VIOLIN MASTERCLASS: Jinjoo Cho
Nov
6
3:30 PM15:30
For Students, For Teachers, HMTA Events, Workshops, Workshops & Masterclasses

VIOLIN MASTERCLASS: Jinjoo Cho

Violinist Jinjoo Cho is a versatile classical virtuoso of the 21st Century. 1st Prize Winner of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis in addition to Montréal, Buenos Aires, Schoenfeld, and Stulberg International Competitions, Jinjoo has performed on concert stages worldwide since the age of 11. Today, she continues to captivate audiences at renowned venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, the Aspen Music Festival, the Gilmore Festival, La Jolla Music Society’s Summerfest, the Banff Centre, Festival de Lanaudière, La Seine Musicale, the Kronberg Academy, Schwetzingen Festspiele, Herkulessaal, Teatro Colón, and the Seoul Arts Center.

A charismatic soloist, Jinjoo has appeared with leading orchestras such as The Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Deutsche Radio Philharmonic, Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia de Madrid, Ensemble Appassionato, Seoul Philharmonic, North Carolina, Phoenix, and Charlotte Symphonies, collaborating with renowned conductors such as James Gaffigan, Kent Nagano, JoAnn Falletta, Karina Canellakis, Mathieu Herzog, Peter Oundjian, Michael Stern, Tito Munoz, Michael Francis, Moritz Gnann, Shi-Yeon Sung, Pietari Inkinen, and Clemens Schuldt. Jinjoo has deep love and appreciation for the chamber music repertoire, and cherishes sharing the stage with prominent artists of the globe such as Gary Hoffman, Andreas Ottensamer, Ray Chen, Itamar Golan, Roger Tapping, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Vadim Gluzman, and Clive Greensmith. In 2021, Jinjoo formed Trio Seoul with pianist Kyu Yeon Kim and cellist Brannon Cho.

In addition to being an active performer, Jinjoo is a dedicated educator. She is currently an Associate Professor of Violin at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. Her previous teaching positions include the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Oberlin Conservatory. Jinjoo frequently serves on the jury panels of international competitions such as the Sibelius Competition (Finland, 2025), Indianapolis Competition (USA, 2022), and Schoenfeld Competition (China, 2024), as well as on screening committees for the Isang Yun Competition (Korea, 2024), Premio Paganini (Italy, 2023), and Montréal Competition (Canada, 2019). Her commitment to nurturing young musicians is inspired by her own mentors, Paul Kantor and Jaime Laredo.

Jinjoo’s dedication to music extends beyond performance and teaching. In 2015, she founded the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, a summer festival and seasonal residency series that brings together international artists and talented students for intensive learning and performance experience. Her creative ventures also include commissioning new works from composers Juri Seo and Andrew Rindfleisch, as well as collaborating with artists from other disciplines, such as dancer/choreographer Jinyeob Cha. In 2021, her debut book, Shine Someday, became a bestseller on major Korean book platforms.

A distinguished recording artist, Jinjoo has released six albums: Novella (SONY), Toy Store (Carrier Records), Saint-Saëns (Naïve Classique), La Capricieuse (SONY Classical), The Indianapolis Commissions (Azica), and Jinjoo Cho (Analekta). Described as “a delectable curtain-raiser” (Strad Magazine) and “finest silk thread of a violin tone” (Rondo Magazine), Jinjoo’s discography has garnered critical acclaim worldwide as well as commercial success.

Admission for this masterclass is FREE and all are welcome.
Location: Castle Building, Room C101, ʻIolani School

ʻIolani School Map
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CELLO MASTERCLASS: Dr. Max Geissler
Nov
6
3:30 PM15:30
For Students, For Teachers, HMTA Events, Workshops, Workshops & Masterclasses

CELLO MASTERCLASS: Dr. Max Geissler

Passionate and communicative, Max Geissler is a versatile cellist whose broad musical interests span multiple genres and disciplines. From performing in international chamber music series alongside distinguished artists, to premiering works by world-renowned composers with the new music ensemble Latitude 49, to historical performances on baroque cello with gut strings, Max’s artistic range is as diverse as it is dynamic. Currently, Max is the Assistant Professor of Cello at Butler University after previously serving on faculty at East Tennessee State University. Max spends his summers teaching and performing at ENCORE Chamber Music Institute and Kalmia Garden Music Arts Foundation, a non-profit organization Max founded and directs in Durham, CT, just celebrated its 12th season.

