Symphony percussionist championed social justice, equality

Stephen R. Dinion, assistant principal timpanist and percussionist for the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra and a community activist, died May 13 of complications from lymphoma. He was 46.

Dinion came to Hawaii in 1992 to play with the Hono­lulu Symphony Orchestra, quickly rising to leadership positions among the musicians and administrative posts within the organization.

"He was actually the personnel manager when I was hired," said Jona­than Parrish, executive director of the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra, who came to Hawaii in 1998. "So he was management and I was labor."

Dinion also served as secretary treasurer for the Musicians Association of Hawaii, and during the bankruptcy of the Hono­lulu Symphony Orchestra, he took a leading role in representing musicians in negotiations with the orchestra board of directors.

After that orchestra folded and the new Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra was formed, Dinion served as chairman of the musicians committee and represented the musicians in meetings with the new orchestra’s board.

"He was hugely involved in our effort to restart the orchestra," Parrish said.

Dinion, a northern Virginia native, studied music at Oberlin Conservatory and Temple University. In addition to his symphony career, he taught percussion privately and at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and performed in smaller concerts.

"There wasn’t anything back there that he didn’t play, all those toys," Parrish said with a laugh, referring to the assortment of instruments percussionists and timpanists have to master, from drums to cymbals to the triangle, marimba and even car horns.

Dinion also was widely involved in local community organizations and political causes, working with issues concerning social justice and equality. He served on the board of the Hawaii People’s Fund and was an organizer for Unite Here Local 5, representing hotel and health care workers.

Scott Janusch, principal oboist for the symphony and a close friend, said Dinion also worked on workplace equality issues as a member of Hawai‘i Peace and Justice.

"He did a brilliant job chairing the musicians committee, working very closely with our musicians and our government officials in lobbying for legislation that would help the orchestra," Janusch said.

"One of the first (performances) he played was when the orchestra was barged (to Kauai) after Hurricane Iniki, and the symphony donated a service to help the victims over there," Janusch said. "Not long after that, in his second year, he was invited to serve on the orchestra committee as an intern. … It’s just been one long stream of his giving of himself tirelessly for whatever cause he threw himself into, 125 percent."

Janusch and Dinion were also active lobbying for the civil unions bill and other equality-related issues for the LGBT community. Mari Yoshi­hara, a professor at UH and a close friend of Dinion, said that although Dinion had a longtime partner, his work wasn’t done out of personal interest.

"He just did it as a civil rights issue, that people should have the right to marry like everyone else. … He was very committed to all forms of social justice."

Dinion encouraged Yoshi­hara to pursue a childhood interest in piano, attending her musicals and concerts.

"He was always the one who was most enthusiastic, even though he was a professional musician and I’m just this struggling amateur," she said.

Dinion’s last HSO performance was in March at "The Best of John Williams" concert. He sought treatment shortly thereafter and his condition quickly worsened.

At last weekend’s concerts the orchestra paid its respects to Dinion with a performance of "Nimrod," a hymnlike movement from Elgar’s "Enigma Variations," with a spotlight focused on a stool, covered in lei, where Dinion normally stood.

Dinion is survived by mother Bernice, sister Laurie, brothers Michael and Robert, and partner Stewart Kubota.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Studio 909 at 909 Kapiolani Blvd. Donations to Hawaii People’s Fund, Hawai‘i Peace and Justice, Pride at Work and/or Live Music Awareness are suggested.