Agata Highstein has been awarded the University of Hawaii – Manoa Presidential Scholarship. A sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree at the Department of Music, she has twice been named an Orvis Vocal Scholar. She is a member of the Chamber Singers, the department’s top auditioned choir, and a staff singer at Central Union Church. Agata …
José Taton, Jr Awarded Belinda Aquino International Philippine Studies Endowment
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 …
UHM Lecturer Marsha Schweitzer Honored by Monarch Chamber Players
Marsha Schweitzer, Lecturer in Bassoon at UH-Manoa, is also a music arranger of some repute and is being honored by the Monarch Chamber Players of Houston, Texas, in their season finale concerts on May 16 and 17, 2026. The Monarchs will perform two of Schweitzerʻs longest and most difficult arrangements at these concerts, Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht and Mendelssohn’s Octet. Both …
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 …
Alina Taniguchi Places First in Voice Competition
UHM voice student Alina Taniguchi recently won first place in the 2026 National Society of Arts and Letters Hawai’i Chapter Winston Classical Voice Scholarship Competition. Alina is a sophomore in the Music Education program, and she is a 2025-26 and 2026-27 Orvis Vocal Scholar, an honor given to outstanding voice students. Alina is a student of Dr. Maya Sypert. “Before …
Amy Taba Wins Winston Classical Voice Scholarship
Amy Taba, an undergraduate music student with a focus in vocal performance, placed second in the 2026 National Society of Arts and Letters, Hawaiʻi Chapter Winston Classical Voice Competition, winning a scholarship. She performed Una donna a quindici anni by Mozart, Willow Song by Douglas Moore and Algún día by Jaime León, and will advance to participate in the National …
Chris Yohmei Blasdel’s album An Ocean of Time praised by PitchPerfect
Shakuhachi master Christopher Yohmei Blasdel, together with Sasha Bogdanowitsch in Striking Light Duo, released their second album An Ocean of Time. The album was very positively reviewed by PitchPerfect. The thoughtful blend of text, texture, and tone, together with a variety of instruments played by Bogdanowitsch, was deeply appreciated by Jamie Funk from PitchPerfect. “I could feel the weight of …
PhD in Composition student Yunxin An wins the UH Bands/UH Music Student Composition Competition
Yunxin An, PhD student in Composition, won the UH Bands/UH Music Student Composition Competition in January with her composition Neon Night. Neon Night is An’s first composition for wind ensemble, inspired by her concept of the modern-day nocturne. “When I stroll around the city these days, I often get this ‘unreal’ feeling. Everything, from the bright lights to the music …