Hawaii Recap: Part 3

After our adventures on the Big Island, we returned to Oahu for a final few days of concerts and school visits. We had a wonderful time working with students and performing at ‘Iolani School, Punahou School, and Kailua Intermediate School and are grateful to the faculty and staff who made these visits possible and made us feel so welcome!

One of the many highlights of our trip was our final performance of the tour at Lyon Arboretum. What an incredible place! We really connected with the staff and the mission of research and conservation at Lyon on our preliminary visit last summer and were especially excited to return for this performance - and what a magical way to end our time in Hawaii, performing in a beautiful setting for a lovely and engaged audience under soaring tropical birds!

Among our busy concert schedule, we did find a few moments to explore the beauty of Oahu. One of our favorite experiences was hiking out to Ka’ena Point to see the Laysan albatrosses, which inspired Takuma Itoh’s Laysan Dances. It was so fun to watch these magnificent creatures and catch a glimpse of their courtship rituals that featured in Takuma’s music!

We had the best time in Hawaii. It’s always a thrill to perform in beautiful and unusual places, but what made this project so special was the collaboration between our composers, our performers, and our audiences. Performing music in Hawaii that was inspired by Hawaii and written by composers who live and work in Hawaii made for a meaningful connection with our audiences, and it was a particular joy to connect with students around Oahu and the Big Island and amplify our message of conservation through this wonderful music.

Mahalo nui loa to all our Hawaiian partners!