Maintaining an active presence as a performer, Max has been presented by prestigious international organizations such as La Jolla ChamberFest, Taipei Music Academy & Festival, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and the Geneva Music Festival. He has shared the stage with celebrated musicians such as Lynn Harrell, Mathieu Herzog, Clive Greensmith, Mihaela Martin, Frans Helmerson, Jon Kimura Parker, Cho-Liang Lin, and Martin Beaver. Eager to expand the scope of the solo cello repertoire, Max enjoys collaborating with and commissioning visionary contemporary composers such as Theo Chandler, Hilary Purrington, Erberk Eryılmaz, Chen Yihan, and Andrew Rindfleisch.

When serving as Co-Artistic Director of Latitude 49, Max premiered works by dozens of composers, bringing to life a diverse range of pieces from inspiring student compositions to collaborations with Juno and Pulitzer Prize-winning composers such as Joan Tower, Juri Seo, Christopher Cerrone, Mark Kilstofte, and Jared Miller. The ensemble continues to perform in major venues each season, including the Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago’s Ear Taxi Festival, Constellation Chicago, Princeton Sound Kitchen, Bowling Green State University’s New Music Festival, and New Music Detroit’s Strange Beautiful Music, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s The Cube. With Latitude 49, Max has recorded and released five albums, including publications with New Amsterdam Records. The ensemble’s annual summer festival, Sound Atlas Sound Festival, presented at Contemporary Calgary, has been praised as “one of Calgary’s most exciting festivals to look out for.”

Max is deeply committed to cultivating a studio of young cellists who are engaged collaborators in their communities. In addition to his studio teaching at ETSU, Max regularly teaches at various academies and festivals such as ENCORE Chamber Music Institute’s Summer Academy and the Tennessee Cello Workshop, alongside distinguished colleagues from Northwestern, Rice, Indiana, McGill University, Oberlin, and San Francisco Conservatory. Max is also in high demand for teaching and performing residencies at universities including Princeton University, Vanderbilt University, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, University of Tennessee, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Colorado State University, Baylor University, and SUNY-Fredonia. Max’s students have been accepted into top-tier festivals and degree programs, and have earned prestigious awards in national and international competitions, including the From The Top audition, the YoungArts Competition, the Stulberg International String Competition, and the Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition (Bonn, Germany).

In 2024, Max received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. During his Master's and Doctoral studies at Rice, he served as Desmond Hoebig’s teaching assistant and taught the university’s non-major cello studio. Max earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan under the mentorship of Richard Aaron and also spent a year in the Study Abroad program, taking lessons with Michel Strauss from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.

https://www.maxgeissler.com/

Admission for this masterclass is FREE and all are welcome.
Location: Castle Building, ʻIolani School

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Student Recital (November 15, 2025)
Nov
15
3:00 PM15:00
HMTA Events, For Students

Student Recital (November 15, 2025)

This LIVE AND IN-PERSON recital will feature students of HMTA’s membership performing solo and chamber works! Location: ʻIolani School, Castle Building (room C101).

ʻIolani School Map
Virtual Recital Program (Coming soon)
Recital program book (coming soon)

To print program book, print double-sided with short edge binding.

Participation Guidelines

  • Only students of current HMTA members are eligible to perform in Student Recitals.

  • Programs will be formed on a first-come-first-served basis.

  • Please consult with your teacher before registering.

  • Accompaniment is not required for non-pianists.

  • Each student is allowed one musical selection, not to exceed 10 minutes in length.

  • If the student’s piece very short (i.e. 30 seconds), they may play another piece as long as it does not exceed 5 minutes in total length.

  • CHAMBER MUSIC APPLICANTS: Each participant is required to register using the form below.

  • Each teacher may enter a maximum of six students.

  • Registration deadline: Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM (HST)

  • Registration fee: $20

    For questions or concerns, please email Annie Kwok at anniekwok@hmta.org .

Recital Registration is OPEN
 
 
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VIOLIN MASTERCLASS: Cho-Liang Lin
Feb
26
3:30 PM15:30
For Students, For Teachers, HMTA Events, Workshops, Workshops & Masterclasses

VIOLIN MASTERCLASS: Cho-Liang Lin

Cho-Liang Lin was born in Taiwan. A neighbor’s violin studies convinced this 5-year old boy to do the same. At the age 12, he moved to Sydney to further his studies with Robert Pikler, a student of Jenő Hubay. After playing for Itzhak Perlman in a masterclass, the 13-year old boy decided that he must study with Mr. Perlman’s teacher, Dorothy DeLay. At the age of 15, Lin traveled alone to New York and auditioned for the Juilliard School and spent the next six years working with Ms DeLay.

