should be played from the heart not the head; meaning that you should play music with feelings and emotion instead of using your head to think how the music should sound. I’ve been in the Youth Symphony program for 3 years. 2 years in YSII and 1 year in YSI. I regret not joining the Youth Symphony program earlier. I’m also in the Symphony Orchestra at Moanalua High School. I was in the orchestra for 3 years. I was also participated in the Solo Ensemble for the past 2 years. Thank you again to everyone in the Youth Symphony programs and good luck to everyone next year.

Julia Lee

Youth Symphony I, Trombone / Kalani High School

A

s one of the few female trombone players you will ever meet, participating in band and Youth Symphony has taught me more than just learning how to play music. It has showed me that music is universal; it connects us all no matter who we are, when we lived, or where we are. I am thankful to have been a part of the HYS program for 5 years, starting in CO for 1 year, YSII for 3, and finally YSI for my last. Along the way, I have been fortunate enough to have had incredible teachers. I would like to thank my lesson teachers, Mr. Daniel Akemoto and the late Mr. Kyle Hanki, my band directors Mr. Derek Fujio, Mrs. Susan Ochi-Onishi, and Mr. Dennis Kaneshiro, as well as the HYS staff, especially to Mr. Derek Yamane and Mr. Henry Miyamura. Coupled with participating in HYS, I also am a member of the Kalani High School Wind Ensemble, play Varsity Basketball, Tennis, and Soft Tennis, and volunteer with clubs such as National Honor Society and LEO Club. I plan to attend a four-year college and major in Biology.

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Class of 2016 Eileen Liu

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Punahou School

M

y time as a violinist in Youth Symphony I for the past three years has been full of exciting, nerve wracking, and inspiring moments. The long hours spent with my gifted musical friends, concert parents, and Mr. Miyamura have taught me so much about music and going beyond, beyond, beyond. I sincerely appreciate the knowledge and life lessons I have learned from Mr. Miyamura and the HYS family, Punahou Orchestra directors Mr. Young and Dr. Carlson, and teacher Mr. Uyehara. In addition to being a member of YSI, I am a member of the Punahou Symphony Orchestra and Punahou Chamber Music program. Next year, I hope to continue playing music in an orchestra and intend to major in Biology.

Ashley Maeshiro

Concert Orchestra, Oboe / McKinley High School

P

laying the oboe in CO the past two years has been a very enjoyable experience for me. Not only have I played alongside other great musicians but I have made friends with them along the way. Through HYS I have learned that the possibilities are endless and there is always room for improvement. Perfection is impossible but it should always be your goal. I have been playing the oboe from the sixth grade and taking lessons from my amazing oboe teacher Erin Taoka for about seven years. I have been the principal oboist in McKinley High School’s Wind Ensemble I and Symphony Orchestra for the past three years and have been participating in McKinley’s Parade Marching band for the past four years. I also have participated in Solo and Ensemble since the eighth grade. Lastly I am proud to say that I was a part of the MHS Wind Ensemble I that had performed at Carnegie Hall this past March which received outstanding results. After graduating I plan to attend UH Manoa where I will major in Secondary Education and aspire to become an English teacher.

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Class of 2016 Julianne Matsumoto

Youth Symphony I, Clarinet / Castle High School

I

have been playing the clarinet since my freshman year, and I have been a member of HYS for two years—one in YSII and one in YSI. Coming together to play with such talented players from all over the island has really helped me improve my ability as a musician, as well as my understanding of musical expression. It has been an experience I would not have been able to get anywhere else, and I am so grateful to the HYS staff and conductors for managing such a great program. I am also thankful to my clarinet instructor, Mr. Robert Larm; my band director, Mr. Arnold Alconcel; and my parents for everything they have done to support my musical endeavors over the years. Aside from HYS, I also participate in Castle’s wind ensemble, field show marching band, jazz band (as a saxophonist), Key Club, National Honor Society, and student council. Musically, I have also participated in HYS’s Pacific Music Institute, as well as the OBDA state select band and solo & ensemble festival. I will continue to play music at an undecided university, where I plan to major in biology.

