classical pacific

Evening Concert celebrated National Harp Day with invited guests Sharene Taba, Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s resident harpist and host of Classical Pacific, and her student Annika Young, a fifth grader at ʻIolani School and a member of the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony. They shared music that shows how the harp’s unique sound can light up a room with a little bit of magic.

In this episode, Dr. Lum discusses the recent impacts of extreme weather on the islands, from the Kona low storms in March to Hurricane Lala a few weeks ago.

"The first natural forest type you see driving into town from the airport on Nimitz Highway doesn't grow on solid ground, but along the banks of the Kapālama Canal. The mangroves have welcomed you to Honolulu!" In this episode, Dr. Lum discusses mangroves, and the decision to plant them to treat erosion. "Biodiversity is like mangroves... a conservation conundrum."

"One of the major causes of biodiversity loss is the establishment and spread of non native species following their release, or escape to a new place. And few if any regions in the world have had their native eco systems impacted as badly as the Pacific..." In this episode, Dr. Lum discusses the introduction of the red mangrove to Hawaiʻi by the American Sugar Company in 1902. "Are they a useful and novel ecosystem? Or a blight on our coastal seascape?... A classic conservation conundrum."

Composer and musician Bryan Jordan visits Classical Pacific with his baltic psaltery and a crystal singing bowl. His monthly Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Journey is a 75 minute sound bath, providing an immersive music and sound healing experience. Learn more.

In honor of Presidents’ Day, Dr. Lum discusses the historical significance of U.S. presidents establishing national parks and protected areas. The conversation is followed by Jherek Bischoff's "So Fragile, So Blue" with William Shatner and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Ahead of the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra's final Beethoven Festival concert, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, the artistic director of the Oʻahu Choral Society Joshua Habermann visits Classical Pacific.

In this episode, Dr. Lum discusses the recognition of legal personhood for non-human entities, highlighting the Whanganui River's status in Aotearoa as a legal person under the Te Awa Tupua Act. He delves into the need for broader policy changes beyond legal recognition to protect nature, noting that local communities, particularly indigenous peoples, have the emotional and practical knowledge to manage nature effectively, aligning with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s vision of equal rights.

Roosevelt High School senior Hunter Young is a bass clarinetist who recently earned a spot in the Oʻahu Band Directors' High School Select Band. After one of the Select Band's after-school rehearsals, we spoke with Young about his journey in band, the audition process to play in the Select Band, and the teachers who supported him along the way.

Classical Conservation Conversation with Dr. Shawn Lum began in April 2024 as a way to celebrate Earth Day. Eight months later, Dr. Lum talks about his weekly research in finding news on nature and conservation and how it relates to the culture and the people of the Pacific.