Music on Maui: Advancing the arts in the midst of hardships with Dr. Jonathan Korth

In Department News, Faculty News, Piano by General Entries

We all understand the limitations imposed on performers by the difficult circumstances we find ourselves in. However, these physical restrictions are providing musicians worldwide with opportunities to innovate and find alternative ways to share their music with others. 

On January 30th, pianist virtuoso and educator Dr. Jonathan Korth streamed a piano concert directly from the Maui Arts and Cultural Center’s Castle Theater. The program showcased music for all ages and interests, ranging from Bach, Debussy and Rachmaninoff, to modern classics such as Rodgers’ My Favorite Things from the musical The Sound of Music.

During a brief interview, Dr. Korth kindly shared his thoughts on the experience:


Dr. Korth: “Most of the performances I’ve done during this pandemic have been online live-stream broadcasts. I prefer the live-stream performances over recorded performances, because you can’t go back and self-analyze too much. I think they give a more natural ‘feeling’ of a real performance.”

In your opinion, what should we expect with regards to live performances, after the pandemic?

Dr. Korth: “I do think there may be more live-stream broadcasts with the audience present in the concert hall. Nonetheless, musicians today must be adept at using music technology.”


Aside from teaching at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and performing as a professional pianist, Dr. Jonathan Korth is also the president for the Honolulu Chamber Music Series (HCMS), an organization whose goal is to bring chamber music to new audiences through outreach initiatives, as well as, hosting concerts with world-wide invited guest ensembles.

During the pandemic they partnered with the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center (NYC), to provide people with digital concerts for their 2020-21 season, which is available starting the third Thursday of every month. Their upcoming concert will be on March 18th, 2021.

For more information on the HCMS concerts in partnership with the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center, please visit: https://honoluluchambermusicseries.org/ 

For more information on the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, please visit: https://mauiarts.org/index.php

You can find Dr. Jonathan Korth’s live-stream concert at the MACC here: