HAW AII Y OUTH SYM
PHONY | FALL 2024 NEWSLETT E R
CELEBRATING OUR 60TH SEASON OF MUSIC MAKING The start of our 2024-2025 season marks 60 years of music making for Hawaii Youth Symphony! Established as a non-profit in 1964, HYS was incorporated to provide for the enrichment and cultivation of the mind and spirit of the youth of our community through music and musical activity. Its founders had witnessed the power of music and its impact on the confidence and development of younger generations. “Hawaii Youth Symphony’s current success is a reflection of the dedication and commitment of not just the current staff, students and supporters, but so many others who have come before us,” said Maestro Joseph Stepec. “People like Maestro Henry Miyamura knew just how much of an impact an organization like HYS would have on the lives of our keiki, and worked tirelessly to make its vision a reality.” As HYS director from 1984-2017, Miyamura inspired hundreds of students as HYS music director and conductor of Youth Symphony I. He established a high standard of excellence for HYS, putting our organization on the map alongside the finest youth symphonies in the country.
“Music can change lives—it changed mine,” said Maestro Henry Miyamura, in an interview reflecting on 33 years with HYS. “When I went to high school, I was going to be a potential dropout. If it wasn’t for music and the band director at McKinley High School, I would not have been able to go to college.” We also acknowledge and express our deepest gratitude for the contributions of former directors Maestro Peter Mesrobian, who served from 19611980, and Maestro Grant Okamura, who served from 1979-1985. In our 59th season, we served 680 students from 107 schools across four islands. Join us throughout 2024 and 2025 as we celebrate 60 years of artistic excellence, recognizing the leaders, partners and others who helped us get here.