The Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra recently launched a “Sponsor a Musician” program to increase public engagement and support musicians.
The program is part of a goal of Dane Lam, HSO music and artistic director, to ensure that symphony offerings are broadly appealing and inclusive. He said the program allows sponsors to connect more personally with the music and the artists who are bringing it to life.
According to Lam, the program is off to a great start.
“In about a week we already had one of our associate principals, our associate principal clarinet, sponsored. We had two cellists sponsored. We had a contrabassoon sponsored and our piccoloist is sponsored. We had a violist sponsored,” he said.
“It’s quite a heartening uptake, which just goes to show how much the community loves our musicians and recognizes what an impact that the musicians have in the community making music and also teaching our children.”
Sponsorships begin at $1,200 per year for section players, or $100 per month through the Malama HSO program. Sponsors receive a photo with their sponsored musician, a sponsor credit on the HSO website and in the symphony’s playbill, and recognition in its annual report.
“The program supports the activities of all the orchestra,” Lam said, “but it’s a good way for people to develop a personal kind of connection and relationship with musicians.”
In addition to the sponsorship program, Lam is working to increase public engagement by making more musically inclusive selections.
In February and early March, Lam presided over a six-week Beethoven Festival that included the nine Beethoven symphonies, works by contemporary composers with Pacific Rim ties and performances by island string quartet and chamber music groups.
He said he wanted Honolulu audiences to experience Beethoven’s music in other locations and other formats.
On Saturday, HSO played an evening of film soundtrack favorites from the iconic Studio Ghibli animation studio of Japan. The concert, “The Music of Studio Ghibli,” sold out more than six weeks in advance.
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SPONSOR A MUSICIAN
>> Section players: $1,200
>> Associate principals: $2,500
>> Section principals: $4,000
>> Assistant concertmaster: $2,500
>> Associate concertmaster: $5,000
For sponsorship information, visit myhso.org/ sponsoramusician. For endowment information, contact Autumn Woods at awoods@hawaii symphonyorchestra.org