Keane Miyamoto

Youth Symphony I, Cello / Moanalua High School

H

YS has provided me many opportunities; the one opportunity I found the most life changing is learning the cello. My experience with HYS goes way back to about third grade when I first signed up for Beginning String Ensemble. I steadily learned how to play the cello and eventually was able to actually read the music without writing down every single fingering. As I am writing this, I now sit in the highest orchestra in the HYS program, YSI. The journey in this program was life changing and was accompanied by many life lessons. Perhaps the most important lesson I had to take away from this is that “greatness is simply not given, but is worked for.” Cello has opened up many opportunities for me such as being able to participate in the annual Solo and Ensemble performances for a number of years and having the honor to grace the stage of Carnegie Hall with the Moanalua High School Symphony Orchestra in 2013. With my high school year coming to an end, I have already applied and got accepted to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I do not know what my future holds, but just like third grade, my journey begins here.

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Class of 2016 Tomoe Mizutani

Youth Symphony II, Violin / Kalani High School

T

his season is the one and only time I have played in Youth Symphony, but it has nonetheless imparted me bountiful lessons and experiences. Most of all, playing in Youth Symphony enabled me to realize the significance of all sounds. In a symphony, I need to listen carefully for the melody line as well as all supporting tones to determine my own role through the phrase.

Applying this practice to reality, I began to hear all the sounds around me as soon as I paid close attention to them. Some sounds are quiet, overwritten by others, but they all ought to be heard. I am truly thankful for my conductors, Mr. Yamane and Mr. Masaki, and HYS staff for teaching me to appreciate all the sounds in my surroundings, and correspondently, to listen to every voice around me. In school, I participate in various activities including math team, science bowl, and national honor society. Upon graduation I am going to study economics or engineering at Yale University.

Meghan Murakami

Youth Symphony II, Percussion / Punahou School

I

was a little apprehensive to be starting HYS in my senior year of high school, but I’m definitely glad to have had the opportunity to be a part of a musical group outside of Punahou School, where I am part of marching band, yearbook, and also work with kindergarteners and first graders. Inspired by the music at last year’s Aloha Concert Luncheon, something inside me told me I had to try out, and I’m so happy I went with my gut. Auditioning for HYS taught me to just go for it and take a chance! A big thank you is owed to my parents, brothers, and my teacher Mrs. So Jin Kimura for encouraging me to try out, and for the friends and mentors I’ve made in YSII that have made this experience fun and worthwhile. While I haven’t yet decided where I’m going to college, I plan on majoring in communications and elementary education with the hope of bringing what I learn to help Hawaii’s community.

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Class of 2016 Nicole Nagatoshi

Youth Symphony I, Viola / Roosevelt High School

B

eing in HYS for nine seasons has changed my life tremendously.

I learned to play viola in the HYS academy Beginning String Ensemble. Since then I made my way up through the various levels to YSI, where I am currently finishing my second year. Through my years in HYS I have made many friends, life-long relationships and learned that nothing is ever good enough unless it meets “Miyamura standards.”

At Roosevelt High School, I’ve been the viola section leader since freshman year. I also participated in the Symphonic Band playing Percussion. I would like to thank my friends and family for all the support over all these years. I would especially like to thank my private teacher, Mr. Elton Masaki, whose help and guidance brought me to where I am today. Special thanks go out to Mr. Henry Miyamura, all my past HYS conductors, and Roosevelt High School’s Music Director Mr. Gregg Abe. I will be attending UH Manoa in the fall, and double majoring in Music and Psychology in hopes of become either a Music Therapist or a Post-Secondary Music Teacher.

Cody Onishi

Youth Symphony I, Horn / Kalani High School

M

usic has always been a great passion of mine. I began piano and violin lessons at a young age and I continued my musical experiences at Wilson Elementary, Kaimuki MS, and Kalani HS. My brother, Rory, inspired me to play the French horn. I am extremely grateful to Mr. Eric Kop, who patiently transformed me into a horn player. My journey in HYS began in CO and YSII. As a freshman, I joined YSI and served as principal horn in my Junior and Senior year. Participating in HYS gave me the opportunity to grow musically with talented peers and broaden my realm in orchestral music. I would like to thank Mr. Kop, Mrs. Maura McCune-Corvington, Mrs. Laurie Shinsato, Mr. Duane Padilla, Mr. Kaneshiro, Mr. Hayakawa, Mr. Fujio, Mr. Sunabe, Mr. Yamane, Mrs. Watanabe, the HYS Staff, and my family for their support! I would especially like to thank Mr. Miyamura for his support and dedication to making music truly meaningful. My extracurricular activities include the Kalani Math Team, Science Bowl, Robotics Team, National Honor Society, Leo and Interact Clubs, Select Band, Solo/Ensemble, PMI, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the HYS Woodwind Quintet. I plan to major in electrical engineering and computer science at Purdue University.

