Sharene Keliʻipunilei Lum Taba is a harpist, a storyteller, and the voice of Classical Pacific on HPR-2. We sat down with Sharene to learn a little more about the person behind the mic.
If your show had a theme song, what would it be?
"The Look of Love" by the 80's band ABC. It's very cute and silly, but the orchestration is engaging, and most of all, there is a harp part — and it is so effectively alluring! So well written! When I first heard it, I thought all pop music should sound like this. It still makes me smile.
What does it feel like to put Classical Pacific together?
I try to balance old favorites and new discoveries — the new works that express who we are now and how we got here. I also think about how we can listen together. To further support our music making community and live performance, I often share interviews with students and master musicians. What ties us together is Hawaiʻi and the music.
How did you end up at HPR?
My friend Gerry Ebersbach of Pacific Music Productions asked me to host an in-flight classical music program on Hawaiian Airlines. When HPR was searching for a classical host, Gerry recommended me to HPR's former Director of Marketing, Phyllis Look. That introduction was made nine years ago, when I started working at HPR. I was a Board Operator, hosted Evening Concert back in 2021, and joined Classical Pacific in 2022. I am so grateful to be working here.
People would be surprised to know that I ___.
I am a cancer survivor. I am so grateful to my family and friends for their support, and I am also grateful to the strangers, doctors and health care professionals who worked so hard on my behalf. I urge everyone not to skip their check-ups.
We are glad you are here, Sharene. Classical Pacific airs weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. on HPR-2. Wherever you are in Hawaiʻi, Sharene is playing for you. Listen live at hawaiipublicradio.org.
