The Hawaii Youth Symphony (HYS) has commissioned a new work for their 50th Anniversary. The new work will explore ancient Hawaiian mythology and will be premiered on April 12, 2015 at Blaisdel Concert Hall conducted by Maestro Henry Miyamura.
HYS unites hundreds of students, regardless of financial standing, from different schools, cultural backgrounds and socio-economic conditions around the creation of high-quality music. HYS students gain more than growth in music; they gain skills for both lifelong learning and friendships. The demands of weekly rehearsals and multiple performances encourage responsibility, organization, commitment, self-confidence, poise and teamwork. They necessitate an ability to listen to others to achieve a common goal, personal discipline and dedication.
HYS provides arts education based on musical excellence by offering young people progressive opportunities to study orchestral music under the tutelage of high-quality educators. A significant part of HYS’s quest for excellence includes holding its students to a high degree of professionalism. Participating students are required to attend regular rehearsals and are held to a similar standard of a professional workplace whereby students must take responsibility for their absences/tardiness and understand the consequences. As part of its professional expectations agreement, HYS creates professionally-produced concerts to showcase the hard work and efforts of its students in the finest possible settings.
HYS’s orchestras perform an average of 24 concerts statewide per year. All are open to the public, and half of them are offered free-of-charge, including multiple Listen & Learn educational concerts for more than 10,000 students. HYS firmly believes in making quality music accessible to our communities, especially our children. Community concerts not only allow HYS to showcase its young musicians, they also instill in performing youth a sense of civic responsibility and the value of service-learning. HYS takes its music to under-served populations including areas on the neighbor islands, convalescent and retirement homes and community health and human services facilities.
By continuing its half century tradition of musical excellence, HYS ensures there will be a future for music by cultivating an enduring passion for music in its students, training prospective professional musicians and providing high-quality concerts to develop new generations of audiences and appreciation for music.