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Class of 2016 Jennifer Park

Youth Symphony I, Basoon / Iolani School

B

eing a bassoonist in YSI for the past four years taught me many valuable lessons and skills. Not only have I met my closest friends through this program, but I have also spent countless hours dedicating myself to practice the challenging pieces YSI has offered me. I would like to thank all the HYS conductors, Mr. Dayao, Mrs. Hafner, Mr. Fujio, and my bassoon teacher, Mr. Hotoke. The experience of playing with top student musicians has left such a positive impact on my life that music will always be an important factor all throughout my future endeavors. Besides playing for HYS, I have been a part of the Hawaii Concert Band, Hawaii Select Band, Solo and Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra 5, and the Japan AllState Band. I plan to attend a 4-year college in order to pursue a degree in forensic psychology and criminal justice.

Steve Park

Youth Symphony I, Trombone / Kalani High School

I

am currently in YSI and I also play the bass trombone. The best experience was meeting and making new friends from other schools. Also another great opportunity that my friends and I had this year was the ability to listen to and attend Toby Oft’s masterclass and concert. Aside from Youth Symphony, I’ve been part of the Kalani Wind ensemble for three years and have been part of the Kalani Falcon Marching band for the past four years as well as a low brass section leader. I was also in the OBDA high school select band for three years and held a principal chair seating. I was also a blue gold medalist in the OBDA high school solo ensemble.

My plan is to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa majoring in engineering. I would like to thank my youth symphony conductors, my band teachers Mr. Wayne Fanning, Mr. Zachary Morita, Mr. Dennis Kaneshiro, and my private teacher Mr. Jason Byerlotzer.

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Class of 2016 Hana Ra

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Punahou School

I

began playing the violin in seventh grade at Mid-Pacific Institute with the help of Elton Masaki and I soon went into the HYS program a year later. Words cannot express how grateful I am for having music in my life because I can truly say that I would not be the person I am today without it. Before I started playing the violin, I didn’t think that I was very important to society and thought that I was breathing just for the sake of breathing, but through orchestra, I discovered the importance of every individual. I learned that no matter where a person was in an orchestra, whether it be in front or in back, that person was important because if every person who considered him or herself inadequate left the orchestra, then there wouldn’t be an orchestra at all. I am sincerely indebted to HYS and music as a whole for making me a more exuberant and self-confident person who isn’t afraid of trying new things. After graduating, I plan on double majoring in biology and music at a four-year college.

Olivia Reano

Youth Symphony I, Viola / Kalani High School

I

have played both the violin and viola during my three years with HYS. Although I have only started playing the viola since my junior year of high school, I was fortunate enough to have been accepted into YSI this year. Being in HYS for three years has truly been a rewarding experience for me as I was able to meet and perform with many talented musicians. Aside from HYS, I have also been a part of the Kalani High School Orchestra for four years. I would like to sincerely thank all of my HYS conductors, my violin and viola teachers, Ms. Joan Doike and Ms. Anna Womack, and my family for all of their support and encouragement throughout the years. I will be attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa this fall where I will be majoring in Biology and pursuing a career in medicine.

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Class of 2016 Sonia Romero

Youth Symphony I, Bass / Punahou School

I

auditioned for HYS on a whim during the spring of my 8th grade year, unaware of what I was getting myself into. After four years and countless Sunday rehearsals, it’s crazy to think that my time here is finally coming to a close. I think the thing I am most grateful for throughout this whole experience was having the opportunity to be surrounded by such talented and passionate musicians. The friendships and memories that I’ve made at YS are something I will never forget. It was an honor to be able to work with Mr. Miyamura who always pushed us to go beyond, beyond, and sometimes even beyond that. A huge shout out goes out to Uncle Lance, Les and the Gang, Randy Wong and Mrs. Watanabe for making HYS possible. Most importantly I’d like to thank my parents for always supporting me whether it be paying for private lessons, attending all of my concerts, or helping me lug my huge bass around, rain or shine. Outside of music I spent most of my time doing debate, mock trial, and cross-country, among other things. Although I don’t plan to pursue music as a profession, I’d love to continue playing throughout college. After graduating, I plan to study International Business at USC.

