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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony

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United States
Honolulu, HI
Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony

Statewide non-profit music education organization.

We envision a Hawaiʻi where music is a right 🎶

Learn more about our music programs for students of all playing levels on our website!

09/18/2026

Flute alumna Dena Brennan has stayed an active member of our HYS ‘ohana since graduating in 2024, volunteering at Music Institute and attending various concerts when she travels home from Sarah Lawrence College.

Her experiences in HYS have taught her valuable life lessons, and shown her the value of music education for all keiki. Mahalo for sharing your thoughts with us, Dena!

09/17/2026

Save the Date for He Makana O Nā Mele: The Gift of Music 2026

This year, our annual gala will be held on Sunday, October 25 at the beautiful Hotel and will once again feature special guest Maggie Herron. We're excited to celebrate the joy of music together with some of our favorite melodies, morsels, and mixology!

How can you participate?
⭐️ Sunset Soirée - purchase tickets to the first portion of our gala, with cocktails, hors d'oeurves, and music by the full Youth Symphony I, led by Maestro Joseph Stepec. (Not to mention ✨immaculate vibes✨!)
⭐️ Gala Dinner & Show - purchase tickets or a table to attend a three-course fine-dining dinner and show by special guest Maggie Herron with a chamber ensemble featuring Youth Symphony I strings and Jazz I students.
⭐️ Silent Auction - donate to or bid on our silent auction, full of fun gifts for friends, family, or yourself!

Don't forget - it's all in support of our vision! Proceeds from Nā Mele help HYS to expand the people we touch with the joy of music, allowing us to reach even further beyond our students and programs. Your attendance of Nā Mele helps initiatives like free community concerts for the public, from school students through kūpuna!

Want to join us? Check out https://www.hiyouthsymphony.org/namele/ to learn more.

09/16/2026

Your support proves that music is ours, together.

We're out to prove that music doesn't belong to any one person or generation...it belongs to all of us! When music belongs to everyone, we each have a shared role in caring for it, sustaining it, celebrating it, and passing it on. Together, we can ensure music continues to inspire and connect people in Hawai‘i across every generation.

So, we hope you'll participate in our NOTEworthy Challenge 2026 and help us surpass our goal to raise $50,000 for our organization this September and October. So far we've raised $14,363...will you help us hit $15k to help us unlock our match?

There are two ways to have your donation matched!

1️⃣ Use Code 77060 (you heard it from our students!) to donate at the register at Foodland - Hawaii and Sack N Save this month! A portion of every donation will be matched through Foodland’s Give Aloha Campaign through the end of September.

2️⃣ Donate directly to HYS to have your support matched dollar-for-dollar by the George Mason Fund. Donations will be matched through the end of October (up to $15,000)!

If you’re inspired to help us meet our challenge goal and provide musical opportunities to our keiki, you can find the link to donate in our profile, and more information at hiyouthsymphony.org/noteworthychallenge.

09/14/2026

Where does HYS take you? Anywhere you want to go!

We love checking in on our alumni and seeing the incredible paths they're forging. The four students featured in this 2020 Honolulu Honolulu Star-Advertiser article (recognized at the time for their selection to Carnegie Hall's prestigious NYO USA / NYO2 program) are a perfect example.

Emi Horii (violin, ʻ20) went on to work as a legislative manager for State Representative Lisa Marten and is heading to UC Berkeley School of Law this fall. "My positive experience at HYS continues to inspire me to share the joy of music and help create more equitable access to the arts," she says.

Stephanie Yoshida (violin, ʻ20) graduated from Harvard with a degree in Astrophysics and is now a baseball research and development analyst for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Matin Boulos (bass, ʻ21) studied at the Colburn Music Academy and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, is pursuing a Music Education degree at Portland State University, and subs with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra when she's back home.

Sewon Park (viola, '21) graduated from Emory University with a degree in Human Health and is currently in her second year at the University of Washington School of Dentistry.

Want more alumni updates? Check out our latest newsletter at https://www.hiyouthsymphony.org/newsletter/!