A concert career was launched in 1980 with Lin’s debut playing the Mendelssohn Concerto with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta. He has since performed as soloist with virtually every major orchestra in the world. His busy schedule on stage around the world continues to this day. However, his wide ranging interests have led him to diverse endeavors. At the age of 31, his alma mater, The Juilliard School, invited Lin to become faculty. In 2006, he was appointed professor at Rice University. He served as artistic director for La Jolla SummerFest for 18 years. He is currently the Artistic Director of the J&A Beare Premier Festival in Hong Kong. In 2019, he founded the Taipei Music Academy & Festival to bring the foremost musicians from around the world to work and perform with a select group of young musicians.

In his various professional capacities, Cho-Liang Lin has championed composers of our time. His efforts to commission new works have led a diverse field of composers to write for him. The list includes John Harbison, Christopher Rouse, Tan Dun, John Williams, Steven Stucky, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Bright Sheng, Paul Schoenfield, Lalo Schifrin, Joan Tower and many more. Recently, he was soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Nashville Symphony and Royal Philharmonic. 

In 2020, Music America bestowed upon him the “Instrumentalist of The Year” Award. Lin performs on the 1715 “Titian” Antonio Stradivari, or a 2000 Samuel Zygmuntowicz. His many concerto, recital and chamber music recordings on Sony Classical, Decca, BIS, Delos and Ondine can be heard on Spotify or Naxos.com. His albums have won Gramophone Record Of The Year, Grammy nominations and Penguin Guide Rosettes. 

https://www.cholianglin.com/

Admission for this masterclass is FREE and all are welcome.
Location: Castle Building, Room C101, ʻIolani School

ʻIolani School Map
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VIOLIN MASTERCLASS: Anne Akiko Meyers
Oct
16
3:30 PM15:30
For Students, For Teachers, HMTA Events, Workshops, Workshops & Masterclasses

VIOLIN MASTERCLASS: Anne Akiko Meyers

Anne Akiko Meyers is a GRAMMY® Award winning violinist and one of the world’s most esteemed and celebrated musicians. With nearly four decades of performing experience, she is a powerful force in contemporary music, serving as both a muse and a passionate advocate for today’s leading composers. Throughout her career, she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded more than 40 critically acclaimed recordings of a remarkable array of groundbreaking violin works. The Strad  hails her as “the Wonder Woman of commissioning,” a title earned through her close collaborations with visionary composers such as Arvo Pärt, Einojuhani Rautavaara, John Corigliano, Arturo Márquez, Philip Glass, Michael Daugherty, Mason Bates, Adam Schoenberg, Billy Childs, Jakub Ciupiński, Ola Gjeilo, Morten Lauridsen, Wynton Marsalis, Somei Satoh, and Eric Whitacre.

In 2025-2026 season Meyers premieres Eric Whitacre’s The Pacific Has No Memory with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, releases four new world premiere recordings, and performs in recitals and with leading orchestras around the world.
The new releases include Blue Electra, a violin concerto by Michael Daugherty with David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony; Beloved, including Billy Childs’s requiem In The Arms of the Beloved, and selections by Ola Gjeilo and Eric Whitacre, with Grant Gershon and the Los Angeles Master Chorale; Philip Glass’s New Chaconne and Violin Concerto No. 1, with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and Adam Schoenberg’s Orchard in Fog, with Gemma New and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

In 2024, her recording of Arturo Márquez’s Fandango, with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic, received two Latin GRAMMY® Awards: Best Classical Album and Best Contemporary Composition. Fandango was premiered in 2021 at the Hollywood Bowl, and has been performed more than 40 times with 16 different orchestras around the world, including the LA Phil’s triumphant return to Carnegie Hall after a 32 year absence. Meyers will perform at the Hollywood Bowl this September to reprise Fandango with the LA Philharmonic under Giancarlo Guerrero.

She has appeared twice on The Tonight Show , Tiny Desk, CBS Sunday Morning, Countdown with Keith Olbermann (in a segment that was the third most popular story of that year), The Emmy Awards, The View, NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Evening at Pops, and Great Performances, and has made more than 40 critically acclaimed recordings. She has appeared multiple times on the cover of leading industry magazines, including Gramophone, Strings and The Strad.

Anne has been selected to perform at numerous distinguished events, including the Bicentennial Celebration of Australia, the opening of the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia, the Grammy Salute to Music Legends celebrating John Williams, an A&E broadcast of the Beethoven Violin Concerto at the 40th Pablo Casals Festival with the Montreal Symphony and Krzysztof Penderecki, performances for the Emperor and Empress Akihito of Japan; for Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, in a Museumplein Concert with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; and “The Star-Spangled Banner” at T-Mobile Park in Seattle and Dodger Stadium.  Her recording of Somei Satoh’s Birds in Warped Time II was part of the winning presentation for the architectural design of the World Trade Center Memorial in New York.

