More than 3,000 students from 60 schools will be treated to a free musical and visual performance showcasing Hawaiʻi’s oceans later this month.
The Symphony of the Hawaiʻi Seas is a collaboration between the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, the University of Hawaiʻi’s music department, and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant.
It marks the third time the orchestra has partnered with scientists and creatives on a symphony for young audiences. Native birds and forests were featured in past years. Three of the minds behind the symphony of the Hawaiʻi Seas stopped by The Conversation.
Takuma Itoh is a professor of music at UH and one of the composers; Beth Lenz is with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant; and Kalilinoe Detwiler is a graduate student and the lead storyteller on the project.
They spoke with HPR about the sprawling collaboration, which incorporates music, animations, and live hula.
The symphony premieres on Oct. 23 at the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall. The performance is sold out, but there is a waitlist.
This story aired on The Conversation on Oct. 7, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
