Kahilu to Unveil New Piano During Nakamatsu Performance

Kahilu Theatre will unveil its newly acquired nine-foot Steinway Grand Piano with a Jan. 22 performance by Jon Nakamatsu.

The California native was named Gold Medalist of the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1997. He was the first American to claim the distinction since 1981.

Nakamatsu has performed across the globe and performed at a White House concert hosted by President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton.

Kahilu Theatre was able to purchase the grand piano at the end of 2015 with money raised through a fundraising drive. Reverend Danny Akaka will open the 7 p.m. show with a blessing for the piano.

Nakamatsu will perform along with The Spring Wind Quintet from Honolulu. The quintet is recognized as one of the leading wind quintets in the country and has played a critical role in the development of chamber music in Hawai’i.

The Spring Wind Quintet consists of Susan McGinn on Flute, J. Scott Janusch on Oboe, James Moffitt on Clarinet, Marsha Schweitzer on Bassoon, and Mathew Berliner on French Horn.

Nakamatsu records solely for harmonia mundi usa. The label has released Nakamatsu’s 14 CDs. Among some of his top works, Nakamatsu recorded with Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic, featuring Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F, which rose to number three on Billboard’s classical music charts.

Since being named Gold Medalist, Nakamatsu has served on international piano competition juries and has been a guest speaker at numerous institutions, including Van Cliburn Foundation, Stanford University, and the Juilliard School.

Works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, J. S. Bach, Vincent d’Indy, and Theodor Blumer are on the program’s schedule.

Kahilu Theatre’s doors open at 6pm for evening shows with food and beverages available for sale.  The Voyager Exhibit is currently showing in the Kahilu Galleries, including an updated map of Hokule`a’s worldwide voyage.

In addition, a Youth Show will be performed on the same day at 10:30 a.m. To learn more about Kahilu Theatre’s Youth Show, contact Education Coordinator Lisa Shattuck by e-mailing [email protected].

Tickets to the performance cost $68/$47/$37/$20. The tickets can be purchased online at the Kahilu Theatre website, by calling 885-6868, or by visiting the Kahilu Theatre Box Office, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.