Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra Announces 2026/27 Season: 'Resonance'

Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra Announces 2026/27 Season: Resonance

Celebrating its 15th Anniversary Season with global artists and Pacific sounds like Ray Chen, Lea Salonga, Kolohe Kai, and more...

HONOLULU, HI — (April 29, 2026) — The Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) announces its 2026/27 season, Resonance— a landmark 15th anniversary season that transforms the concert experience into something deeply felt, widely shared, and powerfully alive.

Taking place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, the season brings together internationally celebrated artists, iconic symphonic works, and genre-spanning performances that reflect the distinctive voice of Hawai?i. From the soaring artistry of Lea Salonga to the welcome return of violinist Ray Chen, and the holiday favorite Elf in Concert, Resonance invites audiences into moments that linger long after the final note disappears.

More than a celebration of 15 years, this season signals momentum, expanding what a modern orchestra can be while deepening its connection to the community it calls home. Music & Artistic Director Dane Lam explains, “What does it mean for an orchestra to be embedded in its time and place? In its community? These are the questions that underpin our quest to make HSO an orchestra for all of Hawai’i, a proud Asia-Pacific voice rooted in one of the world’s most dynamic cultural regions. From Carmen to Kolohe Kai; from Lea Salonga to Dai-Keong Lee; from Brahms to Star Wars. I am proud to present HSO Season 26/27, a season filled with the greatest music ever written, played by an ensemble of world-class musicians, rooted here in the Pacific.”

“As we celebrate 15 years, Resonance reflects both how far the i?i Symphony Orchestra has come and the deep connection we continue to build with our community,” said Amy Iwano, President and CEO of the i?i Symphony Orchestra. “This season honors the power of live music to bring people together—bridging generations, cultures, and genres—while amplifying Pacific voices and world-class artistry that feel unmistakably at home here in i?i. We are proud of this momentum and excited to share a season that is bold and has something for everyone.”

At the core of Resonance, the Halekulani Masterworks Series showcases the power and range of the symphonic tradition from George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, and the triumphant return of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “Ode to Joy.” Guest artists include pianist Makoto Ozone, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and violinists Jennifer Koh and Augustin Hadelich.

A highlight of the Masterworks season is the world premiere of the Dai-Keong Lee Violin Concerto, performed by Jennifer Koh alongside Beethoven’s immortal Ninth Symphony. Born and raised in i’i, Dai-Keong Lee was once celebrated across the United States and abroad before fading from the repertoire. HSO reclaims him in the violin concerto’s modern premiere. HSO’s Asia-Pacific focus continues in April with Firebird & The Phoenix, featuring the world premiere of Fang Man’s Song of the Flaming Phoenix for sheng and orchestra — placing an ancient Chinese instrument at the heart of a program alongside Stravinsky and Sibelius, and exemplifying HSO’s unique position at the crossroads of East, West, and Pacific. 

HSO continues its tradition of immersive festivals: city-wide, multi-art form, cross-institution explorations of music inspired by figures such as Beethoven (2024) and Shakespeare (2026). In 2026, Brahms: From Vienna to i’i weaves together 150 years of musical evolution. The festival features all four Brahms symphonies in conversation with music that surrounded Brahms and paired with new Pacific commissions from Composer in Residence Michael-Thomas Foumai and composer Nilo Alcala. 

New this season, Spotlight Concerts expand the i?i Symphony Orchestra experience with genre-blurring performances that reflect the breadth of i?i’s musical landscape and the evolving role of the modern orchestra. This dynamic series brings together global icons and local voices from two unforgettable evenings with Tony Award-winning Lea Salonga to the vibrant energy of HapaSymphony, featuring a solo performance by i’i’s own Kolohe Kai. As part of his 50th landmark anniversary celebrating his start in show business, Honolulu favorite, Grammy-nominated conductor, arranger, saxophonist, pianist, vocalist, and composer Matt Catingub returns to the HSO, with his concert From Samoa to Sinatra, a concert tracing his musical journey from the legacy of his mother, Mavis Rivers, to the enduring world of Frank Sinatra. Beloved traditions return with the Hapa Holiday Extravaganza, a festive celebration infused with local flair, while innovative programs like The Sounds of Ravel & Rosalía featuring Carolina Rial of NBC’s The Voice, blur the lines between classical and contemporary sound. Together, Spotlight Concerts invite audiences to experience the orchestra in new and unexpected ways.