Anne has collaborated with a diverse array of artists including jazz icons Chris Botti and Wynton Marsalis; avant-garde musician Ryuichi Sakamoto; electronic music pioneer Isao Tomita; pop-era act Il Divo; and singer, Michael Bolton.

Anne was born in San Diego and grew up in Southern California, where she and her mother traveled eight hours, round trip, from the Mojave Desert to Pasadena for lessons with Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld at the predecessor of the Colburn School of Performing Arts. Anne moved to New York at the age of 14 to study at The Juilliard School with the legendary violin instructor Dorothy DeLay, and with Masao Kawasaki and Felix Galimir; she signed with management at 16; and recorded her debut album of the Barber and Bruch Violin Concertos with the RPO at Abbey Road Studios at 18.  Meyers is the recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Distinguished Alumna Award and an Honorary Doctorate from The Colburn School, and is a member of the Asian Hall of Fame. She serves on the Board of Trustees of The Juilliard School and The Dudamel Foundation. She performs on the legendary Ex-Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesù violin, dated 1741—considered one of the finest-sounding violins in existence.

https://anneakikomeyers.com/

Admission for this masterclass is FREE and all are welcome.
Location: Castle Building, Room C101, ʻIolani School

ʻIolani School Map
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Roomful of Pianos
Jun
21
4:00 PM16:00
HMTA Events, For Students, For Teachers, Concerts

Roomful of Pianos

MTNA is excited to lead a new initiative called Roomful of Pianos. Fifty piano stores around the country have agreed to open their doors to MTNA teachers on Saturday, June 21 and host multi-piano performances!

Piano Planet & Electric Piano Land in Honolulu has stepped forward to host a Roomful of Pianos event on Saturday, June 21, 2025, 4:00pm HST at Piano Planet, where pianists can perform at the same time

The event is FREE! Teachers and High School students (age 15 and older), choose any repertoire they wish and turn it into a social occasion that brings together the music teaching community.

This will be an informal and low pressure event for sight reading and fellowship!

Please sign up by completing the registration form below with suggestions for solo, duet and/or duo repertoire that you'd like to read through simultaneously. 
Registration deadline: Saturday June 7, 2025, 11:59pm HST.

Please email Thomas Yee at tyee@hawaii.edu for more information.  HMTA board members Annie Kwok, Tyler Ramos, and Thomas Yee will be organizers and pianists for the event. 

Light Reception to Follow

Roomful of Pianos Registration
 
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Student Recital (May 3, 2025)
May
3
2:00 PM14:00
HMTA Events, For Students

Student Recital (May 3, 2025)

This LIVE AND IN-PERSON recital will feature students of HMTA’s membership performing solo and chamber works! Location: ʻIolani School, Castle Building Room 102.

Mahalo to Cremona Violin Hawaiʻi for their sponsorship of HMTA student recitals.

ʻIolani School Map
Virtual Recital Program
Recital Program Book

To print program book, print double-sided with short edge binding.

Participation Guidelines

  • Only students of current HMTA members are eligible to perform in Student Recitals.

  • Programs will be formed on a first-come-first-served basis.

  • Please consult with your teacher before registering.

  • Accompaniment is not required for non-pianists.

  • Each student is allowed one musical selection, not to exceed 10 minutes in length.

  • If the student’s piece very short (i.e. 30 seconds), they may play another piece as long as it does not exceed 5 minutes in total length.

  • CHAMBER MUSIC APPLICANTS: Each participant is required to register using the form below.

  • Each teacher may enter a maximum of six students.

  • Registration deadline: Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM (HST)

  • NEW ! Registration fee: $20

    For questions or concerns, please email Annie Kwok at anniekwok@hmta.org .

Recital Registration is closed
 
 
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HMTA 2025 Pair Up & Play! Concert
Apr
17
7:00 PM19:00
HMTA Events, For Students, Workshops & Masterclasses, Concerts

HMTA 2025 Pair Up & Play! Concert

  • Montague Recital Hall, Punahou School (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Pair up & Play! is a new HMTA initiative that encourages piano students to partner with instrumentalists. Practicing can feel lonely, but pairing up fosters musical friendships and strengthens skills invaluable in both solo and ensemble playing. With coaching provided by the students’ private teachers, performances are to take place on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 7:00pm HST, at Montague Recital Hall, Punahou School.

Pair Up & Play! Concert Program
Learn more about Pair up & Play!
 
