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Creativity on record: works by UH Music Department faculty Dr. Alec Schumacker and Dr. Takuma Itoh acclaimed

In Composition by Nicole Ikeda Cossi

Cantus, one of the top professional vocal groups in the country, performed Dr. Alec Schumacker‘s arrangement of “Over the Rainbow” during their recent concert series and released a video recording of it on Facebook and Instagram in September. The low-voice ensemble is renowned for its signature warmth, blend, innovative programming, and captivating performances. The Washington Post lauds the ensemble’s sound …

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Dr. Marie Jocelyn U. Marfil nominated in the 2024 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards

In Alumni Accolades, Composition, Ethnomusicology by Nicole Ikeda Cossi

Dr. Marie Jocelyn U. Marfil (PhD ’15) was one of the nominees for Compilation Album of the Year in the 2024 Nā Hoku Hanohano Awards for her work on the album Kāwili 2. One of the album’s producers, Maui attorney Lance D. Collins, told HPR last year, “The first album [Kāwili] was primarily Philippine folk songs that have been interpreted …

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PhD in composition candidate Rafael Borges Amaral premieres chamber work for sheng, guitar, and string quartet at the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra

In Composition, Student Accolades by Nicole Ikeda Cossi

Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, (OSESP), known as The São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra in English, is the primary orchestra of São Paulo, Brazil. During a visit this past March, PhD in composition candidate Rafael Borges Amaral performed in and premiered an intercultural chamber piece for chromatic sheng, guitar, and string orchestra with sheng virtuoso Wu Wei. Sheng– the mouth …

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Composition alum Thomas Goedecke joins faculty at UH Maui College

In Composition, Department News by General Entries

Thomas Goedecke (Phd, Composition) joins the Institute of Hawaiian Music at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College (UHMC) as a tenure-track instructor where he teaches a range of introductory and intermediate music courses with emphasis in Hawaiian music, music history, music theory, and performance. “I am looking forward to contributing to the excellent programs built by Dr. Keola Donaghy and Dr. …

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Music Faculty & Staff Recognized at 2024 UH-Mānoa Awards Ceremony

In Composition, Department News, Faculty News, Musicology by General Entries

The Music Department was well represented at the annual UH-Mānoa Awards Ceremony this year, with two faculty and one staff member being recognized for their achievements. Donald Reid Womack, Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research The Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research is awarded by the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents in recognition of scholarly contributions that expand the boundaries of …

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Hawaiʻi Symphony to premiere new educational symphony

In Composition, Department News by General Entries

The Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra is set to perform Symphony of the Hawai’i Forests at the Hawai’i Theatre Center on April 20th and 21st. The concert will be exclusively for 4th through 12th-grade students, and will feature six movements of new music written by local composers accompanied by original animations by local animators, a hula presentation, and a collection of artworks …

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Saxophone and Horn duo complete semester-long residency in new music with UH composition students

In Composition, Department News, Faculty News, Music Education by General Entries

Dr. Jennifer Blackwell (Music Education) and Performer-Composer Brian Kavolius-Matherne (Brian KM) have completed a semester-long residency working with six of UH’s graduate composition students on original compositions for Alto Saxophone and Horn. The residency, which took place in Fall 2021, consisted of reading sessions, individual meetings with composers, and informational sessions on writing for the instruments, culminating in the recording …

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PhD candidate Andrew Filson wins Korea National University of Arts International Composition Competition

In Composition, Student Accolades by General Entries

PhD candidate Andrew Filson was recently announced as the winner of the Korea National University of Arts International Composition Competition for one of his pieces. The Korea National University of Arts International Composition Competition aims to discover a variety of creative works that combine Eastern and Western instruments based on traditional Korean music, pioneering the way for traditional Korean music …

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Sejong Korean Music Orchestra Performs Works Yoomee Baek

In Composition, Department News by General Entries

"The Ojakyo Project" is a program to promote creative new music with orchestras and composers supported by the Korean Culture and Arts Commission. Yoomee was selected as a composer for the two-year project from 2021 to 2022, and this year's second Ojakyo project will be carried out with the Sejong Korean Music Orchestra. "Unlike other Korean traditional music orchestras, the ...