University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Music Department

Björk album performer, UH music lecturer named Pulitzer finalist | University of Hawaiʻi System News Leilehua Lanzilotti was named a finalist for a composition called “with eyes the color of time.”

Dr. Jennifer Blackwell (Music Education) and Performer-Composer Brian Kavolius-Matherne (Brian KM) have completed a semester-long residency working with six of UH’s graduate composition students on original compositions for Alto Saxophone and Horn. The residency, which took place in Fall 2021, consisted of reading sessions, individual meetings with composers, and informational sessions on writing for the instruments, culminating in the recording of the six works. Check it out:

Saxophone and Horn duo complete semester-long residency in new music with UH composition students - The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Dr. Jennifer Blackwell (Music Education) and Performer-Composer Brian Kavolius-Matherne (Brian KM) have completed a semester-long residency working with six of UH’s graduate composition students on original compositions for Alto Saxophone and Horn. The residency, which took place in Fall 2021, con...

Tomorrow night we'll be streaming a live performance by our own voice professor and mezzo-soprano Maya Hoover, who will be joined by pianist Jonathan Korth. The program offers poetry representative of the past year, including settings of Rilke, D’Annunzio, and Langston Hughes, and also features works by Carlos Guastavino, Ruth Schonthal, Stefano Donaudy, Francesco Paolo Tosti, Erich Korngold, John Musto, and Tom Cipullo. Dancer Jonathan Clarke Sypert will join in on the second half.

7:00pm, Friday March 12
Streamed here on the UH-Mānoa Music Department page

Concert Series: Mezzo-soprano Maya Hoover with Pianist Jonathan Korth Concert Series: Mezzo-soprano Maya Hoover with Pianist Jonathan Korth Friday, March 12 7:00pm Register here Praised for her outstanding artistry, “vocal beauty of high technical caliber,” and “gifted storytell[ing],” mezzo-soprano Maya Hoover has appeared on stages throughout the United Stat...

Today we celebrate Professor Emerita Barbara B. Smith's 100th birthday! Prof. Smith is the founder of the Music Department's ethnomusicology program, and has been a source of knowledge and inspiration since she began teaching at UH-Mānoa in 1949. This article, written by Arlene Abiang, illustrates the profound impact Prof. Smith has had over the past century.

Barbara B. Smith: The legacy of a long life in music - The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department In honor of Professor Emerita Barbara B. Smith’s 100th birthday, Arlene Abiang shows why Prof. Smith is a cherished member of the UH-Mānoa music ʻohana “A celebration of a person’s 100th birthday is not unusual when a person reaches that milestone in life; however for me, though I never expe...

Professor Emerita Barbara B. Smith helped build the UH Music Department. She joined the faculty in 1949 to teach piano and music theory and later developed the ethnomusicology program. You are invited to celebrate this pioneer faculty member!

2020 Barbara B. Smith Webinar Series - Society for Ethnomusicology On 10 June 2020 ethnomusicology pioneer Barbara B. Smith marks her hundredth birthday. Prior to COVID-19, we planned a series of events during 2020 to celebrate this milestone. As part of this celebration, a conference with papers by those she has taught or mentored  at the University of Hawai’i ...

The UH-Mānoa Music Department recognizes and congratulates all those graduating this semester and in the summer. Music Department Chairperson Laurence Paxton sends his warm wishes in a message to all 2020 music graduates:

"Congratulations to all the talented 2020 graduating students of the University of Hawaii Department of Music. Your school and your community are proud of your accomplishments. Nelson Mandela once said that 'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.' I like to think that music can change lives. Go out into the world. Make music. Change lives."

Congratulations graduates!

Congratulations Music Graduates! - The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Congratulations Music Graduates! In Department News, Student Accolades by General EntriesMay 15, 2020 The UH-Mānoa Music Department recognizes and congratulates all those graduating this semester and in the summer. Music Department Chairperson Laurence Paxton sends his warm wishes in a message to a...

The UH Choirs have come together – even at a distance – to make music, singing a beautiful mele that honors those who serve in difficult times.

UH Choirs Virtual Mele Project: "Waikā" arr. Michael Springer The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Choral Program present a traditional mele, "Waikā" arranged by Michael Springer. Conducted by Dr. Jace Kaholokula Saplan. ...

The members of the UH Wind Ensemble sharing their aloha (virtually!) with this beautiful performance of Aloha ‘Oe

UH Wind Ensemble Virtual Band Project - Aloha ‘Oe University of Hawai’i Wind Ensemble Jeffrey Boeckman, conductor Aloha ‘Oe Music by Queen Liliʻuokalani Arranged by Clarence Hayase and Steven Agasa for the C...

