Local News

Hana Hou Music Program offers its first winter season

Founded by King Kekaulike High School graduate Kisa Uradomo, the Hana Hou Music Program will present its first winter season, beginning with a free chamber music performance Jan. 7 at the Maui Coffee Attic before playing concerts in Wailuku and Hana.

Joining Uradomo at the performances will be New York-based pianist Diane Park, cellist Heewon Lee and Colin Crake on saxophone.

"We'll be playing a mix of classical music and some popular music," said Uradomo. "We will have some duos, some trios, and we're playing a quartet by Walter Rabl. We will be doing some Hawaiian music. Usually we have the piano trio playing tunes like 'Lei Ho'oheno,' but this time it will be with Heewon on cello and Colin playing the oboe part on saxophone."

The winter program will continue with a free recital Jan. 8 at Hana's Wānanalua Church and close with a finale concert Jan. 9 at the historic Iao Theater.

"Since that's our first time going all the way out to Hana, it will definitely be more of a mix of popular tunes, Hawaiian music and the classical to showcase what music we really like to play," said Uradomo.

The show at the Iao Theater will be mostly classical music, and if people really like it, they might do a couple of hana hous of Hawaiian music, too.

"We'll be playing a Mendelssohn piano trio," she said. "Piazzolla is a favorite of ours, and Colin will be doing a tango etude. He will be playing solo Bach, which is usually meant for string players, but he has made an arrangement of his own, so it will be very cool."

The Hana Hou Music Program's mission is to develop, advocate and provide music education in Maui, and to serve as a free musical resource to the community regardless of background, artistic ability or economic circumstance.

"We are in our fifth year of doing this," said Uradomo. "This has only been possible because of the people that are helping me out, like the other co-founders, all the musicians that volunteer their time to play and teach and experience the Maui community. I think it's really a testament to the community aspect of this program. This has been a dream of mine to make since I was a very young girl. I saw that there was not as much opportunity to see classical music in Maui."

In their inaugural season, musicians visited public schools and organized free performances in the community, performing at venues including Hale Makua Health Services, King Kekaulike's Performing Arts Center, and Queen Ka'ahumanu Center.

Born and raised in Kula, Uradomo began playing violin at 5 years old.

"I really loved being with people making music with them, and that sort of translated into a love for the violin," she recalled. "Quite quickly I grew to love the violin. By the time I was in middle school at Kalama, I already knew that's what I wanted."

The recipient of two Maui Pops scholarships, when she was in high school and in college, she was one of only two musicians from Hawaii ever selected to play in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States.

With the Koa String Quartet, she is part of the graduate string quartet-in-residence at the University of Colorado Boulder, where they were the first-prize winners of the 2024 Ekstrand Competition.

Aside from classical music, Uradomo has played alongside such prominent Hawaiian musicians as Uluwehi Guerrero and Amy Hānaialiʻi, and Makana and the late Willie Kahaiali'i with the Hawaii Youth Symphony.

A co-founder of Hana Hou Music, pianist Park recently graduated with a second master's degree in collaborative piano at the Juilliard School. She is now studying at the University of Colorado Boulder to receive a doctoral degree in collaborative piano. The principal cellist with the Boulder Symphony, Lee is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Eastman School of Music. She performs with the Koa String Quartet and has toured internationally as a member of the Lincoln Center Stage Piano Quartet.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Crake is a multi-award-winning saxophonist, having received prizes at the national and international levels. His most notable accolades include first prize from the North American Saxophone Alliance Collegiate Solo Competition. A graduate of the Conservatoire royale de Bruxelles in Brussels, he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in saxophone performance and literature at the Eastman School of Music.

"We're just really excited to be able to expand our program to the winter, and hopefully we can be back on the island a lot more and provide a lot more services for the community," said Uradomo.

The Hana Hou Music Program will present a free morning concert at the Maui Coffee Attic at 11 a.m. Jan. 7, a free recital at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 at the Wānanalua Church and finale concert at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Iao Theater. Admission is $15 for adults and free for keiki, kupuna and kumu. Full program details are available at www.hanahoumusicprogram.org.