"Classical Pacific" was started in 2017 by John Kalani Zak to feature classical ensembles and artists from around the Pacific Ocean. Host Louise Keali`iloma King Lanzilotti continued the program and included Hawaiian language and Modern Classical Music.
The tradition continues with host Sharene Taba. Every weekday afternoon, "Classical Pacific" reflects its roots, but also includes a deep appreciation for choral, chamber pop and third stream genres.
Tune in on Mondays for Classical Conservation Conversations with Dr. Shawn Ka‘ihekulani Lum, Tuesday Student Takeovers every Tuesday, Wednesdayʻs Manu Minute and Thursdays for New Releases and a Hawai‘i Composer Spotlight.
Opening mele: "Piazzoliana" by Jeff Peterson
Closing mele: "Makani Waipi‘o" by Queen Lili`uokalani, performed by the Galliard String Quartet
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September is "Classical Music Month," and HPR celebrated with a countdown of your favorite composers/compositions as chosen by our listeners. The top 100 list was revealed on HPR-2 over 8 days: Sept. 18-25, 2025. -
For the past 71 years, Honolulu Chamber Music Series (HCMS) has been bringing classical music artists from around the world to local audiences. Helen Chao-Casano, an HCMS board member, gives us a sneak peek into scheduled performances with two string quartets, a piano trio, and a vocal ensemble. -
They call her the Jimi Hendrix of the pipa, a 2,000-year-old lute-like Chinese instrument. Wu Man is one of the few pipa virtuoso performers in the world. She spoke to Evening Concert host Craig DeSilva about her Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra performance this weekend of a pipa concerto that was composed for her. -
He came. He saw. He conquered. Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra’s Michael-Thomas Foumai appeared on Evening Concert dressed for the part to talk about HSO’s Pines of Rome concerts. Saturday’s one-hour family-friendly performance will include a story written by Foumai that he’ll narrate during the concert. Find out if he reads it with an Italian accent. -
Harvey Pittel is in Honolulu this week for 2 masterclasses and a concert, all free and presented by the Hawaii Saxophone Foundation. Classical Pacific host, Sharene Taba was truly honored to be able to speak with Mr. Pittel. They discuss the unforgettable concert she heard him play years ago, his beginnings in music, and his friends and former students, Todd Yukumoto and Allen Won of the Royal Hawaiian Band. https://www.hawaiisaxophonefoundation.org -
Chamber Music Hawaiʻi’s Jim Moffitt and Jonathan Korth dropped by Morning Café to discuss the upcoming concert, “Windswept Keys,” featuring works by Rossini, Thuille, and Previn.
