UH Mānoa Ethnomusicology graduate student, Lorelei Harrel, traveled to London for the Fifth International Women’s Work in Music Conference. She presented her paper, “No One Likes a Mad Woman: An Examination of the Online Hate of Taylor Swift,” an experience that allowed her to network with other scholars and represent the UH Department of Music in an international setting. The …
Christopher Blasdel’s Book Reviewed by The Times Literary Supplement
In April of this year, shakuhachi performer and Japanese music lecturer Christopher Blasdel’s book, Jiuta Sōkyoku Lyrics and Explanations: Songs of a Floating World, was reviewed by Brian Karentyk in The Times Literary Supplement. In his highly complimentary article, The Floating World: Classic anthologies of Japanese poetry in new translations, Karentyk notes that Blasdel’s book is “the first of its …
PhD composition student Paul Gabriel Cosme receives John Young Scholarship towards Philippine ethnography and concerto composition
Paul Gabriel Cosme, a PhD in Composition student at UH Mānoa Department of Music, is a recipient of the 2025 John Young Scholarship, which will support his research on the musical customs of three ethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines: Maguindanao, Maranao, and Sama, culminating in a kulintang concerto. The western genre concerto is traditionally composed for an instrumental soloist, such …
PhD candidate Susan Jacob publishes paper on Protect Maunakea Movement
Susan Jacob, a doctoral candidate in ethnomusicology, published her article, “The Moving Mountain: Performance for Mauna a Wākea during the Protect Maunakea Movement,” in the spring 2024 issue of the Journal of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAIS). Indiana University describes NAIS as publishing “the best interdisciplinary scholarship in international Native American and Indigenous Studies.” Jacob’s article illustrates how Kānaka Maoli (Native …
Dr. Marie Jocelyn U. Marfil nominated in the 2024 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards
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 …
UH Mānoa Music Department welcomes three new faculty
This Fall, the Music Department at UH Mānoa is fortunate to introduce three new faculty members: Dr. Dustin Ferguson, Dr. Alec Schumacker, and Dr. Yuan-Yu Kuan. Dr. Dustin Ferguson serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Music and Interim Associate Director of Bands. In addition to teaching music education courses, he conducts the Concert Band, Symphony Band, and is director of …
Blasdel publishes three works on shakuhachi
Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, shakuhachi player and lecturer at UH Mānoa, published three works on the shakuhachi this month. The first is The Shakuhachi: A Learning Manual, which was originally published in 1988, and the first comprehensive English-language shakuhachi instruction book published by a major publishing house; Ongaku no Tomo-sha, Japan’s leading music press. Blasdel also published Jiuta Sōkyoku Lyrics and …
Dr. Ricardo Trimillos named Living Treasure of Hawaiʻi
Adapted from UH News Ricardo Trimillos, renowned professor who has made lasting contributions to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the greater community, was celebrated as Living Treasure of Hawaiʻi on February 10. The 49th annual ceremony paid tribute to individuals who have significantly enriched the cultural tapestry of the islands. Trimillos, a professor emeritus of ethnomusicology was recognized …
Record donation of $3.5M made to UH Mānoa music department
From UH Foundation A record $3.5-million gift to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa from the Barbara Barnard Smith Foundation will fund the music department’s first-ever endowed chair. The newly established Professor Barbara Barnard Smith Endowed Chair supports the university’s desire and commitment to revitalize its ethnomusicology program and honors the legacy of the late revered UH Mānoa professor who died in 2021. “This …
Dr. Ricardo Trimillos is honored by International Council for Traditional Music and Dance
From UH News The International Council for Traditional Music and Dance has awarded a lifetime membership to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Ricardo Trimillos for his years of advocacy, service and academic contributions. Trimillos is a professor emeritus in ethnomusicology and Asian studies at UH Mānoa. His career has been dedicated to helping build the ethnomusicology program in tandem with his former professor and mentor, Barbara …