Matthew Sahara

Youth Symphony I, Trumpet / Roosevelt High School

I

n 5th grade, I played viola in BSE. I quickly joined band the next year and chose the oboe. After I stopped sounding like a dying cat-duck, I was allowed to learn a second instrument, the trumpet, and the rest is history. I auditioned into CO my sophomore year, moved up to YSII the next, and finally into YSI. I had nightmares of Mr. Miyamura eating me alive, but it has been a very worthwhile, enriching, and enjoyable experience. At Roosevelt High School, I serve as a Trumpet Section Leader for the marching band as well as principal oboist for the Symphonic Band and Orchestra. I am forever grateful to Mr. Gregg Abe, Mr. Scott Janusch, and Mr. Wyatt Nagao for making sure that I always played with my heart. In addition to music, I am involved with my school’s Science Olympiad, Air Riflery, and Speech and Debate programs. As an Eagle Scout, I participate in regular community service and strive to continue to helping my troop. I plan to continue my education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa this fall, pursuing a degree in electrical engineering and continuing close ties with music for the rest of my life.

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Class of 2016 Hyeon-Jae Seo

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Punahou School

I

still remember the adrenaline rush that coursed through my veins the first time I played in a full orchestra during a YSII rehearsal in eighth grade. Even now, after five years of sacrificing my Sundays to YS rehearsals, I still experience that same thrill every time I embark on a musical journey with some of the finest young musicians in the state under the guidance of the most inspiring and motivating conductors.

I am immensely grateful towards Mr. Yamane and Mr. Miyamura, as well as all my peers, for fostering my musical growth and maturity, and I will forever cherish the memories and friendships formed during my time in this program. Outside of HYS, I also enjoy dancing ballet, playing piano, doing various community service activities, and participating in my school’s Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Music Program, as well as the Science Bowl and Math teams. After graduating, I plan to attend Harvard University.

Claire Shigeta

Youth Symphony I, Oboe / Kalani High School

B

eing a part of Youth Symphony was definitely a valuable experience for me. I am thankful to have been given the amazing opportunity to play a variety of beautiful music with such talented people. It was interesting to learn how to not only play music with precise technicality, but with passionate emotion in order to bring the music to life. I learned a lot about the importance of dedication, teamwork, and practice in YS, and am optimistic that my time in this esteemed orchestra has instilled in me values that I will use in my future endeavors. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me thus far, especially my oboe teacher Susan Ochi-Onishi and my current band director Dennis Kaneshiro. After high school, I plan to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa to study biology.

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Class of 2016 Kailee Shiraishi

Concert Orchestra, Violin / St. Andrews Priory

B

eing a member or part of Hawaii Youth Symphony has been a great privilege even though I did not continuously attend HYS. I started playing the violin in 6th grade and started taking lessons in the 7th. Originally, I was a trumpet player 2 years prior, but changing schools has converted me otherwise. I have been part of HYS since the 8th grade starting at CSO and then into CO during my sophomore year. I stopped for a moment during my junior year and came back for my senior year. Coming back to HYS, I saw that I really missed being there. HYS has taught me that no matter what age you might be, you can still work hard to achieve your goals and ambitions.

Work hard, be dedicated, and to not forget to have fun in the process.

These are the main things that I have learned from HYS. I actually play the piano and plan to major in musical education to teach piano to students at all ages. Being a dual instrument player, it was hard to balance out the practice times as well as not neglecting my studies.

Still, I had a lot of fun and I plan to continue playing the violin in the future.

Jolene Siu

Youth Symphony II, Clarinet / Roosevelt High School

I

first started playing the clarinet in 6th grade. I then started taking lessons from Mr. Leonard Hasuko and he pushed me to be become a better player. If it weren’t for him, I would have never tried out for HYS. I got in to Concert Orchestra in 8th grade and then YSII in 10th grade. HYS has exposed me to fun and challenging music that I normally would not have the opportunity to play. HYS has also given me friendships that I will cherish forever. Being in HYS has given me friends and experiences I will be forever grateful for. Outside of HYS, I have participated in Honor Band, PMI, OBDA Solo and Ensemble, OBDA Select Band, and Roosevelt High School’s Symphonic Band, Orchestra, and Marching Band. I am also Roosevelt’s senior class senator, yearbook co-editor-in-chief, and green club treasurer. After graduating I plan to major in Biology and hopefully get a career in the medical field.

