Hawaii suffered a great loss when its 110-year-old Honolulu Symphony closed in 2010 because of financial and management issues.
The symphony, which performed at the city’s Blaisdell Concert Hall, cost $8 million a year to operate, but was only bringing in about $5 million to $6 million.
Several business leaders have been working with the musicians over the last two years to reopen under the name Hawaii Symphony Orchestra.
Former First Lady Vicky Cayetano, a driving force behind the effort, said yesterday the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra will open on October 19 for a 6-week season, thanks to private negotiations and funding.
With they help of the musicians, and key business leaders including Paul Kosasa, President of ABC Stores, and Kitty Lagareta of Communications Pacific, the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra was able to reduce the cost of the operation to $1.8 million a year.
The organization will make several key changes to ensure the symphony not only survives, but thrives.
Hawaii has some 8 million visitors a year, and besides inviting residents to support the symphony, the organization will work to get visitors to attend.
Disney and Marriott will also support the symphony by holding events at their Ko Olina properties in West Oahu.
The organization will also offer valet parking for concert goers and shuttle service from retirement homes to attract more attendees.
Currently, Hawaii is the only state without a symphony. Places like Tokyo have 10 symphonies, but they are government supported.
See more at https://hawaiisymphonyorchestra.org/
Delighted with this turn of events! The musicians are some of the most talented in the world! Congratulations to those involved in saving one of the most precious of our resources. Aloha nui loa, a music lover.
So wait…$8 million to be operated by the state, but only $1.8 million when parntered with private enterprise…hmmm…
Maybe around 2020 things will be figured out. Is Honolulu a world class city, or is it an airport with hotels attached? By then, rail will or will not have been built. Excessive automobile use on the island will have been dealt with…… or, just maybe, not. Sad to say that Honolulu might not have enough smart, wealthy people to address its most pressing problems. Honolulu just might be a city that grows according to the invisible hand of the market. The same hand that dealt its current state. Let's see how that turns out. It could be ugly.
I'm glad they're trying to bring the symphony back, because now it has more chances to make a profit
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