Four Brahms symphonies, guest performances by Broadway star Lea Salonga, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and violinists Augustin
Hadelich and Jennifer Koh are part of the 2026-2027 season as the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 15th anniversary.
The lineup also includes performances of Hawaii-born composer Dai-Keong Lee’s Violin Concerto, and the world premiere of Fang Man’s “Song of the Flaming Phoenix” for orchestra and sheng, an
ancient
Chinese reed instrument.
This theme of this season is
“Resonance.”
“‘Resonance’ reflects both how far the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra has come and the deep connection we continue to build with our community,” HSO President and CEO Amy Iwano said when announcing the schedule. “This season honors the power of live music to bring people together — bridging generations, cultures, and genres — while amplifying Pacific voices and world-class artistry that feel unmistakably at home here in Hawaii. We are proud of this momentum and
excited to share a season that is bold and has something for
everyone.”
On Friday, “Resonance” features HSO conductor emerita JoAnn Falletta conducting Lisa Nakamichi
(piano), Ignace Jang (violin) and Julian Schwarz (cello), on Beethoven’s Concerto
for Violin, Cello and Piano, Op. 56, C Major, “Triple.”
Salonga returns to Hawaii for performances Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
The season’s biggest production, “Brahms: From
Vienna to Hawai‘i,” will present four Brahms symphonies in February and March. Each will be paired with a newly commissioned composition inspired by Brahms’ work.
Pop music is covered with HSO Music and Artistic Director Dane Lam conducting a “Hapa Holiday Extravaganza” in December, Team Legend alum Carolina Rial guesting in January, “Star Wars: A New Hope” celebrating the 50th anniversary of the franchise with three shows in May and Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner Kolohe Kai starring in a HapaSymphony in June.
Iwano said HSO remains committed to serving the community.
“In addition to our full schedule of public performances, we have increased our commitment to serving the community,” Iwano told the Honolulu Star-Adveriser. “We’ll be doing things like the school matinee concerts where we bus kids into the Blaisdell for morning performances. We have a program called Symphony in the Schools. Last year we took the whole orchestra to Kawananakoa Middle School; we’ll be doing that again. We have our Na Hoku Opio Young Stars Competition for high school students where the winners get to perform solos with the symphony, and we’ll do our annual ‘side by side’ with the Hawaii Youth Symphony next May.”
Financial support from the state and the City and County of Honolulu will make it possible for the HSO to perform concerts in other parts of Oahu.
HSO officials said they are also responding to greater economic instability with a four-ticket “flex package” that gives a 20% discount off single-ticket prices, and service fees have been reduced and are waived entirely for season subscribers.
There is also a 50% discount for military personnel and first responders, and a 25% discount for teachers and educators; students with a valid ID can get in for $15.
“We’re really committed to keeping HSO accessible,” Iwano said. “It means that we have to work all the harder to raise the funds so that we don’t have to raise ticket prices and can keep ticket prices within reach.”