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Class of 2016 Tristen Tagad

Youth Symphony II, Baritone / Kalani High School

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hat I liked most about being in the youth symphony were the people I met this year. I am in wind ensemble at Kalani High School, and have been playing the euphonium since the sixth grade. My first experience with HYS was in the eighth grade auditioning for CO for my freshman year. I’ve been a member of HYS for a total of three years, making it to YSII this year. When I first got in I was surprised, and I realized that practice doesn’t make perfect, but makes you not as bad as you would’ve been, haha. After high school I plan on going to KCC for one year, then go to UH or pursue other ambitions.

Kayla Takemoto

Youth Symphony II, Violin / Hawaii Baptist Academy

B

eing part of the Hawaii Youth Symphony for more than 5 years has been an amazing experience. I have been so blessed and honored to have had an opportunity to play with so many talented students from different schools across the state and being under the directors Mr. Derrick Yamane and Mr. Elton Masaki. HYS has not only taught me how to play my violin at its best, but I’ve learned life skills that I can take with me after graduation. I’ve learned to stay focused, to keep a positive attitude, to have perseverance, be self-disciplined and to never give up easily. I also play the trumpet for Wind Ensemble at Hawaii Baptist Academy and participated in the Pacific Music Institute. I also play the piano for fun and I’m currently working on my private pilot license. My goal is to pursue a career in Aeronautical Science by attending the Aerospace Program at University of North Dakota in hopes of becoming a professional commercial pilot.

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Class of 2016 Chelsea Tanaka

Youth Symphony I, Clarinet / Kalani High School

M

usic and the clarinet have been an immense part of my life ever since I was 10 years old. I started studying the clarinet with Ms. Lynne Nakaura when I was thirteen, then shortly thereafter I auditioned and was accepted into YSI. Being a member of YSI for four years has provided me with many memorable experiences, but I believe that one of the most important things that YSI and Mr. Miyamura has reinforced is the idea that continuous effort is the key to success. Preparing for the three-hour rehearsals and the concerts has helped me to motivate myself and put in an enormous amount of time and effort to perform successfully. Aside from music, I am currently a member of the National Honor Society, Future Health Professionals, and intern at a Veterinary Clinic and a Doctor of Internal Medicine’s Office as a member of the Health Academy at Kalani High School.

This fall, I plan on studying Biology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa to begin my journey into pursuing a career in the medical field.

I would like to thank everyone who has encouraged me and supported me to go “beyond, beyond!”

Jake Taniguchi

Youth Symphony I, Bassoon / Mid-Pacific Institute

B

eing a member of HYS has been a priceless experience, one that has reinforced my love for music and the arts. I have been extremely fortunate to perform with some of the finest musicians in the state and have made many lifelong friends. I would like thank all of the HYS conductors, especially Mr. Miyamura, my bassoon teachers Mr. Fanning and Mr. Hotoke, as well as Mr. Morita, Mr. Masaki, and Mr. Nii for their support and inspiration. Finally, I would like to thank YSI concert parents Mrs. Watanabe and Mr. Uchida for their hard work and dedication. At Mid-Pacific, I am a member of the School of the Arts, playing in the Wind Ensemble and Advanced Orchestra. I am also a member of the Honolulu Wind Ensemble and former member of the University of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. For the past eight years, I volunteered at the Honolulu Theater for Youth. This fall, I plan to attend college on the mainland and continue playing music. Through my experience with HYS, I believe that as individuals and together as a community, we need to support the arts because the arts changes lives.

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Class of 2016 Marissa Watanabe

Youth Symphony I, Flute / Kaiser High School

M

y musical journey began with utter confusion in terms of what to expect. Little did I know that my life up to high school and maybe even further would revolve around this metal pipe called a flute. Participating in YSll my freshman year and YSI my sophomore to senior year has been a fun challenge, but a challenge none the less. I’ve learned first-hand the benefits of working hard and the motivation that comes along with determination. The lessons that I have learned through HYS will propel me into the future as I face my pursuit of happiness and knowledge. In the past four years of long HYS, Select Band, and Solo and Ensemble performances, I’ve found friends who share the same passion as me and I will never forget the struggles we’ve overcome together. As for what University I will be attending, I am still deciding. I’m grateful for the plethora of friends, family, and those of the HYS organization that has supported me and has believed in me from the beginning. Thank you.

