Dr. Dustin Ferguson, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Music Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Interim Associate Director of Bands, traveled to the Kingdom of Tonga to help fulfill one of the Late King George Tupou V final wishes of establishing a woodwinds group and concert band in Tonga.
Dr. Ferguson, in collaboration with Ohio State University and Tonga’s Friendly Islands Music Initiative, helped to build a woodwinds group and concert band, creating a foundation for the future of music education in the Kingdom of Tonga by sharing his knowledge of woodwind, conducting, and concert band instruction.
“It has been an incredibly meaningful experience to introduce woodwind, conducting, and concert band instruction to the Kingdom of Tonga for the first time in its history,” states Dr. Ferguson. “This project has allowed us to collaborate with the Tongan community, provide educational opportunities and build a foundation for the future of music education. It is an honor to be part of this historical moment and to help create a lasting legacy in Tonga’s cultural and musical development. We are proud to contribute to the realization of the Late King Tupou Vʻs vision.”
