Maui Student Returns from Prestigious National Youth Orchestra Tour

Kisa Uradomo. Photo credit: Carnegie Hall/ NYO-USA.

By Maui Now Staff

Kisa Uradomo of Maui recently participated as a member of the prestigious National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, a program facilitated by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

The group includes musicians ranging in age from 16 to 19, hailing from 37 US states, and recognized as the “finest players in the country, following a comprehensive audition process.”

Uradomo, a recent graduate of King Kekaulike High School, was the only student from Hawaiʻi named to the 114-member orchestra this year, and only the second musician from Hawaiʻi ever selected, according to the state Department of Education.

The 18-year-old is a violinist who played in the strings section of the orchestra, and recently returned from a nine-city tour in July that included several stops in China.

Her ensemble participation here in the islands includes both the Maui Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony.

According to the National Youth Orchestra, some fun facts about Uradomo include: she also plays trumpet and percussion; she considers Gil Shaham to be one of her musical heroes; and she was the president of the Tri-M Music Honor Society at her school, whose members perform at senior centers.

Uradomo will be presented with a certificate from Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa and Managing Director Keith Regan on Tuesday, Aug. 18 in the Mayor’s Conference Room.