Our 50th Anniversary Celebration begins with our gala fundraiser,

He Makana O Na Mele: The Gift of Music, on Sunday, November 23!

We would really appreciate your donation of an item for our Silent Auction, or crafts
& baked goods for our Country Store!
1110 University Ave., #200 Honolulu, HI 96826-1598
(808) 941-9706 www.HiYouthSymphony.org
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Celebrating 50 Years of Serving
Hawaiis Youth Trough Music
Hawaii Youth Symphony Newsletter
Learn Perform Grow
Summer/Fall 2014
...of
Celebrating 50 Years of
Serving HawaiisYouth
Trough Music
NOTE
SAVE THESE DATES!
FREE YSII Community Concert
With Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus
Sun., October 19, 5:00 pm
Kawaiahao Church
He Makana O Na Mele: The Gift of Music Gala
Fundraiser
YSI with Special Guest: MAKANA
Sun., November 23, 2014, 4:30 pm
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Symphony Program Winter Concert
(YSI, YSII, CO)
Sun., December 7, 2014, 4:00 PM
Neil Blaisdell Concert Hall
FREE Symphony Program Listen & Learn Concerts
(YSI, YSII, CO)
December 8-10, 2014 (Details at HYS website)
Neil Blaisdell Concert Hall
FREE Academy Winter Concert
(BSE, ISE, SOE, CSO)
Sat., December 14, 2014, 3:00 PM
Kaimuki High School Auditorium
FREE YSI Maui Community Concert
(Part of our Maui Tour)
Mon., February 16, 2015, 4:00 pm
Maui Arts & Cultural Center
FREE YSI Maui Listen & Learn Concerts
(Part of our Maui Tour)
Tue., February 17, 2015
Maui Arts & Cultural Center
FREE YSII Community Concert
With Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus
Sun., February 22, 2015, 5:00 pm
Kawaiahao Church
FREE CO Community Concert
Sun., March 1, 2015, 2:00 pm
Ala Moana Shopping Center
FREE YSI Spring Community Concert
with Special Guests Conrad Tao, piano
& Ignace Jang, violin
Sun., April 12, 2014 4:00 pm
Neil Blasidell Concert Hall
FREE YSII/CO Spring Concert
Sun., April 19, 2015, 4:00 pm
Roosevelt High School Auditorium
FREE Academy Spring Concert
Sat., April 25, 2015, 2:00 pm
Kaimuki High School Auditorium
Aloha Concert Luncheon
YSI & YSII, with Special Guests:
The Brothers Cazimero
Sun., May 17, 2015, 11:30 am
Hilton Hawaiian Village
FREE Alumni Chamber Music Concert
Fri., June 5, 2015, 6:00 pm
Hawaii State Art Museum, 2nd Floor
HYS to Celebrate 50 Years This Season!
T
he 2014-15 season marks Hawaii Youth Symphonys Golden Anniversaryour 50th Season!
Since HYSs non-prot status was granted in 1964, HYS has become one of Hawaiis top musical
treasures and one of the nations largest independently-operated youth symphony organizations.
O
ur 50th Anniversary Celebration kicks off on November 23, 2014!
Special guest artist MAKANAthe internationally-acclaimed guitarist,
singer, and composer will join Maestro Henry Miyamura & Youth Symphony I
as entertainment for our annual gala fundraiser, HE MAKANA O NA MELE: THE GIFT OF
MUSIC, at Hilton Hawaiian Villages Coral Ballroom. Makanas music has appeared
on three Grammy-nominated albums and was the soundtrack to the Academy Award-
winning lm, The Descendents. Proceeds from the fundraiser support HYS!
L
ater in the season, HYS students will perform alongside winners from the Aloha
International Piano Festival; Hawaii Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Ignace Jang &
internationally-renowned pianist Conrad Tao; The Brothers Cazimero; and will perform newly-
commissioned works. Every concert will be a blockbuster; please stay tuned for more details!
Hawaii Youth Symphony Association
HYS Needs Your Help!
Remembering the Early Days of HYS
H
YS began as a single orchestra,
known as the Honolulu Youth
Symphony Orchestra (HYSO), and
was originally established in 1954
with the help of the Honolulu Junior
Chamber of Commerce. HYSO
performed its early concerts in the
auditoriums at Roosevelt High
School and Farrington High School,
under the direction of George
Wellington, Sr. In October 1961,
Peter Mesrobian joined HYSO as conductor, and by December 24, 1964, HYS had been granted its
non-prot status. In those years, the orchestra was comprised of 80 students from 17 Oahu schools, ages
12-17 years old.
