For the first time in its 90-year history, the has been invited to perform at the industry¡¯s most prestigious conference. The UH Chamber Singers—the premiere choral ensemble in the UH System—will head to the Western Region Conference in Long Beach, California, March 2–5.
Led by Assistant Professor Jace Saplan, the ensemble consists of 24 students and one faculty member. They will perform a 30-minute program, specially crafted to represent UH, the state and the choral legacy of Â鶹´«Ã½. “Ka P¨¡k¨©pika: The Boundless Pacific” highlights the contributions of Hawaiian composers, such as UH Professor Emerita Dorothy Kahananui Gillette and Queen Liliʻuokalani. UH¡¯s program also embraces the fabric of diversity within the Pacific by honoring compositions from Korea, China, Japan, S¨¡moa and New Zealand, all locations that house traditions and choral legacies reflective of the student population in the ensemble.
The appearance at the conference will also be an excellent learning and networking opportunity as all UH performers will be able to attend sessions, exhibits and performances.
Saplan said, “Our students have been working incredibly hard to rise to the occasion and I look forward to representing our university and our choral community in the islands. Mahalo nui!”
Engaging with local communities, alumni
While the performance at the conference is the focus of the trip, Saplan is also planning to add four additional events that reach out to the Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Asian communities, connect with UH¡¯s vibrant alumni base and will help recruit prospective students. This includes a concert with local h¨¡lau in partnership with the Pacific Islands Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach, a concert for UH alumni, and a concert and workshop for southern California high school students and undergraduates students at the University of Redlands.
Funds needed for tour
All performers will need to pay their own way to the conference and tour across southern California. To offset some of the costs, the program will host a send-off concert where donations will be accepted at Central Union Church on Friday, February 25, at 7 p.m. Donations can also be made to the .
This work is an example of UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s goals of (PDF), (PDF) and (PDF), three of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.
—By Marc Arakaki