PRESS RELEASE PHOTO Violinist Yuko Nishino sees Hawaii as an ideal meeting place of East and West.

Violinist hopes to reveal
isles’ classical culture to Japan

---

By Scott Vogel
svogel@starbulletin.com

If violinist Yuko Nishino has her way, there will soon be a lot more Japanese classical musicians jetting to concerts in Honolulu. All the place needs is to produce a bigger blip on Japan's cultural radar screen.

"Before I came to Hawaii, I didn't know anything culturally about the place," she said while in final preparations for tonight's recital at Orvis Auditorium, part of the University of Hawaii's "Music at Manoa" series.

"Japanese people think Hawaii is a place of beautiful women and beautiful beaches" but little else, she said. It's a prejudice shared by the country's classical musicians, who "always look toward Europe or the eastern United States, like New York," when plotting the trajectories of their careers.

That's too bad, said Nishino, because Hawaii audiences are invariably warm and receptive. (And she knows whereof she speaks, having given concerts on several continents.) It's not just the local population that deserves a goosing, but all those JAL sun-seekers.

"They go shopping and to the beach" -- the Japanese visitors -- "but not that many people go to musical concerts."

Yuko Nishino In concert: 7:30 p.m. today Place: Orvis Auditorium, University of Hawaii-Manoa Cost: $12; $8 students and seniors Call: 956-8742

Here's hoping that at least a few will come across this article, in which case they'll immediately book passage on tonight's musical history lesson, Nishino's program spanning four centuries and a myriad of styles.

The chronological concert will start with Tomasso Vitali's "Chaconne" from the 17th century, continue with the 18th century's Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 7 and Cesar Franck's Sonata (19th), ending with a wonderfully difficult chestnut from last century, Ravel's "Tzigane." Pianist Midori Tamura will accompany.

Nishino is not only a time traveler, but a world traveler, which is why she likes to call Hawaii her home base, our islands being conveniently situated between the continents. At least, that's what she said. One gets the sense, however, that Hawaii's location is only a tiny part of its appeal.

"With all the cultural activities going on here, especially because of the meeting of East and West here, and (the presence of) so many races and cultures, it's really a wonderful place and very unusual."

Click for online
calendars and events.