The Center for Philippine Studies has awarded UHM Ethnomusicology doctoral student José (Pow) Taton, Jr. the Belinda Aquino International Philippine Studies Endowment for his research project entitled “Binagnusan: Documenting and Translating a Panay Bukidnon Sugidanon (Epic). The project involves intensive field research on Panay, recording and interviewing practitioners of this endangered epic, and translation into both contemporary Kinaray-a (central Panay …
Ethnomusicology: Instruments, Innovation, and Community Engagement
The Department of Music recently received a significant addition to its Ethnomusicology Instrument Collection: a historic kulintang gong-chime from the southern Philippines. Donated by the Filipino Association of University Women and formerly owned by Bayanihan dancer Inda Gage, the instrument once belonged to the late Ramon Obusan, a renowned authority on Filipino dance. It now serves as a valuable resource …
Ethnomusicology: Student Achievement and Creative Collaboration
UHM Ethnomusicology students continue to make meaningful contributions to scholarship and creative work, demonstrating the program’s dynamic blend of research and practice. PhD student José R. “Pow” Taton has published “Memories of Ritual, Acts of Remembering: Ati Voices as Collective ‘Witnessing’” in the anthology Indigeneity in the Philippines: Studies on Knowledge, Identity, and Rights (University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2026). Currently …
Global Scholarship and Leadership in Ethnomusicology
The UHM Ethnomusicology program continues to assert its global presence through the work of its distinguished faculty and emeriti, whose scholarship and leadership resonate across international stages. At the forefront, Professor Emeritus Dr. Ricardo D. Trimillos has been invited as keynote speaker for the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance Performing Arts of Southeast Asia (PASEA) symposium in …
PhD in Composition student Paul Cosme published in Asian Music
Paul Cosme, PhD in Composition student, was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Asian Music. His article “Beyond Interculturality: A Case for Intraculturality Among Composers from Southeast Asia” proposes Southeast Asian interconnections as “intracultural” rather than “intercultural” as illustrated by composers from this region. “It is important to recognize that Southeast Asia is already vibrant and composed of many varying …
Jun Yi Chow Recipient of the John Young Scholarship in the Arts
Jun Yi Chow, Music Composition PhD student, has been name a recipient of the John Young Scholarship in the Arts, the University of Hawaiiʻs most prestigious private scholarship. “Being a John Young Scholarship recipient is especially meaningful because it reflects the values that first drew me to UH—openness, intercultural dialogue, and deep artistic curiosity,” states Jun Yi Chow. “This support …
Welcome Dr. LaVerne de la Peña, the first Trimillos Visiting Distinguished Professor of Ethnomusicology
For Spring 2026 we welcome Dr. LaVerne de la Peña. As the first Trimillos Visiting Distinguished Professor of Ethnomusicology, he will be teaching MUS 678D Advanced Problems in Ethnomusicology: Music & Colonialism, a graduate seminar investigating the entangled relationship between music and colonialism in the Philippines. Employing ethnomusicological theories and critical frameworks, his course will explore how music was shaped …
Paul Gabriel Cosme, Finalist at the Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival
Paul Gabriel Cosme was named a finalist for the 2025 Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival Choral Composition Competition with his composition, “When I Sing to Myself, Who Listens?.” Cosme is a composer and scholar of Filipino music. He is a graduate of Macalester College and is now a PhD student in composition at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. …
Dr. Fairfield’s Book Launch
Alumnus and lecturer Benjamin Fairfield (PhD Music – Ethnomusicology) presented a book launch concert on October 4th for his new publication from University of Hawaiʻi Press, Kani ka ʻōpala: How can garbage sing? Kani ka ʻōpala: How can garbage sing? is an illustrated children’s book that follows a father and daughter on a scavenger hunt through Ala Moana Beach Park’s …
University of the Philippines Rondalla Ensemble Concert and Workshop
In October UH hosted the University of the Philippines Rondalla Ensemble. They performed a concert at Orvis and facilitated a workshop. José Taton, an ethnomusicology doctoral student who participated in the rondalla workshop, commented on the performance, “The UP Rondalla’s repertoire featured timeless pieces that not only evoked the audience’s emotions, nostalgia, and sense of place but also united Asian …