jon magnussen / composer

Recent News

NOVEMBER

Jon creates string arrangements for well-known HAPA tunes "Olinda Road", "Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai", "Manoa in the Rain", and more.  Musician and concert promoter Mitch Chang leads the strings at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center for the November 13, 2011 show.

SEPTEMBER

Funded generously by the Honolulu Mayor's Office on Culture and the Arts, Jon again collaborates as narrator with Chamber Music Hawaii's Spring Wind Quintet on his newly completed wind-themed work for narrator, flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon (with an appearance of Hawaiian ka`eke`eke and pu instruments).  Jon composed Paka`a Lanakila! for audiences young and young-at-heart, based on the Kaua`i story of Paka`a (retold by Frederick B. Wichman in his "Polihale and other Kaua`i Legends" [Bamboo Ridge Press]).  The piece tells the story of a young boy who faces adversity and ultimately triumphs, and it resonates with themes of love, respect, courage, rejection, acceptance, family, and community.

APRIL/MAY

Once again collaborating with the amazing Limón Dance Company, Jon travels to Sinaloa (Mexico) to conduct the Orquesta Sinfónica Sinaloa de las Artes in Culiacán and Mazatlán, performing the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos and Norman Dello Joio.  Wonderful music, old friends, new friends... it doesn't get better!

FEBRUARY

Choreographer Amy Schiffner creates a terrific new piece entitled "Greyscale" based on Jon's "Fantasy for Violin and Synthesizers" from long ago (college days). Cool lighting with CFL lightbulbs, wonderful dancing, and smart choreography.  Five performances over 2 weekends.

On February 11 at Orvis Auditorium (UH Manoa campus), Chi-wan Park, piri and Woong-sik Kim, janggu perform Jon's new duo below the sky for these Korean traditional instruments.

OCTOBER

On October 24 at Paliku Theatre, Esther Yoo (director, Honolulu Symphony Chorus and Honolulu Chamber Choir) and pianists Thomas Yee and Grant Mack premiere BUMP!, a 17-min. Halloween-themed work for chorus and piano four-hands.  (Yes, that's right -- from "things that go BUMP in the night.")   Kudos to choreographer Amy Schiffner (UH Mänoa faculty), lighting designer Lloyd Rifod, and the terrific dancers from the UH Manoa dance department for creating a very mysterious and hallowed eve atmosphere.  Thanks to the Honolulu Mayor's Office on Culture and the Arts for generously supporting the commission and performance.

Commissioned with generous funding from the Honolulu Mayor's Office on Culture and the Arts, the terrific Spring Wind ensemble from Chamber Music Hawaii (Marsha Schweitzer, basson; Jonathan Parrish, horn; James Moffitt, clarinet; with guests Claire Butin, flute;  Brad Shimizu, oboe; and yours truly as narrator) premieres part one of Päka`a: Lanakila! at Paliku Theatre on Oct. 4  and at the Honolulu Academy of Arts on Oct. 10.  The work, for wind quintet and narrator, tells the story of young Päka`a, who lives in the cliffs of Ke-ahi-ahi on the island of Kaua`i, and who outwits the local fishermen in a canoe race against all odds.  (Watch for the conclusion during next season's 30th anniversary ofChamber Music Hawaii!)

SEPTEMBER

Thanks to a generous American Composers Forum ENCORE program award, "America's favorite string band" performs Outta This World at the Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge (also supported in part by a grant from WESTAF).  Then, a few weeks later, they land in St. Petersburg for a Russian concert tour supported by CEC ArtsLink, which includes performances in St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Kaliningrad and Moscow.  Here's a fun blog of their Russian debut.

MAY

ETHEL (Cornelius Dufallo and Mary Rowell, violins; Ralph Farris, viola; Dorothy Lawson, 'cello) premiered the unplugged version of Outta This World on May 13 at the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert in LaGuardia Performing Arts Center...  what seriously awesome performers!  Jon led the pre-performance audience interaction/improvisation with a great assist from those intrepid ETHEL specialists.  Fun, fun, fun...

APRIL

Commissioned by the HYS in celebration of the HYS' 45th and Maestro Henry Miyamura's 25th anniversary with the HYS, KE AO was premiered at Blaisdell Concert Hall on April 11 by the HYS, Honolulu Symphony Chorus (Esther Yoo, dir.) and ho`opa`a chanters from Halau Hula Ka No`eau (Michael Pili Pang, kumu hula) -- a terrific first performance.  Bravi, tutti!!!  See the following HYS Facebook photo links:   Pic 1  Pic 2

MARCH

Thanks to a generous Meet The Composer award, Jon will participate in ETHEL Foundation for the Arts' presentation of Outta This World on May 13 at the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert in LaGuardia Performing Arts Center.

DECEMBER

Thanks to a generous award from ACF's ENCORE program, ETHEL will perform Jon's first string quartet (it's been 11 years since Outta This World's premiere!).  ETHEL will be performing the "unplugged" version in May.

The Honolulu Symphony Chorus, directed by Esther Yoo, presented Psalm 23 for SATB chorus and organ, at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Honolulu, with John Renke at the organ.

The Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus, directed by Nola Nahulu, presented the Hawai`i premiere of Christmas Bells for 3-part treble chorus and piano, atKawaiaha'o Church in Honolulu.

NOVEMBER

The Symphony Chorus joined with the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus to present "A Festival of Psalms", which featured the Honolulu Chamber Choir's premiere of Psalm 23 for SATB chorus and organ at Kawaiaha'o Church on November 25, with Buddy Naluai at the organ and conducted by HSC artistic director Esther Yoo.

AUGUST

Jon contributed some original music for this TV version of State of Aloha which premiered on PBS Hawai`i on August 27.  Directed by Anne Misawa of the Academy for Creative Media (University of Hawai`i at Manoa), the feature-length version will show at the Hawai`i International Film Fest (October).

Originally composed for solo voice and piano, these new arrangements are scored for SSAA and SATB with piano/organ (approximately 4 minutes in duration).

(3 January 2011)

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