Vincent Reid Womack

Youth Symphony I, Cello / Honolulu Waldorf School

P

laying cello in YSI has been a great privilege. I started playing with YSI my sophomore year, at the back of the cello section.

After eyeing that first chair spot for two years while slowly moving up the ranks, I finally reached principal cello my senior year. Going to rehearsal every Sunday for three years has been quite the commitment, one that has definitely been worth all the hours spent in the UH band room. The hard work and dedication expected by Mr. Miyamura has helped me to become the person I am today. Being a part of YSI has taught me that playing music can touch you in ways that hearing it alone never could. The experience of flying to other islands to perform for the people there is one that I will never forget. Outside of YSI, I have participated in the Solo and Ensemble program for more than ten years, numerous Suzuki workshops, and the Lutheran Summer Music program in Iowa for three years. Besides music, I enjoy creating artwork and I have been asked to paint murals at school as well as at the restaurant where I work. I plan to attend Lewis & Clark College in Portland, majoring in art.

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Class of 2016 Shane Xu

Youth Symphony I, Horn / Kalani High School

Y

ou know that person that has no idea what they’re doing and you just can’t figure out how he got here? That is an accurate description of me and my journey in Youth Symphony. I first stumbled into YS when I was recruited in eighth grade to play in CO. I really enjoyed my time as it was the first time I have ever played in an orchestra. I found the experience of working together to create music to be very enjoyable so I decided to audition and continue my career in YS. In my freshman and sophomore year I got into YSII and in my junior and senior year I got into YSI. One of the greatest things about not having a private lesson teacher is that it taught me how to use what I have and motivated me to work and practice harder to close the gap between me and everybody else. From being in YS and fighting the uphill battle to succeed, I have learned how to apply the same mindset to my other activities such as leading the Kalani rifle team, competing in the state science fair and receiving third in my category, running in Track, being a part of Robotics, and more. In the fall, I am hoping to study Aerospace Engineering although I am still finalizing which college to go to at the time of writing this.

Nicholas Yama

Youth Symphony I, Trumpet / Kalani High School

M

usic has always been an integral part of my life and I am very thankful for the creative outlet that HYS has provided for me. It has been an amazing opportunity to be able to perform with such outstanding guests, mentors, and peers, and the lessons learned will last a lifetime. I am certain that I would not have had such a great opportunity without the help of so many amazing mentors and as such I would like to thank Mr. Grant Okamura, Mr. Dennis Kaneshiro, Mrs. Susan Ochi-Onishi, Mr. Derek Fujio, Mr. Robert Hayakawa, Mr. Derrick Yamane, and Maestro Henry Miyamura. Additionally I would like to thank my family and friends who have supported me and made this experience possible. This fall, I will be studying engineering at UH Manoa on a Chancellor’s Scholarship.

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Class of 2016 David Yamamoto

Youth Symphony I, Tuba / Pearl City High School

H

ey! I’m David Yamamoto from Hawaii Youth Symphony I! I take great pride and joy in playing the tuba. The best part about being a member of the Hawaii Youth Symphony is the people. In the low brass section, we always have the best conversations!

While in the symphony, you’ll learn one of the most important life lessons which is working as a team and working hard. I will carry on these life lessons and fulfill my dream of living in Japan and becoming a pilot. My other activities and achievements are participating in the OBDA and Solo Ensembles for the past 3 years and being in the Boy Scouts for the past 9 years. I just completed my Eagle project and look forward to becoming an Eagle Scout. After I graduate from high school, I’m planning on attending Leeward Community College until the flight school in Hilo becomes available. I wish the best for my sister Rachael to keep striving to be in YSI. Work hard and you’ll make it.

I would like to thank Mr. T. J. Ricer, my tuba instructor, for helping me get this far in the musical field. I would also like to thank Mr. Miyamura for continuing to teach and nourish students to do their best. Thanks to my parents for always believing in me and supporting me all these years. I am very grateful.

