|
 A Light Hearted Look at Classical Music
Featuring Howard Dicus and Friends
Ben Gutierrez - Iggy Jang - The Green Sneakers Quartet
Sunday, March 7, Orvis Auditorium, University of Hawaii-Manoa, 4:00 pm
Sunday, March 14, Palace Theater, Hilo, 2:30 pm
- Did your mind wander during Music Appreciation class? Or maybe you forgot to take that class altogether?
- Do you marvel at the historic nature of music…how music makes it possible to listen today to something that Mozart created 200 years ago?
- Do you wish you understood classical music a little more?
The Hawaii Performing Arts Festival and Honolulu broadcaster Howard Dicus have answers for you when Dicus and company present “A Light Hearted Look at Classical Music” in two concerts, one at Orvis Auditorium on the UH-Manoa campus on Sunday March 7 at 4:00 pm and one at the Palace Theater on Sunday, March 14 at 2:30 pm. Also performing are Honolulu Symphony’s Ignace “Iggy” Jang with Green Sneakers, the string quartet founded last summer at HPAF. Honolulu broadcast personality Ben Gutierrez will perform on the synthesizer.
In a uniquely entertaining way, Dicus and the musicians will chronicle the history of classical music from Madonna to Mozart, punctuated with brief musical illustrations. Both concerts benefit the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, the Big Island’s summer music festival, whose sixth season is coming up in July.
Howard Dicus, “The Explainer” on Hawaii News Now (KGMB/KHNL/KFVE), is also the host of “Howard’s Day Off.”. It airs 5am-7am live Saturday mornings on Hawaii Public Radio stations KHPR Honolulu, KKUA Wailuku, Maui, and, on the Big Island, KANO Hilo. The program mixes classical music with related pieces from rock, jazz and movies.
Earlier in his 40-year journalism career, Dicus wrote a music column for United Press International called “Classical Movements” as well as a classical music day-in-history column called “Clef’s Notes.” He reviewed hundreds of classical CD releases in the 1990s while working for UPI. Dicus has emceed concerts for the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Honolulu Symphony and Hawaii Youth Symphony.
Veteran journalist Ben Gutierrez is currently a reporter and weather anchor for Hawaii News Now (KGMB/KHNL/KFVE) as well as occasional songwriter and musician. Gutierrez is one of the main performers and writers for the Gridiron Show, an annual fundraiser for the Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Gutierrez has also appeared in and directed theatre productions at Windward Community College’s Paliku Theatre. He regularly emcees events for the Hawaii Youth Symphony, and is a member of the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts and ASCAP.
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster, Ignace “Iggy” Jang has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Well known and respected among music lovers throughout Hawaii, Jang has recently appeared with Hawai’i Public Radio, the Kauai Concert Association, the Maui Symphony, Ebb & Flow Arts, Chamber Music Hawaii and the Hawai’i Concert Society. Involvements in the education of music include a lecturer position at the University of Hawai’i, the Brigham Young University Hawaii, as well as coaching duties with the Punahou School and the Hawaii Youth Symphony. For the past three summers Mr. Jang has served on the faculty of the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. His string group, The Green Sneakers Quartet, was first formed in July, 2009 at the festival’s summer session and is made up of Honolulu artists Yana Bourkova, Joanna Morrison and Anna Womack.
Steadily gaining a reputation as the premiere summer music festival of the Pacific, the Hawai’i Performing Arts Festival (HPAF) is dedicated to music education and advancing the cause of classical music. Its sixth season will take place July 7-27 in Waimea on the Big Island. HPAF recently collaborated with Jake Shimabukuro's Music is Good Medicine Foundation and the Hamakua Music Festival to improve music education in Hawai’i. The festival offers scholarships to young artists from Hawaii as well as numerous concerts free to the community. HPAF brings 125 students and acclaimed artists together to study and perform together each summer, and the festival plays a significant role in bringing tourist dollars to Hawaii Island. More information about the festival is available at 808-333-7378 or www.hawaiiperformingartsfestival.org
IF YOU GO:
For the March 7 concert at the Orvis in Honolulu:
• Tickets are $20 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors. Tickets may be reserved by calling 95-MUSIC (956-8742) Reserved tickets will be held for you at the concert box office until 15 minutes before the concert. Any tickets not purchased by then may be released for sale, as needed. Cash or check only.
• At the door. Tickets will be available at the door one hour before each event. Sales by cash or check only.
• Students (with valid ID) and senior citizens (65 years and older) are eligible for discount tickets where applicable.
For the March 14 concert at the Palace Theater in Hilo:
• $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and $35 orchestra seating with artist’s reception
After the concert. Tickets are available in advance at the theater box office from 10 am-3 pm weekdays. Call 808-934-7010 to purchase tickets by phone using a credit card.
|