Annual Suzuki Maui Christmas Holiday Concert mixes young talent with seasoned artists at Makawao Union Church, Nov. 30

The talented young musicians of Suzuki Maui and Haleakalā Waldorf School will join with seasoned artists in an annual holiday concert on Saturday, Nov. 30, at Makawao Union Church.

The program features holiday favorites and classical selections, including Corelli’s Christmas Concerto with graduating seniors Skylar Kuroda of Seabury Hall, and Krystiana Torricer of Maui High.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The program begins at 7 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $25. Students and children 17 and under are free with accompanying adult.

“These young artists who range in age from seven to adult, have trained for months for this Annual Suzuki-Maui Talent Education Program Concert,” said its founder and director, Teresa Skinner.

Under her direction, dozens of Suzuki Maui string players have gone on to careers in the classical music world from coast to coast, as well as toured internationally.

Skinner is well-known throughout Maui, the state and Los Angeles as a seasoned violist and violinist, who is the maestro that brings together her ensemble of young musical artists and adults from her Suzuki-Maui Studio and the Haleakalā Waldorf School middle school strings program, which she has led for coming up on 10 years. Under the direction of “Ms. T” as her students call her, Suzuki-Maui the audience is in for an uplifting concert featuring holiday classics and familiar classical works performed in the iconic Makawao Union Church, bedecked for the Christmas season.

“Our students have worked diligently to present this program for our community and are excited to showcase their talents in our 23rd annual concert event,” said Skinner.

The over 38 string players include Suzuki-Maui high-school violin soloists Skylar Kuroda and Sophia Scott from Seabury Hall, Krystiana Torricer from Maui High, violists Aria Cuthburtson and Ruby Valentino, Haleakalā Waldorf High School and Noted Maui professional performing artists Lotus Dancer, piano, Michelle Romero-Ancheta and Roy Binder, cello, Cheryl Lindley, bass, Peter DellaCroce, percussion, WenLu Duffy, Suzuki-Maui alumni and violinist with Maui Pops Orchestra on violin and electric bass and Skinner, on viola and violin round out the orchestra at this Holiday event of the season. Distinguished actor Bob Wills will be returning as Master of Ceremonies this year.

Suzuki-Maui Talent Education follows the philosophy of its founder, the late Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki. In a time when Maui and its communities are still healing from the wildfire events, the genesis of Dr. Suzuki’s methodology is particularly relevant. When world renown cellist Pablo Casals experienced the music of Dr. Suzuki’s students, he said to him “Perhaps music will change the world.”

The Suzuki method was launched in 1945 at the end of World War II. Seeing the residual effects on his country, particularly on children, Suzuki began his Talent Education movement in Matsumoto, Japan. His vision was to raise children with “noble hearts” believing that people raised and “nurtured by love” in his method would grow up to achieve better things than war.

For more information, contact suzukimaui@gmail.com or 808-298-9096 or Georja Skinner, momentumcco@gmail.com or 808-268-4341.