HSO continues its popular Films in Concert series with Elf in Concert, bringing the beloved holiday film to life with the full orchestral score performed live, an immersive experience that blends cinema and symphonic sound. May the force be with you in spring 2027 to relive Star Wars: A New Hope in its 50th anniversary year. 

Completing the full season, the Saturday morning engagement series Beyond the Music invites curious minds of all ages to explore the orchestra through immersive, one-hour programs that blend live symphonic performance with narration, visuals, and storytelling. The series continues on February 27 with Beloved Brahms, offering an intimate look at the timeless lyricism and emotional depth of Brahms’ orchestral writing, followed on April 10 by Fantastic Birds & Where to Find Them, a whimsical, imaginative journey through music inspired by flight, nature, and fantasy. Designed for families, students, first-time concertgoers and aficionados alike, Beyond the Music provides an accessible and enriching gateway into the world behind the music.

Coming soon: Secret Symphony — an intimate concert in an undisclosed location, revealed only 48 hours before showtime. No stage. No distance. No formality. Details to be announced.

Throughout the season, HSO remains grounded in its commitment to i?i, uplifting Pacific voices, fostering cultural connection, and creating shared experiences that resonate across generations and communities.

SUBSCRIPTIONS & TICKETS

Concerts begin September 25, 2026, and run through June 6, 2027, at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall.

Subscriptions for the 2026/27 season will be available on May 5, offering priority seating and the best value across all series. Single tickets will be available for purchase in June 2026. 

For tickets and further information visit www.myhso.org or follow us on social media: @hawaiisymphonyorchestra

2026-27 SEASON MEDIA KIT (Courtesy of i?i Symphony Orchestra)

MEDIA CONTACT:
Renée Ragucci
Marketing Manager
Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra
(808)-380-7723
rragucci@hawaiisymphonyorchestra.org

 

Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra Concert Season Schedule:

All concerts take place at Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall. Programs and performers are subject to change.

 

SEASON PREMIERE: MASTERWORKS: RHAPSODY IN BLUE & MAHLER  

Fri September 25, 2026 | 7:30 pm  

Dane Lam, conductor

Makoto Ozone, piano

• Leilehua Lanzilotti - of light and stone
• George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
• Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 1, “Titan”

MATT CATINGUB: FROM SAMOA TO SINATRA 

Sat September 26, 2026 | 7:30 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor

Matt Catingub, conductor/piano

 

MASTERWORKS: JOANN CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S TRIPLE 

Fri October 16, 2026 | 7:30 pm  

JoAnn Falletta, conductor

Lisa Nakamichi, piano

Ignace Jang, violin

Julian Schwarz, cello

• Randall Svane - Quantum Flight
• Ludwig van Beethoven - Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano, Op. 56, C Major, "Triple"
• Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 1, Op. 39, E minor

LEA SALONGA IN CONCERT  

Sat October 17, 2026 | 7:30 pm 

Sun October 18, 2026 | 4:00 pm 

Sarah Hicks, conductor

Lea Salonga, vocals

 

MASTERWORKS: RACHMANINOFF & COPLAND 

Thurs November 5, 2026 | 7:30 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor

Anthony McGill, clarinet

• Salina Fisher - Kintsugi (Hawai’i Premiere)
• Aaron Copland - Clarinet Concerto
• Sergei Rachmaninoff - Symphony No. 2, Op. 27, E minor

HAPA HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA 

Wednesday December 16, 2026 | 7:30 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor

 

ELF IN CONCERT 

Saturday December 19, 2026 | 7:00 pm 

Sun December 20, 2026 | 2:00 pm 

ELF and all related characters and elements © & ™ New Line Productions, Inc.

 

THE SOUNDS OF RAVEL & ROSALÍA with Carolina Rial 

Fri January 8, 2027 | 7:30 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor 

Carolina Rial, vocals

 

BEETHOVEN’S ODE TO JOY 

Sun January 10, 2027 | 4:00 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor

O?ahu Choral Society

Jennifer Koh, violin 

Dai-Keong Lee - Violin Concerto

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 9, Op. 125, D minor, “Choral”

 

BEYOND THE MUSIC: BELOVED BRAHMS 

Sat February 27,2027 | 11:00 am 

Dane Lam, conductor

Michael-Thomas Foumai, narrator

 

