Events

Shostakovich by the Sea

September 5th, Thursday

6:30 pm

Calvary by the Sea // 5339 Kalaniana’ole HWY

$20 Suggested Donation

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

7pm

Pahala Plantation House

96-3209 Maile Street, Pahala

The festival concludes with an additional concert featuring all singers of The Garcìa School Vocal Workshop on Tuesday January 9, 2024 at 7pm at PAHALA PLANTATION HOUSE, 96-3209 Maile Street, Pahala. Conducted by internationally acclaimed Conductor and Artistic Director/Principal Conductor of TerpsiKord CARMINE AUFIERO, with renowned pianist, music director, coach and Hawaii resident MAIKA’I NASH at the piano, the first half of the program will include ensembles from several of Mozart’s most beloved operas and the second half of the program will include art songs, arias and musical theater selections by various composers. Tickets are $30 and will be available on the HIMF website beginning December 26.

“The Conductor’s Perspective”

Saturday, January 6, 2024

2pm - 4pm

Christ Lutheran Church

595 Kapiolani Street, Hilo

This class is for classical and musical theater singers and features internationally acclaimed conductor CARMINE AUFIERO.

This class is open to the public and a free-will offering will be graciously accepted at the door.

Featured Singers:

Andrew Fellows, Baritone (San Francisco, CA)

Anastassiya Neznanova, Soprano (NYC)

Finn Marius Stranger, Tenor (Keaau, HI)

Zoe Gao, Soprano (China)

more singers announced soon!

CARMINE AUFIERO made his New York conducting debut with Chelsea Opera's Suor Angelica, where he served as its first Music Director (2005-2010)followed by productions of Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, William Walton's The Bear and Lee Hoiby's The Scarf (production commemorating 50th anniversary of its premiere), Gianni Schicchi, Madama Butterfly and The Ballad of Baby Doe to rave reviews. Maestro Aufiero led the first full production of Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied, a masterwork that has since entered the repertoire of 21st century American Opera

In the summer of 2022, Mr. Aufiero co-founded TerpsiKord, NYC’s newest musical ensemble. Since its inaugural concert, TerpsiKord has been proud to perform with Broadway and opera stars Raquel Suarez Groen, Carlton Moe, Maree Johnson, Gregory Mills, Julie Udine, Jeremy Stolle, Elizabeth Welch and Derrick Davis (the Phantom of the Opera) and Krysty Swann (the Metropolitan Opera).

Performances thus far include a benefit concert of Handel’s Messiah, a two evening engagement at Don’t Tell Mama of Phantom Phorever, as well as a gala concert at NYC’S Symphony Space entitled ‘Crossroads’ this past August.

As a guest conductor, Mr. Aufiero led the Marcello Giordani Foundation Gala Concert where he collaborated with such celebrated artists as Marcello Giordani, Lise Lindstrom, Leah Crochetto, Stephen Costello, and Victor Antipenko. He has conducted productions for Syracuse Opera, Opera in the James, Toledo Opera, Opera Carolina,  and most recently for New York City Opera, debuting as conductor for its production of Barbiere di Siviglia in 2022 as well as conducting his first production with Opera Idaho (Barbiere di Siviglia) in October of 2022.  He returned to OI this fall to lead its next season opener, Le Nozze di Figaro.

An active vocal coach and accompanist, Mr. Aufiero was principal pianist and studio coach to renowned vocal pedagogue and Metropolitan Opera soprano Diana Soviero, collaborating on master classes for vocal technique, style and repertoire study.

Saturday, January 6, 2024

4:15pm-5:30pm

Christ Lutheran Church

595 Kapiolani Street, Hilo

What is bel canto? We often hear this term and have difficulty defining its meaning. Literally it means “beautiful singing”, but it also refers to a great era in the history of singing where singers were trained in a very specific, methodical way. During this lecture, we will learn about this history, the factors that contributed to its near disappearance, and how we can bring it back into the training of singers. Audience will hear live and audio examples and also have an opportunity to actively participate in exercises.