H
YSs rst concert following its incorporation was on June 9, 1964 at McKinley High School
Auditorium. The concert featured Joaquin Diago, a Cuban-born violinist who was a professor of
music theory in Havana and who had performed in the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra since he was
age seventeen. His bio noted that he came to Hawaii as a Cuban exile with bullet scars as phsycal
testimony to his ght for freedom. The Youth Symphony, conducted by Mr. Mesrobian, performed
music by Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Vaughn-Williams, Johann Strauss, and Saint-Saens. At the
end of its rst full season, HYS presented a Concerto Concert with Henry Miyamura guest conducting
Webers Concertino in E-at for Clarinet and Orchestra; Glenn Uejio, then a senior at Kalani High
School, was clarinet soloist.
B
y 1966, the Hawaii Junior Orchestra was formed for the purpose of providing orchestral experience
for young musicians who could one day become members of HYS. Under the direction of Mr.
Harold Higa, the Junior Orchestra expanded from a strings-only ensemble to a full symphony orchestra,
and shortly therafter, HYS increased in size from 80 students to over 190.
POPULAR AUCTION ITEMS:
Restaurant or Store Gift Cards
Hotel or Vacation Packages
Special Opportunities or
Recreational/Family Activities
Wine
POPULAR COUNTRY STORE ITEMS:
Brownies, cookies
Snack mix
Crafts, jewelry
Small pieces of art
Silent Auction items or non-perishable Country Store items may be brought to the HYS ofce, now through Friday, November 7, 2014.
Perishable items may be dropped off to HYS on Friday, November 21 or on the day of the event. Proceeds from the fundraiser help us to
keep HYS tuition affordable, and supports all of our many programs. Mahalo for your support!
Please contact HYS at 941-9706 or Admin@HiYouthSymphony.org if you have any questions.
Letter from the
Executive Director
Dear HYS Friends,
S
ince I came to HYS in March 2012,
I have been continually inspired by
the extraordinary music, hard work,
and committment that HYS students
put towards developing their musical
ambitions and potential. With every
rehearsal, practice session, coaching, or
concert, these youth are actively making
important investments in the evolution
of their musical, cognitive, personal,
relational, and other intelligencesskills
that will last them their entire lives. With
caring mentors like their parents & families, their school music
teachers, HYS conductors, and private instructors, I know these
students can eventually achieve everything of which they can dream.
I
ts both humbling, and an honor, to consider that HYS has been an
integral part of thousands of students musical lives for the past 50
years. In preparation for this milestone year, I have spent many hours
in the HYS archives, studying materials that date back to the mid-
1950s even preceeding HYSs incorporation as a 501(c)3. Of course
its great fun to see all the names of those who participated, to see old
advertisements in the programs, and to see how concert repertoire
has evolved (or stayed the same) over the years.
B
ut the most striking thing to me is the commitment HYS has
kept towards serving our community at large; from its inception
through to our modern day. Many of the things for which we were
known ffy years ago are still important, defning aspects of who
we are today, and how we serve Hawaii. Were known for our free
community concerts; our free Listen & Learn School Concerts; and
our neighbor island community service tours. Countless newspaper
articles and even an announcers script from a 1963 TV show
emphasize that HYS made a diference back then, via its concerts
performed BY youth, FOR youth. Not only do we still perform
these concerts today; but they are some of our students favorites to
play! Tese community commitments are an important part of who
we are.
A
s we set forth in our 50th Anniversary Season, we are also
beginning to lay the foundation for our next ffy years. Te
Board, music staf, and administration have been engaging in
exercises to help me craf our next Strategic Plan. All of us at HYS are
incredibly grateful for the support, goodwill, and friendship youve
given us over the past ffy years. Tank you and I hope to see you
during our 50th Anniversary Season!
Executive Director & HYS 99
Summer/Fall 2014 Page 2 HYS: Serving Hawaiis Youth Through Music for 50 Years HYS: Serving Hawaiis Youth Through Music for 50 Years
Our NOTEWorthy Challenge
Takes Place in September!
H
YS will kick-off its season in the month of September with our
annual NOTEWorthy Challenge. The Challenge is powered
by a $20,000 dollar-for-dollar matching grant from The George
Mason Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, which means
that HYS will have the potential to raise over $40,000! Donations
must be made by September 30 to count towards the Challenge.
Donate online at http://HiYouthSymphony.org/donate-now.
