Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra performance features Youth Concerto Competition winners

The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra continues its 2019-20 MasterWorks Season with “Innocent Beginnings” at 2 p.m. Sunday at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea.

The program features performances by the winners of the KPO’s annual Madeline Schatz-Harris Youth Concerto Competition. Accompanied by the orchestra, violinist Sevastyan Swan will play the first movement of “Spring” from Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons;” cellist Alexander Canicosa-Miles will perform the first and second movements from Edward Elgar’s Concerto in E Minor for Cello, opus 85; and cellist Mira Hu will play the first movement of Dmitri Kabalevsky’s Concerto in G minor for cello, op. 49.

“Our winter concert is one of my favorite performances every year because I truly enjoy working with our young competition winners,” said Brian Dollinger, the orchestra’s artistic director and conductor. “They all are such fabulous players, it’s wonderful to give them, for most, their first performance opportunity with a full orchestra accompanying them — truly a lifetime memory.”

Also included in the program are the overture to Ludwig van Beethoven’s one and only opera “Fidelio”— considered by many to be one his greatest works — and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s first large-scale work, Symphony No. 1 in G minor, op.13.

“With the entire world celebrating the anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday all 2020, I thought it was a fitting role for our first piece and first sounds of the Orchestra in 2020 to be by him,” Dollinger added. “His ‘Fidelio’ Overture will definitely be a great way to kick things off.”

Hu, 16, studies with Nancy Masaki of Honolulu. She has loved the Kabalevsky Concerto she is performing since she first heard the piece, and considers it a “hidden gem since it isn’t played that often.”

Canicosa-Miles, 15 and a winner of the competition four years ago, studies cello with Jonathan Koh of Honolulu. Since his last performance with the orchestra, Canicosa-Miles has grown, not only in stature but also ability. He is looking forward to again performing with the “incredibly dedicated and passionate musicians” in the Kamuela Philharmonic. Alexander said, “the highlight of this competition is being able to collaborate and share the stage with musicians who find it equally as important as he does to share the gift of music.”

Swan, 11, a violin student of Sheryl Shohet of Honolulu for the last eight years, has competed in this event twice before. He was “shocked and glad” when his name was announced as a winner this time, but noted that he was willing to put in the effort and keep going after his losses, and “after lots of practice, it paid off.”

Tickets range from $20-$54 and may be purchased online at www.kamuelaphil.org, or through the Kahilu Theatre Box Office by calling (808) 885-6868 or visiting 67-1186 Lindsey Road from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra’s presentation of “Innocent Beginnings” is made possible with support by The Dorrance Family Foundation. The orchestra is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing live, high-quality orchestral music to audiences on Hawaii Island.