MASTERWORKS: BRAHMS FESTIVAL: BRAHMS & DESTINY 

Sun February 28, 2027 | 4:00 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor

O’ahu Choral Society

Nilo Alcala - Pacific Brahms Commission (world premiere) 

• Johannes Brahms - Song of Destiny (Schiksalslied), Op. 54
• Johannes Brahms & Bright Sheng - The Black Swan (Intermezzo)
• Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 3, Op. 90, in F Major

MASTERWORKS: BRAHMS FESTIVAL: BRAHMS vs WAGNER 

Sun March 7, 2027 | 4:00 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor

• Johannes Brahms - Academic Festival Overture 
• Richard Wagner - Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music from Die Walküre
• Alice Chance - Pacific Brahms Commission (world premiere)
• Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 4, Op. 98, in E minor

MASTERWORKS: BRAHMS FESTIVAL: BRAHMS DANCES 

Thurs March 11, 2027 | 7:30 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor

Ray Chen, violin

• Johannes Brahms (arr. Parlow) - Hungarian Dance Nos. 5 & 6
• Felix Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto, Op. 64, in E minor
• Shawn Conley - Pacific Brahms Commission (world premiere)
• Brahms - Symphony No. 2, Op. 73 in D Major

MASTERWORKS: BRAMS FESTIVAL: BRAHMS & THE SCHUMANNS 

Sun March 14, 2027 | 4:00 pm

Dane Lam, conductor

Alexandra Dariescu, piano

• Robert Schumann - Genoveva Overture
• Clara Schumann - Piano Concerto, Op. 7, in A minor
• Michael-Thomas Foumai - Pacific Brahms Commission (world premiere)
• Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 1, Op. 68, in C minor

BEYOND THE MUSIC: FANTASTIC BIRDS & WHERE TO FIND THEM 

Sat April 10, 2027 | 11:00 am 

Dane Lam, conductor

Michael-Thomas Foumai, narrator

 

MASTERWORKS: FIREBIRD & THE PHOENIX 

Sun April 11, 2027 | 4:00 pm 

Dane Lam, conductor

Loo Sze Wang, sheng

• Ottorino Respighi - The Birds (Gli Uccelli)
• Fang Man- Song of the Flaming Phoenix for Sheng and Orchestra
• Jean Sibelius - The Swan of Tuonela
• Igor Stravinsky - Suite from The Firebird (L'Oiseau de feu) - 1919 version

STARS WARS: A NEW HOPE IN CONCERT

Fri May 7, Sat May 8, 2027 | 7:00 pm 

Sun May 9, 2027 | 2:00 pm

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts

 

HAPASYMPHONY: KOLOHE KAI 

Fri June 4, 2027 | 7:30 pm

Dane Lam, conductor

Kolohe Kai, solo vocals

 

SEASON FINALE: MASTERWORKS: VIRTUOSITY IN MOTION 

Sun June 6, 2027 | 4:00 pm

Dane Lam conductor 

Augustin Hadelich, violin

• Ye Xiaogang - The Loquat in Five Colors
• Maurice Ravel - Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra
• Pablo de Sarasate - Carmen Fantasie, Op. 25
• Edward Elgar - Symphony No. 1, Op. 55, A-flat Major

Mahalo to Our Major Corporate and Foundation Sponsors:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About i?i Symphony Orchestra

Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is the Orchestra for all of Hawai’i and the leading exponent of live symphonic music between San Francisco and Sydney, celebrating its 15th anniversary season. Situated at the crossroads of East, West, and Pacific, and performing at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, HSO brings together world-class musicians to create powerful, immersive musical experiences that reflect both global artistry and Hawai’i’s unique cultural voice — commissioning and championing Asia-Pacific composers, resurrecting lost repertoire born in these islands, and presenting internationally celebrated guest artists who could perform anywhere in the world.

Beyond the concert stage, HSO is deeply committed to community connection and music education, sharing the joy of orchestral music through meaningful outreach, school partnerships, and accessible programming that welcomes audiences of all ages. Each season’s offerings, including signature series like the Halekulani Masterworks Series, Spotlight Concerts featuring HapaSymphony, Films in Concert, Beyond the Music, and Summer Festival; are designed not only to inspire lifelong music lovers, but also to strengthen ties across communities throughout i?i.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Renée Ragucci
Marketing Manager
Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra
(808)-380-7723
rragucci@hawaiisymphonyorchestra.org