Hawai'i Symphony Presents HOLIDAY POPS, 12/11

Enjoy a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays with the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) at its annual Holiday Pops concert, featuring Maestro Rob Fisher and Grammy-nominated vocalist Natalie Ai Kamauu, at 4 pm on Sunday, December 11. The N? H?k? Hanohano 2016 Female Vocalist of the Year, Natalie will fill the stage with song, hula and holiday joy as she joins the HSO for the first time. Also a Miss Aloha Hula, Natalie's 2015 release "La la la la" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category.

Natalie, who has been praised as "one of Hawai'i's greatest (and loveliest) treasures," performs alongside her husband Iolani Kamauu. Together, they produce and arrange much of what is seen and heard. Their daughter Sha-Lei adds her hula, completing the storytelling. Together with the HSO and under the baton of Maestro Fisher, they will perform Natalie's own original songs as well as beautiful arrangements of holiday classics such as Deck the Halls, O Holy Night, Jingle Bells and White Christmas.

By popular demand, Maestro Fisher returns to lead the HSO in Holiday Pops for one performance only. Originally scheduled fr December 10 and 11, the Saturday concert was cancelled due to potential parking conflicts. A local holiday tradition, HSO Holiday Pops is the perfect blend of treasured Hawaiian music, traditional Christmas carols and contemporary holiday pop songs. The HSO will also be featured in festive classical works such as Haydn's Toy Symphony, Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker, and Prokofiev's Troika from Lieutenant Kije Suite. Sure to delight all ages, it's a gift to share with family and friends.

Deck the halls and celebrate the season at Holiday Pops! Tickets start at $27 and are on sale now at hisymphonyorchestra.org or by calling 94-MUSIC (946-8742). Active-duty military ($20) and student rush ($13) discounts will be available for the concert beginning December 5.

About Natalie Ai Kamauu
With the voice of an angel, Natalie Ai Kamauu, is Hawai`i's best kept secret no longer. And it's not just her voice; it's her heart that is heard in every note and lyric. Captivating audiences internationally, Natalie's voice has the ability to shake your soul.

Her three solo releases (`E, `I, `A) have garnered her three nods by The Hawai`i Academy of Recording Arts for Female Vocalist of The Year. Her release of Eia, an anthology, is an accumulation of the mele (songs) she has penned speckled with her favorite old time tunes. In 2015, she released her fifth solo release, La La La.

Natalie?s compositions tell of her family, a bloodline thick with tradition. Born and raised by kumu hula parents, Howard and Olana Ai, Natalie is also a Miss Aloha Hula, hula's top title. When she sings, she's dancing and when she dances, she's singing.

In 2013, Natalie launched a clothing line, Hula Tease, partnered with a skin line, Rice Force, and authored a book, "One Hundred Rules of Love" for her fans in Japan. She is also the voice you hear while being pampered at The Moana Lani Spa of The Moana Surfrider Hotel, Waikiki`?s oldest and most celebrated hotel. Taking the nickname of the property, she is being called "The First Lady of Waikiki."

About Rob Fisher
Rob Fisher - internationally distinguished artistic director, conductor, and pianist - is a leading figure in American music and musical theater. He was founding music director and conductor of Encores! at New York City Center until 2005, a series that earned a 2000 Tony Award. Fisher was awarded the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Special Achievement in 1997 for his work on Encores!, and he conducted the series' Grammy Award-winning Chicago cast album.

Recently, Fisher served as music supervisor of the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Anything Goes, and in 2012, he conducted a one-night gala performance of The Sound of Music at Carnegie Hall. Fisher has been producer/music director of Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series' tributes to Gershwin, Porter, and Bernstein. Recent collaborations have included performances with such artists as Kristin Chenoweth, Kelli O'Hara, Idina Menzel, and David Hyde Pierce.

Within the past decade Fisher has been a guest conductor or pianist of virtually every major orchestra in the U.S. Fisher's performances have been televised on many occasions. He was music director and conductor for "Ira at 100," a gala concert at Carnegie Hall which was broadcast on PBS's Great Performances, and he appeared twice on the PBS series, In Performance at the White House. For four seasons Fisher was music director for Garrison Keillor's American Radio Company and remains a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion.

Active-duty military ($20) and student rush ($13) discounts will be available for this concert beginning, Monday, December 5.

Tickets must be purchased at either the Blaisdell Box Office or at the HSO Box Office in-person. Appropriate ID must be presented at the time of purchase. For more information, call the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra Box Office (808) 94-MUSIC - (808) 946-8742 from Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

About the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra

The Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra was founded in 2011 and made its debut in 2012. The new HSO carries on the legacy of the Honolulu Symphony, which was founded in 1900 and performed for more than a century. The orchestra employs 84 professional musicians and presents classical masterworks, pops, educational and community programs.

The mission of the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra is to present the highest-quality performances of great music, bringing national and international distinction to the orchestra and its community; to delight and educate audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and enhance the cultural vitality and quality of life in these Islands; and to operate in a financially sound manner.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.HawaiiSymphonyOrchestra.org. Share your Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra experience with the #HiSymphony hashtag on Twitter and Instagram @HawaiiSymphonyOrchestra and on Facebook: facebook.com/HawaiiSymphony.

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