Ji Eun Yang

Youth Symphony I, Violin / University Lab School

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have been in HYS since Intermediate String Ensemble. Over the years I have worked my way up to YSI. Being a member of the Youth Symphony, I got to perform with a diverse group of people as well as learn more about each instrument. I remember going to a Listen & Learn concert as a child and being totally mesmerized by the mixture of sound and rhythm. It inspired me to take an interest in the world of music and hope to one day become a member of the same high-level symphony. In HYS, I learned a lot about being able to work with others, and learning to pay attention to multiple details while playing as well. Aside playing the violin, I am also a part of Varsity Pac 5 water polo team. After graduating, I plan to attend a four-year university as a design major. I would like to thank my private violin teacher Darel Stark for always knowing the music pieces, and I would also like to thank my parents for always pushing me to be at my best.

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

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Class of 2016 Christopher Yick

Youth Symphony I, Bass / Iolani School

C

hristopher began playing the double bass at Iolani School in 6th grade and has studied privately with Hawaii Symphony Orchestra Associate Principal, John Gallagher for the last six years. In 9th grade, Chris began his Youth Symphony experience with YSI. He is currently principal bass of Iolani’s Orchestra 5 and YSI. Ever since joining the Youth Symphony, Chris has created a lot of memories. The opportunity to travel to different islands while also having the honor to solo with world class musicians has inspired him to pursue music. Every rehearsal has taught him perseverance and hard work. He knows that the most gratifying moment is how much the audience is touched.

After graduating from Iolani, Chris plans to pursue a double bass performance degree while also pursuing his passion for business. He would like to thank John Gallagher for his knowledge, patience, and discipline; Chris would have never made it this far without him. Thanks to Mr. Henry Miyamura for teaching him to not just play the notes, but to play the music. He would also like to thank Mrs. Estrellita, Michael Gorman, Mrs. Wehrman, Mrs. Hafner, and Mr. Randy Wong for their words of wisdom and positive encouragement. Finally, Chris would like to thank his friends and family for their love and support.

Sharon Young

Youth Symphony II, Oboe / Homeschool

A

s a homeschooler, I didn’t have the opportunity to play in a symphonic setting until I joined HYS three years ago. Oboe in YSII has been one of the most mentally taxing yet rewarding activities of my adolescent life. The toughest challenge this school year has been finding the motivation to practice. However, with the help of students and conductors of YSII, my passion for the oboe has rekindled. My time with HYS has taught me the importance of patience, goal setting and self-discipline. During the times when I’m not practicing or rehearsing, I’m swimming for Kamehameha Swim Club. The self-discipline that I had acquired as a musician played an enormous role in my success as an athlete. Not only have I qualified to compete multiple times on the mainland, but I have also placed top eight in those races. I plan to attend Seattle Pacific University this fall, majoring in Psychology. As I transition into a new chapter of my life, from adolescence to adulthood, I would like to thank those who have guided me and shaped me into the person I am today.

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Class of 2016 Angeline Zhou

Youth Symphony I, Violin / Punahou School

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began playing violin in the Beginning Strings Ensemble of the Hawaii Youth Symphony program (HYS) in second grade. Enrolling in private lessons a little while later, I currently study with Mr. Hung Wu. I participate in the Punahou Symphony Orchestra, the Punahou Chamber Music Program, and HYS. In the past ten years, I have grown increasingly appreciative of these organizations and the opportunities they provide. I cherish the HYS neighbor island trips and Listen and Learn concerts, which have revealed the power held by music to unite and inspire. I am also grateful for the friends made and lessons learned through these experiences provided by the HYS program. In my spare time, I enjoy eating mangoes, playing violin at nursing homes, and hanging out at the park with my dog. In the future, I hope to study human biology, while continuing to pursue my interest in music on the side—and go past many “beyonds”—Mr. Miyamura demands it, not me! There are so many people in the HYS program whom I would like to thank: the conductors, volunteers, concert parents, and my own peers. After the 2015 Winter Concert rehearsal, Mr. Miyamura told us, “If the music touches your heart…

Well, that’s what YSI is all about.” I am so thankful that I have grown up with the HYS community and alongside Mr. Miyamura’s inspiring and palpable love for music.

2016 Spring Concert Series Celebrating Our 51st Season

47 2016 Aloha Concert | 47

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48 | 2016 Aloha Concert

Hawaii Youth Symphony Hawaii Youth Symphony