Dr. Madeline Schatz-Harris, founder and Conductor Emeritus of the Kamuela Philharmonic, stepped down as Artistic Director and Maestro, moving to the mainland in 2015. Dr. Schatz-Harris, who came to Hawai‘i Island after a long and successful career as a maestro, violinist, and teacher, founded the Orchestra early in 2004. She and a handful of musicians got together as a freestanding ensemble to perform classical orchestral repertoire. Under her spirited leadership, the Kamuela Philharmonic grew to become a professional quality symphony orchestra with as many as 80 musicians, playing classical literature for the musical enjoyment of Hawai‘i Island residents and visitors.

We have engaged in several collaborative efforts as well, pairing classical music and instruments with both Grammy-winning slack-key guitarist John Keawe, as well as the work of renowned Hawaiian visual artist Herb Kane in a commissioned original piece called “Voyages,” created for the Kamuela Philharmonic. The composer, Paul Csige, grew up in Hawai‘i, and his work depicts the journey of the First Hawaiians through music and visual art. We also joined forces with the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival in their production of “Trial By Jury” in 2014.

Recognizing the importance of exposing our island’s keiki to quality, live, classical music, Dr. Schatz-Harris and the Kamuela Philharmonic have also presented children’s concerts, and since 2012, have held annual concerto competitions for students. The competition is now called the “Schatz-Harris Concerto Competition” in recognition of the Kamuela Philharmonic’s founder and first Artistic Director. Each year, the winners in three age groups are invited to perform their concerto with the orchestra at one of the Philharmonic’s regular season concerts. Many exceptional musicians have participated in our statewide Concerto Competition, including Kisa Uradomo, who recently went on tour with the National Youth Symphony, one of only two Hawaiians to have ever been invited to join that prestigious orchestra.

In the years following Dr. Schatz-Harris’s departure, the orchestra underwent a further growing experience. At the center of that time frame was the worldwide search for a new Artistic Director. The hiring of Maestro Brian Dollinger in the spring of 2016, from a field of over 100 candidates, is a significant step forward for the organization.

Responding to the growth of our following, Kamuela Philharmonic now has a Board of Directors that is fully engaged with all it takes to make the dream of a local symphony on Hawai‘i Island a reality for the community.

If you are interested in donating financially or physically to our endeavors, please contact us. The IRS designates our organization 501(c)(3), so any donations may be tax deductible.

Please sit back, relax and enjoy the exquisite music we will be performing for you this season. We present it with great love. We’re glad you are here and welcome you to this season of the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra Society. Our loyal audiences and performers have fulfilled a need for and perpetuated a growing love of, classical music on Hawai‘i Island. Thank you all.