Lea Salonga, Ray Chen, and More Set For Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra's 2026/27 Season

The Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2026/27 season, Resonance. Taking place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, the season brings together internationally celebrated artists, symphonic works, and genre-spanning performances that reflect the distinctive voice of Hawaiʻi. From the soaring artistry of Lea Salonga to the welcome return of violinist Ray Chen, and the holiday favorite Elf in Concert, Resonance invites audiences into moments that linger long after the final note disappears.

More than a celebration of 15 years, this season signals momentum, expanding what a modern orchestra can be while deepening its connection to the community it calls home. Music & Artistic Director Dane Lam explains, "What does it mean for an orchestra to be embedded in its time and place? In its community? These are the questions that underpin our quest to make HSO an orchestra for all of Hawai'i, a proud Asia-Pacific voice rooted in one of the world's most dynamic cultural regions. From Carmen to Kolohe Kai; from Lea Salonga to Dai-Keong Lee; from Brahms to Star Wars. I am proud to present HSO Season 26/27, a season filled with the greatest music ever written, played by an ensemble of world-class musicians, rooted here in the Pacific."

"As we celebrate 15 years, Resonance reflects both how far the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra has come and the deep connection we continue to build with our community," said Amy Iwano, President and CEO of the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. "This season honors the power of live music to bring people together-bridging generations, cultures, and genres-while amplifying Pacific voices and world-class artistry that feel unmistakably at home here in Hawaiʻi. We are proud of this momentum and excited to share a season that is bold and has something for everyone."

At the core of Resonance, the Halekulani Masterworks Series showcases the power and range of the symphonic tradition from George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue to Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1, and the triumphant return of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, "Ode to Joy." Guest artists include pianist Makoto Ozone, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and violinists Jennifer Koh and Augustin Hadelich.

A highlight of the Masterworks season is the world premiere of the Dai-Keong Lee Violin Concerto, performed by Jennifer Koh alongside Beethoven's immortal Ninth Symphony. Born and raised in Hawai'i, Dai-Keong Lee was once celebrated across the United States and abroad before fading from the repertoire. HSO reclaims him in the violin concerto's modern premiere. HSO's Asia-Pacific focus continues in April with Firebird & The Phoenix, featuring the world premiere of Fang Man's Song of the Flaming Phoenix for sheng and orchestra - placing an ancient Chinese instrument at the heart of a program alongside Stravinsky and Sibelius, and exemplifying HSO's unique position at the crossroads of East, West, and Pacific.

HSO continues its tradition of immersive festivals: city-wide, multi-art form, cross-institution explorations of music inspired by figures such as Beethoven (2024) and Shakespeare (2026). In 2026, Brahms: From Vienna to Hawai'i weaves together 150 years of musical evolution. The festival features all four Brahms symphonies in conversation with music that surrounded Brahms and paired with new Pacific commissions from Composer in Residence Michael-Thomas Foumai and composer Nilo Alcala.

New this season, Spotlight Concerts expand the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra experience with genre-blurring performances that reflect the breadth of Hawaiʻi's musical landscape and the evolving role of the modern orchestra. This dynamic series brings together global icons and local voices from two unforgettable evenings with Tony Award-winning Lea Salonga to the vibrant energy of HapaSymphony, featuring a solo performance by Hawai'i's own Kolohe Kai. As part of his 50th landmark anniversary celebrating his start in show business, Honolulu favorite, Grammy-nominated conductor, arranger, saxophonist, pianist, vocalist, and composer Matt Catingub returns to the HSO, with his concert From Samoa to Sinatra, a concert tracing his musical journey from the legacy of his mother, Mavis Rivers, to the enduring world of Frank Sinatra. Beloved traditions return with the Hapa Holiday Extravaganza, a festive celebration infused with local flair, while innovative programs like The Sounds of Ravel & Rosalía featuring Carolina Rial of NBC's The Voice, blur the lines between classical and contemporary sound. Together, Spotlight Concerts invite audiences to experience the orchestra in new and unexpected ways.

HSO continues its popular Films in Concert series with Elf in Concert, bringing the beloved holiday film to life with the full orchestral score performed live, an immersive experience that blends cinema and symphonic sound. May the force be with you in spring 2027 to relive Star Wars: A New Hope in its 50th anniversary year.

Completing the full season, the Saturday morning engagement series Beyond the Music invites curious minds of all ages to explore the orchestra through immersive, one-hour programs that blend live symphonic performance with narration, visuals, and storytelling. The series continues on February 27 with Beloved Brahms, offering an intimate look at the timeless lyricism and emotional depth of Brahms' orchestral writing, followed on April 10 by Fantastic Birds & Where to Find Them, a whimsical, imaginative journey through music inspired by flight, nature, and fantasy. Designed for families, students, first-time concertgoers and aficionados alike, Beyond the Music provides an accessible and enriching gateway into the world behind the music.