 
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PIANO MASTERCLASS: Clayton Stephenson
Feb
25
3:30 PM15:30
For Students, For Teachers, HMTA Events, Workshops, Workshops & Masterclasses

PIANO MASTERCLASS: Clayton Stephenson

American pianist Clayton Stephenson’s love for music is immediately apparent in his joyous charisma onstage, expressive power, and natural ease at the instrument. Hailed for “extraordinary narrative and poetic gifts” and interpretations that are “fresh, incisive and characterfully alive” (Gramophone), he is committed to making an impact on the world through his music-making.

Recent and upcoming highlights of Clayton’s burgeoning career include appearances with the Calgary Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, and the Fort Worth, Louisville, Lansing and North Carolina Symphony Orchestras; as well as recitals at the Phillips Collection Concert Series in Washington, DC, Foundation Louis Vuitton Auditorium in Paris, Bad Kissinger Sommer Festival and BeethovenFest in Germany, Colour of Music Festival, Ravinia Festival and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.  He has been featured on NPR, WUOL, and WQXR, and appeared in the “GRAMMY® Salute to Classical Music” Concert at Carnegie’s Stern Auditorium. 

He now studies in the Harvard-NEC Dual Degree Program, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics at Harvard and a master’s degree in piano performance at the New England Conservatory under Wha Kyung Byun. And his accolades along the way have been numerous - in addition to being the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, he was named a 2022 Gilmore Young Artist, as well as a 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts and a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. He also received  a jury discretionary award at the 2015 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival.

Admission for this masterclass is FREE and all are welcome.

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CELLO MASTERCLASS: Ana Kim
Jan
16
3:30 PM15:30
For Students, For Teachers, HMTA Events, Workshops, Workshops & Masterclasses

CELLO MASTERCLASS: Ana Kim

Indiana-native Ana Kim is a versatile cellist who performs on modern and period/historical instruments. She is new to Chicago where she is Assistant Principal cellist at the Lyric Opera Orchestra. She also plays with various ensembles, including Philharmonia Baroque, Teatro Nuovo, and Trinity Baroque Orchestras.

Ana also performs in festivals such as Oregon Bach, Yellow Barn, Verbier Academy, Music@ Menlo, and International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove. She has received a Doctorate degree at the University of Southern California and has studied Historical Performance at Juilliard. Her teachers include János Starker, Ralph Kirshbaum, and Laurence Lesser.

Ana has taught at Pacific Union College and the Browning School in New York. She has also taught in Music Festival of Santa Catarina in Brazil and worked with educational programs with the American Classical Orchestra.

Admission for this masterclass is FREE and all are welcome.
Location: Castle Building, Room C101, ʻIolani School

ʻIolani School Map
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Student Recital (November 23, 2024)
Nov
23
2:00 PM14:00
HMTA Events, For Students

Student Recital (November 23, 2024)

This LIVE AND IN-PERSON recital will feature students of HMTA’s membership performing solo and chamber works! Location: ʻIolani School, Castle Building Room 102.

Mahalo to Cremona Violin Hawaiʻi for their sponsorship of HMTA student recitals.

ʻIolani School Map
Virtual Recital Program
Recital program book

Participation Guidelines

  • Only students of current HMTA members are eligible to perform in Student Recitals.

  • Programs will be formed on a first-come-first-served basis.

  • Please consult with your teacher before registering.

  • Accompaniment is not required for non-pianists.

  • Each student is allowed one musical selection, not to exceed 10 minutes in length.

  • If the student’s piece very short (i.e. 30 seconds), they may play another piece as long as it does not exceed 5 minutes in total length.

  • CHAMBER MUSIC APPLICANTS: Each participant is required to register using the form below.

  • Each teacher may enter a maximum of six students.

  • Registration deadline: Saturday, November 16, 2024 (11:59pm HST).

  • Due to high demand, registration for this recital is now CLOSED!

    For questions or concerns, please email Annie Kwok at anniekwok@hmta.org .

Registration Is Now Closed

 
 
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2022 Van Cliburn Bronze Medalist Dmytro Choni (Masterclass)
Oct
29
11:00 AM11:00
Workshops, HMTA Events, For Teachers, For Students, Workshops & Masterclasses

2022 Van Cliburn Bronze Medalist Dmytro Choni (Masterclass)

2022 Van Cliburn Bronze Medalist Dmytro Choni will be offering a Masterclass for talented Hawaii piano students. Students who will be performing are: Ben Liu, Isabella Liu, Madeline Hodge, and Trevor Hyun.

Co-presented with UH Outreach College

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