The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra (KPO) continues its 2017-18 concert season with “Rustic Inspirations” Jan. 28 at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea.
The 4 p.m. program features performances by winners of the orchestra’s annual Madeline Schatz-Harris Youth Concerto Competition. Accompanied by KPO, cellist Celina Lim will play George Golterman’s “Cello Concerto No. 4 in G, opus 65, movement No. 3;” violinist Alyson Kwong will perform Eduoard Lalo’s “Symphonie Espagnole, opus 21, movement No. 1;” and cellist Joshua Chang will play Edward Elgar’s “Cello Concerto in E minor, movement No. 1.”
In keeping with the rustic theme, Maestro Brian Dollinger will conduct the orchestra in a performance of Antonin Dvorak’s Suite in A major, op. 98b, “American,” and four dance episodes from “Rodeo” by Aaron Copland.
Lim, 11, a seventh-grade student at Punahou School on Oahu, has studied cello with Nancy Masaki of Honolulu for the past five years. She has played cello in the Hawaii Youth Symphony for most of that time but wanted to do something different now that her playing is more advanced. The possibility of performing as a soloist with the KPO inspired her to enter the competition.
She picked the Golterman concerto because it is a fast-paced, happy piece, which she feels reflects her personality. Golterman, a German cellist and composer of the 1800s, wrote eight cello concertos that are widely studied by students to learn technique and gain a basic understanding of the concerto, and learning this piece has helped Lim make progress on those goals.
Kwong, 16, a 10th-grade student at Punahou School, has studied violin with Sheryl Sohet of Honolulu since she was 3 years old. She is a member of the Hawaii Youth Symphony, also plays in the Punahou School Symphony, and participates in the school’s quartet program. Kwong has been working on her performance as a soloist since participating in the competition two years ago, and is thrilled to have finally won.
To Kwong, the Lalo concerto is different from standard violin solo repertoire because of its Spanish influence, and she feels that the beautiful melodies in the piece, with their varying moods, colors and tempos, give her an opportunity to shine. Playing with the orchestra is exciting to her, and she believes the whole experience will improve her skills as a musician.
Chang, 18, is also a student of Masaki. He started playing cello in the seventh grade and has studied with her for the past five years. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in May and is currently studying music with I-Bei Lin at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Chang has played with the Hawaii Youth Symphony, UH Contemporary Ensemble, and UH Orchestra. He loves the Elgar Cello Concerto and has been practicing it intensively for the last year, so his performance of the piece displays outstanding technique and a vibrant sound.
Dollinger chose the Dvorak Suite, first performed by an orchestra in 1910, and the Copland Dances, premiered in 1942, for this concert because they contain themes from American folk music and ranching culture evocative of the “Rustic Inspirations” present in the landscapes of Waimea, home of the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tickets range are $23-$43 with free admission to those younger than age 18 when accompanied by an adult. They are available d online at www.kamuelaphil.org, www.kahilutheatre.org, by calling 885-6868, or at the theater box office from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Info: Visit www.kamuelaphil.org.