Season Lineup:

SEASON PREMIERE: MASTERWORKS: RHAPSODY IN BLUE & MAHLER

Fri September 25, 2026 | 7:30 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Makoto Ozone, piano
Leilehua Lanzilotti - of light and stone
George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 1, “Titan”

MATT CATINGUB: FROM SAMOA TO SINATRA

Sat September 26, 2026 | 7:30 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Matt Catingub, conductor/piano

MASTERWORKS: JOANN CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S TRIPLE

Fri October 16, 2026 | 7:30 pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Lisa Nakamichi, piano
Ignace Jang, violin
Julian Schwarz, cello
Randall Svane - Quantum Flight
Ludwig van Beethoven - Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano, Op. 56, C Major, "Triple"
Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 1, Op. 39, E minor

LEA SALONGA IN CONCERT

Sat October 17, 2026 | 7:30 pm
Sun October 18, 2026 | 4:00 pm
Sarah Hicks, conductor
Lea Salonga, vocals

MASTERWORKS: RACHMANINOFF & COPLAND

Thurs November 5, 2026 | 7:30 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Salina Fisher - Kintsugi (Hawai’i Premiere)
Aaron Copland - Clarinet Concerto
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Symphony No. 2, Op. 27, E minor

HAPA HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA

Wednesday December 16, 2026 | 7:30 pm
Dane Lam, conductor

ELF IN CONCERT

Saturday December 19, 2026 | 7:00 pm
Sun December 20, 2026 | 2:00 pm
ELF and all related characters and elements © & ™ New Line Productions, Inc.

THE SOUNDS OF RAVEL & ROSALÍA with Carolina Rial

Fri January 8, 2027 | 7:30 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Carolina Rial, vocals

BEETHOVEN’S ODE TO JOY

Sun January 10, 2027 | 4:00 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Oʻahu Choral Society
Jennifer Koh, violin
Dai-Keong Lee - Violin Concerto
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 9, Op. 125, D minor, “Choral”

BEYOND THE MUSIC: BELOVED BRAHMS

Sat February 27,2027 | 11:00 am
Dane Lam, conductor
Michael-Thomas Foumai, narrator

MASTERWORKS: BRAHMS FESTIVAL: BRAHMS & DESTINY

Sun February 28, 2027 | 4:00 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
O’ahu Choral Society
Nilo Alcala - Pacific Brahms Commission (world premiere)
Johannes Brahms - Song of Destiny (Schiksalslied), Op. 54
Johannes Brahms & Bright Sheng - The Black Swan (Intermezzo)
Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 3, Op. 90, in F Major

MASTERWORKS: BRAHMS FESTIVAL: BRAHMS vs WAGNER

Sun March 7, 2027 | 4:00 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Johannes Brahms - Academic Festival Overture
Richard Wagner - Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music from Die Walküre
Alice Chance - Pacific Brahms Commission (world premiere)
Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 4, Op. 98, in E minor

MASTERWORKS: BRAHMS FESTIVAL: BRAHMS DANCES

Thurs March 11, 2027 | 7:30 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Ray Chen, violin
Johannes Brahms (arr. Parlow) - Hungarian Dance Nos. 5 & 6
Felix Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto, Op. 64, in E minor
Shawn Conley - Pacific Brahms Commission (world premiere)
Brahms - Symphony No. 2, Op. 73 in D Major

MASTERWORKS: BRAMS FESTIVAL: BRAHMS & THE SCHUMANNS

Sun March 14, 2027 | 4:00 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Alexandra Dariescu, piano
Robert Schumann - Genoveva Overture
Clara Schumann - Piano Concerto, Op. 7, in A minor
Michael-Thomas Foumai - Pacific Brahms Commission (world premiere)
Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 1, Op. 68, in C minor

BEYOND THE MUSIC: FANTASTIC BIRDS & WHERE TO FIND THEM

Sat April 10, 2027 | 11:00 am
Dane Lam, conductor
Michael-Thomas Foumai, narrator

MASTERWORKS: FIREBIRD & THE PHOENIX

Sun April 11, 2027 | 4:00 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Loo Sze Wang, sheng
Ottorino Respighi - The Birds (Gli Uccelli)
Fang Man- Song of the Flaming Phoenix for Sheng and Orchestra
Jean Sibelius - The Swan of Tuonela
Igor Stravinsky - Suite from The Firebird (L'Oiseau de feu) - 1919 version

STARS WARS: A NEW HOPE IN CONCERT

Fri May 7, Sat May 8, 2027 | 7:00 pm
Sun May 9, 2027 | 2:00 pm
Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts

HAPASYMPHONY: KOLOHE KAI

Fri June 4, 2027 | 7:30 pm
Dane Lam, conductor
Kolohe Kai, solo vocals

SEASON FINALE: MASTERWORKS: VIRTUOSITY IN MOTION