Winners of the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra’s Concerto Competition will be featured with the orchestra in a free concert beginning at 4 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows Pavilion. The orchestra opens the concert with Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92.”
Winners of the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra’s Concerto Competition will be featured with the orchestra in a free concert beginning at 4 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows Pavilion. The orchestra opens the concert with Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92.”
Eugene Son, 11, of Waipahu, Oahu, accompanies the orchestra for the second piece, the first movement of Felix Mendelssohn’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25.” Son has studied piano with Thomas Yee of Honolulu for six years. Also a cellist who has played with the Honolulu Youth Symphony, Son worked on the piece for a year and is looking forward to performing it with an orchestra.
Noe Baladad, 15, is a 10th-grader at Kaiser High School on Oahu and has studied piano with Yee for 10 years. She will play the first movement of Camille Saint-Saens’ “Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor.” Considered Saint-Saens’ most popular piano concerto, Baladad’s emotionally evocative rendition of the composition wowed concerto competition judges. This is not the first time Baladad has played with an orchestra, but the aspiring professional musician is excited to perform with the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra, she said.
Evan Lin, 17, is in his last year at Punahou School. He has studied piano with Joanna Fan of Honolulu for 12 years. He will join the orchestra for Sergei Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major.” Completed in 1921, this modern piece features Prokofiev’s trademark punctuation of lyrical musical passages with witty dissonances by the piano soloist, while the orchestral accompaniment rises above background to maintain a balanced partnership with the solo.
The Canoe House at the Mauna Lani has created a special “chef’s choice,” Hawaiian plantation-style set menu for people attending the concert. The cost is $100 per person, not including tax and beverage. For reservations, call 881-7911 and mention “KPO chef’s choice.”
Donations will be collected in the lobby before and after the concert. The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra Society is a 501(c)3; any donations may be tax deductible. Contributions may be mailed to P.O. Box 5550, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 or made via Paypal on its website. For more information, visit kamuelaphil.org.