Congratulations to UH composition professor Donald Reid Womack on being awarded a prestigious Guggenheim fellowship! This honor is bestowed on only a few composers each year, and recognizes those having a deep impact in their field.

Composer Donald Reid Womack awarded prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department

Over the coming weeks, we'll be sharing what UH-Mānoa music students have been up to this semester and presenting some of their final "virtual" performances.

We'll start with the UH Wind Ensemble (Jeffrey Boeckman, director) who traveled to Kauai in February to premiere a new orchestration of the Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds, a work that brings together performers, composers, animators, filmmakers, scientists, educators and students. Here is composition professor Takuma Itoh's movement, a tribute to Kauai's now-extinct ʻōʻō, with animation by Jeanine Higa and Kayla Abalos.

Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds, 4th movt - Vanished Voices: A Farewell to the ʻŌʻō Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds, 4th movement “Vanished Voices: A Farewell to the ʻŌʻō” University of Hawai’i Wind Ensemble, Jeffrey Boeckman, conductor Music...

Catching up on news from the department, the Nā Wai Chamber Choir, directed by Director of Choral Activities Dr. Jace Saplan, recently traveled to Utah to perform at the ACDA Western Region conference. Read more about it here!

Nā Wai Chamber Choir Performs at ACDA Conference | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department

The UH Mānoa composition program continues to make its mark on the world: Music by four UH composition students recently featured in Japan!

UH Composition Students Shine in Japan – The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department UH Composition Students Shine in Japan In Composition, Student Accolades by General EntriesAugust 6, 2019 The UH Mānoa composition program continues to make its mark on the world. Four UH composition students, William Watson, Chris Molina, Andrew Filson and James Finamore were featured on the May 1...

Faculty composer Donald Reid Womack recently had a number of works premiered in Korea, including a concerto for the geomungo, a Korean zither. Check out all he's doing here!

Faculty composer Donald Reid Womack’s works premiered in Korea – The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Faculty composer Donald Reid Womack’s works premiered in Korea In Composition, Faculty News by General EntriesMay 27, 2019 Faculty composer Donald Reid Womack recently had several premieres of new works in Korea. In April Womack’s Power Lines, a concerto for geomungo, was premiered by the Hong K...

Congrats to the UH National Association for Music Education chapter, which recently was named the recipient of the NAfME 2018 Chapter of Excellence Award!

UHM NAfME Chapter Receives National Award – The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department UHM NAfME Chapter Receives National Award In Music Education by Travis ShaverMay 1, 2019 The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Collegiate chapter at the University of Hawai’i has been awarded the NAfME 2018 Chapter of Excellence Award. As part of the award, members of the chapter’...

Musicology professor Dr. Abigail Fine recently presented at Stony Brook University's "Sound and Secularity" symposium, discussing a treatise by early twentieth-century sociologist Edgar Zilsel. Read more about her research here.

Dr. Abigail Fine presents at Stony Brook University – The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Dr. Abigail Fine presents at Stony Brook University In Faculty News, Musicology by Travis ShaverApril 20, 2019 Recently, UHM Musicology faculty Dr. Abigail Fine gave a presentation for the Sound and Secularity symposium at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. Here is what she has to say....

UH-Mānoa graduate student Chris Molina is spending the year in Japan, researching and composing music for Japanese instruments on a fellowship from the Japan Foundation. Read more about his activities here.

Graduate student Chris Molina composing in Japan – The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Graduate student Chris Molina composing in Japan In Composition by Travis ShaverApril 12, 2019 As a doctoral fellow with the Japan Foundation, Chris Molina is spending the academic year in Japan, researching the use of traditional Japanese instruments in contemporary music. He is based in Kawasaki a...

Learn more about the work UH-Mānoa choral director Dr. Jace Saplan is sharing across the U.S.!

Dr. Jace Saplan Shares His Groundbreaking Work Nationally – The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Dr. Jace Saplan Shares His Groundbreaking Work Nationally In Choirs, Faculty News by Travis ShaverApril 3, 2019 Director of Choral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Jace Saplan is busy promoting his groundbreaking research and Hawaiian choral music across the nation. He recently returned....

Congrats to ethnomusicology faculty and UHM alum Ben Fairfield, who has received a prestigious Fulbright fellowship!

Alumnus and Faculty Member Ben Fairfield Receives Fulbright – The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Alumnus and Faculty Member Ben Fairfield Receives Fulbright In Alumni Accolades, Ethnomusicology, Faculty News by Travis ShaverMarch 29, 2019 The Department of Music is pleased to announce that Ben Fairfield (PhD University of Hawaiʻi 2017) has received a 2019-20 Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant. His ...

