HONOLULU (HI Now) - Music Director Dane Lam and your Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra welcome the community to enchanted evenings under the stars at the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell for the Sheraton Starlight Festival. The 11-concert summer series features classical works, film scores, rock and pop music, and student performances.
“Our powerful storytelling is done through dynamic programs ranging from classical to hip and edgy to beloved film scores, offering something mesmerizing for everyone,” said Dane Lam, music director for Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. “Through a singular shared live experience, we hope to create joy, connection, and an eternal love of music.”
Opening weekend includes Mahler’s thundering Symphony No. 5, which was written as a love letter to his beloved wife following Mahler’s profound encounter with death. One of Mahler’s most celebrated—and sound tracked—symphonies, this piece has been used in dozens of films, including the recent Tár with Cate Blanchett, Maestro with Bradely Cooper, the long-loved Lorenzo’s Oil with Susan Sarandon, and Death in Venice directed by Luchino Visconti, each of which were nominated for multiple academy awards. More than a century later, concertgoers can expect to be moved by Mahler’s story of triumph over tragedy.
Attendees of the Sheraton Starlight Festival can also look forward to hits from Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga, the Beatles, 80′s icons Madonna, Phil Collins and Queen, Disney classics from Moana and The Lion King, the always popular Lexus Hawaiʻi Films in Concert Series, and so much more.
The four winners of this year’s Nā Hōkū ‘Ōpio “Young Stars” competition will also perform as soloists on a professional stage alongside HSO musicians this summer. Starting on July 21, Punahou School graduate Shane Komeiji will perform Doppler’s Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise on flute while Roosevelt High School graduate Brian Park will perform Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1. On July 24, Castle High School graduate Cayne Hiraoka will perform the Concerto for Alto Saxophone by Ronald Binge. Finally, on July 25, Kalani High School graduate Luke Watanabe will perform Grøndahl’s Concerto for Trombone.
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“For many of these rising stars, this is their first opportunity to play with a professional orchestra,” said Michael-Thomas Foumai, director of artistic engagement and composer in residence for Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. “It’s an experience that could launch a career for Hawaiʻi’s young musicians and that we hope will reaffirm their belief in the power of orchestral music.”
For the full Sheraton Starlight Festival schedule, visit www.myhso.org. Individual tickets are just $10, or purchase four tickets for the price of three with Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra’s “Me + 3″ discount – perfect for the whole ‘ohana.
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