The golf course beside Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows will come alive with music from the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra and guest artists, such as Keola Beamer, Amy Hānaiali‘i, John Cruz, Raiatea Helm, Jeff Peterson and Kala‘e Camarillo in the Mele for Maui concert this Saturday, Sept. 19.
The concert, which is free to the public, will be HSO’s first appearance in a decade on The Valley Isle. The symphony was recently named the state orchestra, which its conductor Dane Lam hopes will mean more stops on Neighbor Islands.
“It’s very significant for HSO because we haven't been to one of the Neighbor Islands for over a decade, so this is a real return for the orchestra, and we hope it's the start of really comprehensive touring around all of the Neighbor Islands as time goes on,” Dane Lam, HSO music and artistic director, told Aloha State Daily. “When this orchestra was reformed from the ashes of the old Honolulu Symphony, the name Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra was deliberately chosen to reflect the fact that we serve the whole state, and so to come in and celebrate the people of Lahaina and their courage and their resilience through music — through mele — it means a lot to us.”
To make the free concert possible, Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows, operated by Highgate Hawaiʻi, is providing rooms for musicians; Hawaiʻi Stage, which is owned and operated by a subsidiary of Hawaiian Council, is constructing a stage and providing lights and amplification; and Hawaiian Airlines is donating the airfare to get the musicians — and their instruments — to The Valley Isle.
“They've been incredibly, incredibly generous," Lam said. “It's an incredible group effort to bring this together."
The concert will have seating for thousands, the conductor added.
“We're doing a range of music,” he said. “We're doing some classics. We've got some Brahms, and we've got some Hawaiian music from our own composer in residence, Michael-Thomas Foumai. We have a special new commission by Sean Hickey, who for many decades has spent significant time on Maui, and it's a tribute to Maui's natural world and how it's different from anywhere else on Earth. And then, of course, we've got some amazing guest artists like Keola Beamer, like Amy Hānaialiʻi, who are going to be joining us on stage to share this. It's really Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra's gift to the people of Lahaina and to Maui.”
Keola Beamer is one of the featured artists performing with Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra for Mele for Maui. (Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra) 
Amy Hānaialiʻi is another featured artist for Mele for Maui. (Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra) 
John Cruz, who wrote the popular song "Island Style," will also take the stage. (Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra) 
Jeff Peterson will also perform as part of Mele for Maui. (Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra / Dana Edmunds) 
Kala‘e Camarillo will take the stage as part of the free concert, Mele for Maui, which celebrates the resilience and courage of Lahaina, Kihei and Kula. (Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra) 
Raiatea Helm will also perform with Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra as part of Mele for Maui. (Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra)
Getting the full orchestra — which consists of more than 60 musicians, plus their instruments — on a plane to Maui is “logistically complex,” the conductor added.
“For example, when a cellist travels with their cello, string instruments are very expensive, so violinists and violas will travel with their instruments, but they normally will fit in the overhead locker. Of course, the cello is too big to fit in the overhead locker, and so it necessitates the purchase of an extra seat,” Lam said. “You get a seat for Mr. Musician, and you get a seat for Mr. Cello.”
Other instruments, including basses and percussion, are sometimes borrowed from musicians who already have the instruments on Maui.
As part of the Maui visit, Lam will also be flying over early to work with musicians at Lahainaluna High School.
“I'm really looking forward to that,” he said. “Just to meet some of the next generation of musicians.”
Lam, who conducts symphonies all over the world, is no stranger to meeting new musical groups. Whether it’s a professional symphony or a high school one, the principle is the same, he said.
“You walk in, and you start conducting whatever music you've prepared, and you analyze and you appreciate what comes back at you,” he said. “And then you just work on ways to bring the picture of the music that's in your head that you have formed from what the composer has written — you bring the picture of what you hear in your head closer to the picture of what you hear coming at you from the musicians. It's a lovely experience. I'm really looking forward to meeting all the young musicians at Lahainaluna.”
Music brings people together, he added.
“When it’s all said and done, something that we all share in common is the ability to appreciate music, to be immersed in music, and that's what we're looking to do with this concert — to really uplift people, to celebrate the people of Lahaina, and to bring people together,” Lam said. “Because there are very few experiences in the world today where you are sitting or standing shoulder to shoulder with other people from different walks of life and experiencing something that is greater than yourself. And by that, I mean the music. It's going to be very humbling to bring that to Lahaina.”
Can’t attend in person? Watch the live stream from Hawaiʻi News Now. Details.
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
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