About:

American Soprano and Professor of Voice AMY SHOREMOUNT-OBRA is the Top Prize Winner of the 2018 Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition Wagner Division, and made her Metropolitan Opera Debut in 2014 as First Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte - a role she has performed at the Met sixteen times. Recent appearances include the title role in Turandot with Opera Grand Rapids, the title role of Salome at the Southern Illinois Music Festival,  Leonore in a workshop of Fidelio with the LA Philharmonic and a recital in Sweden with Pianist Christopher Cooley. Other recent appearances include appearances with Knoxville Opera, Odyssey Opera (Boston), NYC Opera, Annapolis Opera, Maryland Opera, Opera Las Vegas, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Spoleto Festival- Italy, Pacific Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, Varna International, Opera Orchestra of NY, National Chorale, Oregon Music Festival, Savannah Philharmonic, The Juilliard Orchestra, Adelphi Orchestra, NY Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, and the Orquesta Filarmònica del estado de Chihuahua (MX). Ms. Shoremount-Obra appears as First Lady on the Metropolitan Opera's 2017 recording of Mozart's The Magic Flute featuring Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Kathryn Lewek, Charles Castronovo and Nathan Gunn with Maestro Evan Rogister and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. She has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall five times. Ms. Shoremount-Obra is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music (BM & MM) and The Juilliard School (AD Opera Studies). She was a full scholarship recipient while a student at Juilliard.

As a teaching professional, Ms. Shoremount-Obra was appointed Adjunct Assistant Professor of Voice at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College (CUNY) in 2017 where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate vocal performance majors. She previously held an adjunct position as a professor of vocal methods at The College of New Jersey and several artist-in-residency positions at Lawrence Conservatory of Music (Wisconsin) and at the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua in Mexico. She has given master classes and lectures -including her research on Manuel Garcia, breath support, and the first season of Italian Opera in NY and the arrival of western instrumental and vocal music in the Hawaii Islands - at Lawrence, the NJ Governor’s School of the Arts, the University of Tulsa, for the Pennsylvania Music Education Association, at the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua and at additional various festivals and workshops throughout the United States. She is currently on faculty at the Varna International Music Academy (Myrtle Beach, SC & in Italy) - a premier training program for young opera singers - and has held previous positions with the Juilliard Nord-Anglia Summer Voice Program in Orlando, FL , the OperaTunity Voice Program with the Palm Springs Opera Guild in Palm Springs, CA and the AT Balance Arts Center Summer Intensive (NYC). She also maintains a private studio in both Manhattan and New Jersey.

Management: Lizzie Morgan at Keynote Artist Management UK www.keynoteartistmanagement.com Ms. Shoremount-Obra’s personal website is www.amyshoremount-obra.com . 

Sunday, January 7, 2024

7pm

Pahala Plantation House

96-3209 Maile Street, Pahala

On Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 7pm, HIMF will present “A Celebration of Music” at PAHALA PLANTATION HOUSE, 96-3209 Maile Street, Pahala. This concert will be a celebration of Hawaii International Music Festival’s newly donated and over one hundred-year-old Steinway D. The concert features the music of Franck, Chaminade, Bachelet, R. Strauss and more performed by Internationally acclaimed virtuoso violinist ERIC SILBERGER, internationally acclaimed Canadian pianist OSKAR YAO, internationally acclaimed Metropolitan Opera Soprano AMY SHOREMOUNT-OBRA, acclaimed pianist and Kauai resident MONICA CHUNG, renowned pianist, music director, coach and Hawaii resident MAIKA’I NASH, internationally acclaimed Conductor and Artistic Director/Principal Conductor of TerpsiKord CARMINE AUFIERO, and three young singers from The Garcìa School workshop: Chinese Soprano ZOE GAO, San Francisco-based Baritone ANDREW FELLOWS and Mexican Soprano SANDRA ALDAZ MERAZ. Tickets are $30 and will be available on the HIMF website beginning December 26. www.himusicfestival.org.