F
or an even greater impact, Foodland and the Western Union
Foundation will also match donations up to $249 as part
of their GiveAloha program. Use code #77060 at the register
to make sure your money goes to HYS. If you do participate in
GiveAloha, please send your Foodland or SackNSave receipts to
HYS (1110 University Ave., Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96826-1598)
so that we can make sure your gift is properly acknowledged.
Thank you for considering a donation to HYS!
Pacic Music Institute was a blast!
T
his summers Pacic Music Institute, held July 11-20, 2014, had the highest enrollment in twenty yearsnearly 130 students in grades 8-12
came to improve their musical chops, make new friends, and learn tons of music. Highlights from this summers PMI included a conducting
class with Mr. Miyamura; both a faculty and student chamber music recital; a surprise visit by HYS alumnus Ben Reitveld (bassist with Santana
and Miles Davis); a special masterclass with visiting trumpeter Joe Foley (of the Boston Pops & faculty member at New England Conservatory);
and last, but not least, really ASTOUNDING concerts by the Concert Band, String Orchestra, Jazz Band, Symphony Orchestra, and the Combined
Finale orchestra.
A
lumni Hannah Watanabe (violin), Aris Doike (cello), Matt Love (bass), Lynn Muramaru (ute), Lynne Nakaura (clarinet), Michael
Yoshimi (clarinet), Curtis Noborikawa (clarinet), Susan Ochi-Onishi (oboe), Derek Fujio (oboe), Sharon Nakama (oboe), KeAnuenue
Hayashi (trombone), Rory Onishi (horn), and Ira Wong (percussion/jazz band) all served as clinicians. They were joined by Hawaii Symphony
musicians Dr. Helen Liu (violin), Colin Belisle (viola), Ken Hafner (trumpet), Paul Barrett (bassoon), Marie Lickwar (horn), and Dr. T.J.
Ricer (low brass); UH professor Dr. I-Bei Lin (cello); and renowned music educator Kazu Sunabe (saxophone). Conductors Henry Miyamura,
Derrick Yamane, Elton Masaki, and Hannah Watanabe conducted the large ensembles.

Summer/Fall 2014 Page 5
HYS programs are supported by the
City & County of Honolulu and the
Hawaii State Foundation on Culture
and the Arts, through appropriations
from the Hawaii State Legislature.
Welcome to Our New Board
Members!
P
lease join HYS in welcoming two new members to our Board of
Directors: Mr. Alan Arizumi and Mr. Nathan Hokama.
An alumnus of HYS (trumpet), Alan Arizumi
is a Vice Chairman of First Hawaiian Bank
and Manager of the Wealth Management and
Consumer Banking Groups. He also serves
on several boards: KCAAPreschools of
Hawaii, Enterprise Honolulu, Kuakini Medical
Center, Kuakini Health Systems, The Nature
Conservancy,& the McKinley High School
Foundation.
Nathan Hokamas professional background
is in public relations & communications, and
has worked for Tesoro Hawaii. Mr. Hokama
now runs his own PR/communications rm,
Strategic Communication Solutions and serves
on the advisory council of Hawaii Meals on
Wheels. He is a member of the Public Relation
Society of America. Mr. Hokama was named
the PRSAGregg W. Perry Public Relations Professional of the Year in
2008 and has had 5 daughters in HYS.
Spring Concert-Mania!
A
SUPER JOB by ALL students in ALL programs! It was so inspiring
to hear the progress that was made in the last year. HYS Spring
Concerts occurred on April 13, 26, & 27, 2014, at Pearl City Cultural
Center, Roosevelt High School Auditorium, and Kaimuki High School
Auditorium, respectively. Aspecial shout-out to our guest artists,
Jonathan Korth and Babasango for incredibly virtuosic performances.
CONGRATS to our EXTRAORDINARY Music Staff!
Academy & Clubhouse ProgramsJoy Waikoloa, Wayne Fanning,
Joan Doike, Helen Fong, Chad Uyehara, and Charlotte Fukumoto.
Symphony ProgramHenry Miyamura, Derrick Yamane, Elton
Masaki, Susan Ochi-Onishi, Hannah Watanabe.
Y
SI performed
Neil McKays
Bop-A-Deedle,
written for Sango
and HYS in 2002.
The piece is a
light-hearted work
with rhythms based
in the samba
tradition.
Composer Neil McKay, Henry Miyamura, and Percussionist Babasango
Concert Orchestra, conducted by Susan Ochi-Onishi & Hannah Watanabe