📸 Honolulu Star-Advertiser

09/13/2026

🎟️ Hono‘uli‘uli 2026 🎟️

HYS is honored to participate in Hono‘uli‘uli on Sunday, September 27! YSI students Jayden, Katherine, Leala, and Sophia will perform alongside HYS Jazz I and world-renowned ʻukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro as part of A History Awakened, a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the closing of the Honoʻuliʻuli Interment Camp, at Hawaiʻi Theatre.

This immersive fusion of music, dance, and poetry honors the resilience and humanity of those who were incarcerated and a chapter of Hawaiʻi's history that deserves to be remembered.

You can learn more and grab your tickets at https://hawaiitheatre.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/events/a0SUl00000A8uorMAB.

09/10/2026

Maestro Stepec has led YSI for many years, and his vision for the Symphony Program as a whole is as clear today as it was when he started: he wants students to fall in love with orchestral music.

"My vision is for students to come into contact with truly great orchestral music and to be led to a real love for it by exceptional educators," he says. "When students write to me at the end of the year and mention how powerful it was to play a particular piece, I can't be happier — because I see it as my personal mission to impart a love for orchestral music in Hawai‘i."

We're perpetually inspired by Maestro Stepec, as well as conductors Elden Seta (YSII) and Wayne Fanning (CO) (pictured here with Ben Gutierrez, HYS board member). This powerhouse team is the engine behind our Symphony Program: a three-ensemble program that consists of our top students.

We invite you to read our latest blog at https://www.hiyouthsymphony.org/inside-the-hys-symphony-program/ that details the program so you can learn more about it and also be inspired by its leaders.

09/07/2026

We're so grateful for our chamber music partners!

Mahalo nui to Honolulu Chamber Music Series and Chamber Music Hawaii for our continued partnership. We're honored to be the Official Education Partner of these fantastic organizations!

Thanks to them, our students can look forward to another year of chamber music within our Symphony Program - unique opportunities to participate in small ensemble learning.

09/04/2026

It's a new season for Academy Strings!

Last semester we said 'a hui hou' to conductor Michael Lim, and 'e komo mai' to conductor Mackenzie Kwong.

"I am most excited about getting to make music with all of the students," expressed Mackenzie. "Being able to nurture the students' musical growth throughout the year is a passion of mine and I cannot wait to see the progress that the students will make throughout the semester."

We can't wait to see Mackenzie in action, and look forward to a fantastic season of Academy Strings!

09/03/2026

Ho‘omaika‘i Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii!

On August 8, we were honored to celebrate 50 years of Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii at their Walk in the Country gala with a performance by our quartet (consisting of Anna and Dominic on violin, Kotori on viola, and Ian on bass).

HYS has been proud partners with Boys & Girls Club for decades through our Music in the Clubhouse program. With even more programs on the way, our partnership prioritizes accessible, low-cost classes that take place at clubhouses across Oʻahu. We're so grateful for Boys & Girls Club!

09/01/2026

Nope, it's not our zip code...it's our Give Aloha number!

🎵Happy NOTEworthy Challenge 2026! 🎵

We’ve set a goal to raise $50,000 for our organization this September and October through our NOTEworthy Challenge!

This year we're celebrating that Music Belongs to Everyone. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to discover music; that every young musician deserves a chance to grow; and that everyone, keiki through kūpuna, deserves the joy and connection that live music brings. Funds raised through this campaign help create a Hawai‘i where music enriches lives across every generation.

🏆 Are you up for the challenge? 🏆

There are two ways to have your donation matched!

1️⃣ Use Code 77060 (you heard it from our students!) to donate at the register at and Sack N Save this month! A portion of every donation will be matched through Foodland’s Give Aloha Campaign through the end of September.

2️⃣ Donate directly to HYS to have your support matched dollar-for-dollar by the George Mason Fund. Donations will be matched through the end of October (up to $15,000)!

If you’re inspired to help us meet our challenge goal and provide musical opportunities to our keiki, you can find the link to donate in our profile, and more information at hiyouthsymphony.org/noteworthychallenge.

Address

1350 South King Street, Suite 201
Honolulu, HI
96814

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(808) 941-9706

Website

http://www.HiYouthSymphony.org/

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