Jazz is back at Lutheran Church of Honolulu, and you’re invited to enjoy all the swinging sounds of our summer lineup! Take a musical journey with us as we celebrate summer with some of Honolulu’s finest jazz musicians. Concerts begin at 7:00 pm in the Nave, and all are invited to gather for pūpū and conversation before the concert at 6:15 pm in the Hörmann Courtyard. The concerts are free, with a suggested donation of $20 for each concert.
- Allen Won and Friends (June 6 • 7:00 pm)—Local Saxophonist Allen Won has embraced a diverse career with an eclectic performance itinerary playing with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; many of the orchestras in and around New York, including the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet, the City Opera, and the New Jersey Philharmonic; and various jazz and experimental groups, including Mario Pavone, Barbara Sfraga, Mala Waldron, Steve Bernstein. As part of our Summer Jazz series, Allen will be joined by Tim Ishii (alto saxophone), Curtis Abe (trombone), Steffan Karlsson (piano), Taylor Katase (drums), and Dean Taba (string bass) to bring you an unforgettable evening.
- Summer String Swing (July 11 • 7:00 pm)—Join Hawai‘i jazz masters Duane Padilla on violin, Benny Chong on ‘ukulele, and Byron Yasui on bass as they present an evening of string-based swing music. Together, they explore what might happen if French jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli and American violinist Stuff Smith accidentally met in a Waikīkī night club and were asked to jam “island style.”
- DeShannon Higa and Quadpod (August 8 • 7:00 pm)—Member of Royal Hawaiian Band member DeShannon Higa is also a bandleader and visionary. He has assembled and is currently performing with two bands of his own creation. He will share the sultry sounds of his trumpet along with his ensemble, Quadpod. This neo-bop quartet will be joined by a special guest on vocals. DeShannon’s styles of music range from jazz to Latin/salsa to modern electronica and hip hop. He resides in Honolulu with his wife, former Broadway performer, from the original cast of Miss Saigon, Rocky Brown, with whom he also performs.
Just like your car or your house, a pipe organ needs regular repair and maintenance, and it’s time for regular service of LCH’s two Beckerath organs—the main organ and the small continuo organ. On Monday, May 8, Hans-Ulrich Erbslöh and his assistant, Bernd Becker, arrived from Germany to do that work. Also helping is Steve Hoover, an organ builder and the husband of Barry Wenger, our organist and director of music and liturgy.
May Day is Lei Day in Hawaiʻi. To honor the day, Duane Padilla and friends weave a lei of favorite songs by Queen Liliʻoukalani arranged for string quartet. The arrangements were created by Duane Padilla, and he will be performing them along with Daniel Padilla, Alex Peña, and Heewon Lee. They will be joined by world-renowned guitarist Jeff Peterson and students from Hawai’i Youth Opera Chorus presenting traditional mele. Get ready for an exciting program!
Julia Richter and Connie Uejio present a program of beautiful music for flute and harp, featuring works by Saint-Saëns, Beethoven, Bizet, and many more. Julia and Connie are both active performers in the Honolulu area; both playing with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra, and Julia recently joined the Royal Hawaiian Band. This is an evening not to be missed.
Join us for our next First Mondays Concert, “Hooray for Bollywood!” which brings together the lush melodies and exotic rhythms of “Old is Gold” Bollywood hits arranged for string quartet! Join us as Helen Liu, Arlene Koh, Susan Leon, and Kathleen Long present this unique program.
Lenten Soup and Salad Suppers
Join us mid-week during Lent as we share Holden Evening Prayer. The sung prayer service begins at 7:00 pm in the Nave. This year’s Lenten theme will follow the Stewardship theme for the year: Healing a Broken World. Each week will have a focus on this theme. The schedule is:
The season of Lent begins with a very special worship on Ash Wednesday.
Join Dr. Barry J. Wenger at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, 1730 Punahou St., for the First Mondays Concert on February 6, at 7:00 pm. Dr. Wenger will present music over the centuries with pieces by J.S. Bach, Louis-Claude Daquin, W.A. Mozart, and contemporary composers including Craig Phillips, Eleanor Daley, and Aaron David Miller. Come enjoy a “tour” of organ music on the wonderful von Beckerath organ.
Join us for an evening of four hands piano as we enjoy music by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Ravel performed by pianists Dr. Thomas Yee and Dr. Tyler Flores Ramos.