The Music Department welcomes pianist and vocal coach José Meléndez today as he begins a two-week residency with our students in the Opera Workshop program. Join us for the concert, which includes scenes from Le nozze di Figaro, Little Women, Tosca, and The Consul on Monday, April 8th at 7:30pm. For more information: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/music/event/uh-opera-workshop-in-concert-2/

Don't miss it! This Thursday the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, Oʻahu Choral Society, UH-Mānoa Choirs, Hawaiʻi Youth Opera Chorus, and the choral programs at Kapiʻolani Community College and Windward Community College come together to premiere UH-Mānoa composition faculty Michael-Thomas Foumai's "Raise Hawaiki." 7:30pm at Blaisdell Concert Hall.

HSO to Premiere Dr. Michael-Thomas Foumai’s ‘Raise Hawaiki’ – The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department HSO to Premiere Dr. Michael-Thomas Foumai’s ‘Raise Hawaiki’ In Alumni Accolades, Composition, Faculty News by Travis ShaverMarch 25, 2019 Dr. Michael-Thomas Foumai has been hard at work preparing for the world premiere of his new piece, Raise Hawaiki. “Raise Hawaiki” will be premiered by t...

UH-Mānoa ethnomusicology students Candice Steiner and Andrew Gumataotao making waves!

UHM Ethnomusicology Students Making Waves | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department UHM Ethnomusicology Students Making Waves In Ethnomusicology, Student Accolades by Travis ShaverMarch 7, 2019 Current students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s ethnomusicology program are making strides in the field. Here are a few of their remarkable accomplishments: Ethnomusicology PhD...

Congratulations to UH-Mānoa Professor Emeritus Barbara Smith, who was recently honored by the Hawaii Arts Alliance for her many years of dedication to the arts and culture in Hawai‘i!

Professor Emeritus Barbara B. Smith Receives Prestigious Honor | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Professor Emeritus Barbara B. Smith Receives Prestigious Honor In Ethnomusicology, Faculty News by Travis ShaverFebruary 26, 2019 On January 26, Professor Emeritus Barbara B. Smith was named the 2018 Hawai‘i Arts Alliance Preis Honoree. Named after Alfred Preis, founder of the Alliance, the honor ...

The UH-Mānoa Music Department bids a fond farewell to ethnomusicology professor Frederick Lau, who has retired from the university after many years of service.

The Music Department bids farewell to Dr. Frederick Lau | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department The Music Department bids farewell to Dr. Frederick Lau In Department News, Ethnomusicology, Faculty News by Travis ShaverJanuary 27, 2019 This Spring 2019 semester, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Department of Music bids farewell to long-time ethnomusicology faculty member Dr. Frederick Lau....

UH-Mānoa's Director of Bands, Dr. Jeffrey Boeckman, will present at this year's Midwest Clinic at a session entitled “Bridging the Gender Gap: Developing Strategies for Creating Equity in Ensemble Programming."

Dr. Jeffrey Boeckman to Present at the Midwest Clinic | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Dr. Jeffrey Boeckman to Present at the Midwest Clinic In Bands, Faculty News by Travis ShaverDecember 8, 2018 Associate Professor and Director of Bands Jeffrey Boeckman has been invited to present at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois this December, at a session entitled “Bridging the Gender ...

Faculty and students from the UH-Mānoa Music Department, along with artists, composers, educators, scientists and the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra have come together to create the Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds. Learn more here and find out about this Wednesday's public performance of the work!

UH Faculty Work Together to Create the Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department UH Faculty Work Together to Create the Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds In Composition, Department News by Travis ShaverNovember 12, 2018 On Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, Dr. Takuma Itoh and other UH Mānoa faculty welcomed approximately 5000 young students to see the Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds at Blaisdell...

Check out what's new with our musicology faculty, Dr. Kate McQuiston and Dr. Abigail Fine!

A Summer of Books and Movies | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department A Summer of Books and Movies In Faculty News, Musicology by Travis ShaverOctober 28, 2018 What’s new with the musicology faculty? Kate McQuiston has been listening to the movies. She says: “Filmmakers and composers are coming up with new, provocative ways of using sound and music in their movies...

UH-Mānoa Professor Byong Won Lee to be featured as a "Pioneer of Korean Ethnomusicology" by Korea's National Gugak Center. Learn more about this and catch up on Dr. Lee's other activities here.

Dr. Byong Won Lee, Pioneer of Korean Ethnomusicology | The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Music Department Dr. Byong Won Lee, Pioneer of Korean Ethnomusicology In Uncategorized by Travis ShaverSeptember 7, 2018 Dr. Byong Won Lee, Professor of Ethnomusicology, is enjoying an exciting year with the National Gugak Center—a South Korean government organization of traditional performing arts under the Minis...

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