Kahilu Theatre presents Jon Nakamatsu, a true aristocrat of the keyboard, whose playing combines elegance, clarity, and electrifying power this evening at 7 p.m.
Kahilu Theatre presents Jon Nakamatsu, a true aristocrat of the keyboard, whose playing combines elegance, clarity, and electrifying power this evening at 7 p.m.
A native of California, Nakamatsu came to international attention in 1997 when he was named Gold Medalist of the 10th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, the only American to have achieved this distinction since 1981. He has performed widely in North and South America, Europe, and the Far East. He has also performed at a White House concert hosted by President Bill Clinton.
The concert is the official launch of the new, 9-foot, Steinway Grand Piano that the Kahilu was able to purchase at the end of 2015 after a successful fundraising drive. Rev. Danny Akaka will open the evening with a blessing for the new piano.
The program will include works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, J. S. Bach, Vincent d’Indy, and Theodor Blumer. Kahilu Theatre doors open at 6 p.m. for the evening show. The Voyager Exhibit is currently showing in the Kahilu Galleries, including an updated map of Hokulea’s worldwide voyage.
Nakamatsu is performing in collaboration with The Spring Wind Quintet from Honolulu. An ensemble of Chamber Music Hawaii, The Spring Wind Quintet is recognized as one of the country’s leading wind quintets, and has been a major force in the development of chamber music in Hawaii. Many new works have been composed and arranged especially for the group. It has an extensive and varied repertoire earning several national grants and offers educational programs for all ages. The Spring Wind Quintet includes Susan McGinn on flute; J. Scott Janusch on oboe; James Moffitt on clarinet; Marsha Schweitzer on bassoon; and Mathew Berliner on French horn.
Nakamatsu records exclusively for harmonia mundi usa, which has released 14 of his CDs to date. His all-Gershwin recording with Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic featuring Rhapsody in Blue and the Concerto in F rose to No. 3 on Billboard’s classical music charts, earning critical praise.
Since 1997, Nakamatsu has served on multiple international piano competition juries and has also been invited as a guest speaker at institutions including the Van Cliburn Foundation, Stanford University and the Juilliard School.
Tickets range from $20-$68 and can be purchased online at www.kahilutheatre.org, by calling 885-6868, or at the theater’s box office at 67-1186 Lindsey Road, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Friday.