Chamber Music Hawaiʻi and composer Donald Womack on Classical Pacific

Hawaiʻi Public Radio | By Sharene Keliʻipunilei Lum Taba

Published June 7, 2025 at 4:51 PM HST

Chamber Music Hawaiʻi board president and clarinetist, Jim Moffit has always wanted to perform Donald Womackʻs "Na Iwi o Pele" (The Bones of Pele) since first hearing it in 2001. Depicting the violent battle on Maui between 2 sisters, Pele, the goddess of fire, and Namakaokahai, the goddess of the sea, this work for violin, viola, cello, clarinet & piano (4 hands) is a stunning end to Chamber Music Hawaiʻi's 2024-2025 season. Both Womack and Moffitt join Classical Pacific Sharene Taba in an overview of this concert.

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Sharene Keliʻipunilei Lum Taba

Sharene Keliʻipunilei Lum Taba grew up in Pearl City listening to a variety of music – mostly in the car and the choice of the driver (Grandma, Mom, Dad, sister or brother). It ranged from Hawaiian to Japanese Enka to Top 40 to HPR. Sharene played the violin in school, and is now a professional freelance harpist and mother. She and husband jazz bassist Dean Taba love to play and listen to music, and are raising their children to celebrate the love of learning and of all kinds of music.

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