Honolulu Symphony
Pianist Awadagin Pratt is among the luminaries appearing
with the Honolulu Symphony in its 1999-2000 season.

Honolulu Symphony
announces star-studded
centennial

International artists, orchestral fireworks and several world premieres will highlight the Honolulu Symphony's 100th anniversary season -- Classical, Pops and Ohana programs -- beginning Sept. 10 with celebrated mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne.

Symphony music director Samuel Wong and executive director Michael Tiknis unveiled the upcoming season last night at the sold-out Yo-Yo Ma concert.

"The symphony's draw of top international artists has matured and next season reads like an industry's who's who," Wong said. "This roster would look proud for any major orchestra."

Honolulu Symphony
Mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne is appearing
with the Honolulu Symphony.

Some of the other major artists featured in the Halekulani Classical Masterworks include pianists Andre Watts and Peter Serkin, violinist Sarah Chang and guitarist Christopher Parkening.

The symphony will present 14 pairs of Halekulani Classical Masterworks, seven pairs of United Airlines Pops performances and five Tesoro Ohana programs for the entire family during the year-long celebration of a century of music making by the orchestra. Wong, in his fourth season as the symphony's music director, will conduct 10 classical programs, in addition to the season opening with Horne.

Halekulani Classical Masterworks concerts include:

Sept. 12 and 14: Violin virtuoso Kyoko Takezawa performs Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64.

Sept. 19 and 21: Guitarist Christopher Parkening performs his world premiere of Elmer Bernstein's Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra.

Jan. 2 and 4: Pianist Cecile Licad plays Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, Op. 43.

Jan. 9 and 11: Vocalist Denyce Graves performs excerpts from Bizet's "Carmen."

Jan. 16-17: Pianist Peter Serkin performs Brahms' Concerto No. 2 in B flat.

March 5 and 7: Pianist Awadagin Pratt performs Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23.

March 12 and 14: Violinist Akiko Suwanai performs Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 in her Honolulu debut.

March 26-27: Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet performs Saint Saëns' Piano Concerto, No. 5.

April 9 and 11: Classical violinist Sarah Chang performs Brahms' Violin Concerto.

May 28 and 30: Pianist Andre Watts closes the Halekulani Classical Masterworks season with his interpretations of Beethoven's Piano Concerto, No.3.

Guest conductors next season will include Naoto Otomo, March 12 and 14 in a program featuring the world premiere of Minoru Miki's "Fanfare"; violinist Akiko Suwanai's performance of Prokofiev's Violin Concerto and an interpretation of "The Planets" by Holst.

Max Valdes conducts a pair of concerts March 26 and 27 with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet playing Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 5.

Stuart Chafetz, acting assistant conductor of the orchestra, conducts a program with Awadagin Pratt March 5 and 7 of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488.

Five world premieres and four millennium fanfares include:

Jan. 2 and 4: Andre Previn's "Fanfare for the Millennium"

March 12 and 14: Minoru Miki's "Fanfare"

Sept. 19 and 21: Elmer Bernstein's Concerto for Guitar

May 28 and 30: Don Womack's "Fanfare"

May 7 and 9: Peter Askim's "Fanfare"

Two Choral Celebrations have been programmed by Maestro Wong:

Sept. 26 and 28: Mezzo-soprano Mary Phillips, the Oahu Choral Society and a guest chorus to be announced will perform Mahler's Symphony, No. 2 in C minor, "Resurrection."

March 12 and 14: The Oahu Choral Society Women's Chorus perform "The Planets" by Holst.

May 14 and 16: The Oahu Choral Society, together with several other local choruses to be announced, perform Bruckner's "Psalm 15."

Pops artists to perform next season include:

Kenny Rogers, Sept. 3-4;

Al Jarreau, Sept. 24-25;

Diana Krall, January 7-8;

Patti Page, March 24-25; and

Monica Mancini, April 21-22

The symphony also hopes to have the Moody Blues perform with the Pops orchestra in October but that deal has not yet been finalized. Principal Pops Conductor is Matt Catingub.

And it looks like the Asia Youth Orchestra, based in Hong Kong, considered the finest youth orchestra in Asia, will perform with the symphony in August.

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