Amy Hānaialiʻi performing with Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony in free Maui community concert

The Hawai‘i Youth Symphony’s top orchestra, with special guest Amy Hānaialiʻi, will perform a President’s Day concert on Feb. 19 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

The concert is free to the public, but pre-registration online at MauiArts.org is required. The pre-registration begins at 10 a.m.  on Jan. 11. The MACC Box Office is  currently not open for window orders but is available for ticketing inquiries only by email ([email protected]). 

Youth Symphony I will perform under the direction of Maestro Joseph Stepec, who is making his Maui debut. Stepec is also the Director of Orchestras at UH Mānoa and conducts frequently with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. The concert will be in the Castle Theater at 4 p.m.

This season, Youth Symphony I is composed of 82 students, grades 9-12, from 15 public, home and independent  schools. Belise Swartwood, a senior from Mililani High School, is this season’s concertmaster.

Youth Symphony I is  among the finest youth symphonies in the country, and has been recognized on “From The Top,” a nationally-broadcast  public radio show, by Midori’s Orchestral Residencies Program. It also was a finalist in the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. 

With a mission to foster fun and creative experiences that inspire a deep appreciation for music and lifelong relationships within the culture of our islands, Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony annually serves more than 700 students ages 7 to 18, brought together from more than 100 schools statewide. 

Established as a non-profit organization in 1964, the symphony provides enriching opportunities for orchestral music education, performances and community engagement. Diverse programs for all skill levels and a variety of musical interests are offered, such as general music, jazz, string and band classes, summer intensives and symphony orchestras.

The symphony envisions  a Hawaiʻi where music is a right; a Hawaiʻi where any interested youth can learn an instrument and play in an ensemble, regardless of geographic or financial barriers. 

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center will be collecting donations for the Maui Food Bank the day of the event. Patrons are requested to bring needed items for those impacted by the wildfires. Donation bins will be located near the MACC’s main entry gates. 

This event is sponsored by the County of Maui and the Office of Economic Development. Youth Symphony I’s  performance at the MACC is supported, in part, by grants from the F. Baldwin Memorial Foundation, the Hawai‘i  Community Foundation and ABC Stores.

The performance by Hānaialiʻi, Hawaiʻi’s top selling female vocalist of all time, is sponsored by the Vilcek Foundation.