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Maui Pops Orchestra kicks off season this weekend

Grammy nominees to be featured at opening concert

Since 2004, the Maui Pops Orchestra has been offering light classical, popular music, including Broadway, movie music, contemporary Hawaiian music and more. More than 80 percent of the orchestra’s musicians are full- or part-time Maui residents. -- LORNE DIRENFELD photo

The Maui Pops Orchestra 2019-2020 season begins Sunday with its annual Holiday Pops concert, this year featuring the return of jazz pianist/conductor David Benoit, a multiple Grammy Award nominee, and vocalist Sara Gazarek, whose album “Thirsty Ghost” is a 2020 Grammy Award nominee for Best Vocal Jazz Album.

All performances begin at 3 p.m. in Castle Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

The first half of the program will spotlight the Maui Pops Orchestra under the direction of Music Director Jim Durham performing familiar holiday favorites, including Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Stille Nacht,” “Carol of the Drum” and “White Christmas.”

Benoit and Gazarek will join the orchestra for the second half of the program with “My Favorite Things,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” selections from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and more.

Broadway Pops is scheduled Jan. 26, featuring vocalist Jodi Benson, who received worldwide recognition and critical acclaim as the beloved, original voice of Ariel in the Academy Award-winning “The Little Mermaid” from Walt Disney Pictures. Winter Pops is set for Feb. 23, featuring Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame inductee and master of Hawaiian slack key guitar Keola Beamer, and kumu hula Moanalani Beamer.

The season finale March 8, Spring Pops, will feature vocalist Capathia Jenkins in her third appearance with the Maui Pops Orchestra, sharing the spotlight with vocalist/pianist Tony DeSare and exploring the Great American Songbook, featuring music of George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

Since 2004, the Maui Pops Orchestra has been offering light classical, popular music, including Broadway, movie music, contemporary Hawaiian music and more. More than 80 percent of the orchestra’s musicians are full- or part-time Maui residents.

A successful “Ensembles in Schools” pilot program this past June at Seabury Hall’s summer school has the organization working to take this program into the public schools this school year. At Seabury, each ensemble (representing a “family” of the orchestra) participated in a three-day residency, involving several groups of 1st through 4th graders for whom they played music of varying styles and character, engaged the students in providing feedback about what they were hearing and seeing, and each day provided an “instrument petting zoo” wherein the students had the opportunity to learn how to make sounds on all the instruments they had just heard.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Maui Pops Orchestra depends upon the financial support of individuals, corporations, state and private foundations to supplement revenue from ticket sales in its efforts to keep ticket prices affordable.

For more information about Maui Pops Orchestra, visit www.mauipops.org or call (808) 868-2639.

Tickets are $60, $50, $35 and $22 plus applicable fees, and are available at www.mauiarts.org or by calling the Maui Arts & Cultural Center Box Office at 808-242-SHOW.

Prices are discounted for seniors and students 18 and under in the $60/$50/$35 price sections. A 10 percent discount is available when purchasing tickets for all four concerts by Sunday.

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