Music Staff
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Henry Miyamura, |
A lifelong resident of Hawaii, Henry Miyamura is a McKinley High School graduate. He received a Bachelor of Music degree and a Performers' Certificate from the Eastman School of Music as well as a Master of Music degree from Western Washington University. His numerous credits include 14 years as band director at McKinley High School; principal clarinetist with the Honolulu Symphony; membership in the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Hillel Chamber Concert Orchestra, and the Rochester Philharmonic. Mr. Miyamura also served as Assistant Conductor for the Honolulu Symphony which gave him the opportunity to conduct concerts featuring Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; David Bar-Ilan, piano; Joshua Bell, violin; Charles Treger, violin; and Harvey Pittel, saxophone as well as other Hawaii entertainers. Currently, Mr. Miyamura is a Professor of Music at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and conductor of the UH Symphony Orchestra. He also serves as music director for HYS and has been since 1984. He conducts HYS's top orchestra, Youth Symphony I, as well as directs HYS's Pacific Music Institute during the summer. Mr. Miyamura was named as winner of the prestigious 2001 Alfred Preis Award by the Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education for his lifetime commitment to arts and education in Hawaii.
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Michael Nakasone, |
Michael Nakasone has been with HYS since 1989. Originally from Hilo, he received both his Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees in music education from the University of Hawaii. During his years of teaching music in the islands, he has taken various musical groups on tour all over the world, including Japan, California, Washington, D.C., and New York. He was named "Teacher of the Year" in 1996 for his work as bandmaster at Pearl City High School, known for its outstanding marching band and wind ensemble, which has garnered superior musical ratings for many years. His band received the 1995 Legion of Honor Award and the 1991 Sudler Flag of Honor Award from the John Philip Sousa Foundation, the highest international honor to a high school band program. Mr. Nakasone is a member of the Oahu Band Directors Association, the Hawaii Music Educators Association, and the American School Band Directors Association. He is currently the Band Director for the Royal Hawaiian Band.
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Susan Ochi-Onishi |
Susan Ochi-Onishi has been with Kaimuki Middle since 1993, directing the Beginning and Advanced Concert Bands. Mrs. Ochi-Onishi graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1984 and a PDMUS Secondary Music Education degree in 1987. She received a Master of Music degree in 1985 from Northwestern University, where she studied the oboe under Ray Still (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) and the English horn under Grover Schiltz (CSO). Mrs. Ochi-Onishi is a member of the OBDA, HMEA, MENC, and is presently serving as President for the Hawaii Chapter of the American School Band Directors Association.
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Hannah Watanabe |
Hannah Watanabe is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she received a bachelor's degree in music education. She is also a former member of the Hawaii Youth Symphony, in which she performed while a student at Kalani High School. She is currently teaching orchestra at Moanalua Middle School, and also taught at Hawaii Baptist Academy, Moanalua High School and Kalani High School. Mrs. Watanabe is a member of the Music Educators National Conference and the Hawaii Music Educators Association.
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Charlotte Fukumoto |
Charlotte Fukumoto has been HYS's String Program Coordinator for over a decade. She retired from the Department of Education after 26 years. Thirteen of those years were spent working with the string orchestra program at Moanalua Intermediate. She has been a string repair technician at Music Center of Hawaii and a string clinician at Kamehameha Middle School. Ms. Fukumoto chaired the Senior Honor All-State Orchestra while teaching for the Kamehameha Schools intermediate orchestra from 1995-1996. She also teaches the KSBE summer strings.
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Chad Uyehara |
An alumnus of HYS, Chad Uyehara conducts the Concert String Orchestra. He also coaches a string quartet for the Chamber Music program and conducts the PMI string orchestra. Mr. Uyehara received his Master’s of Music in Music Education and Viola Performance from Northwestern University. He earned his Bachelor’s of Music in Violin Performance, Bachelor’s of Arts in French, and membership in Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Hawaii. He is also a graduate of Punahou School. Mr. Uyehara has performed on violin and viola with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Desert Springs Chamber Orchestra, and the Honolulu Symphony. He has taught orchestra with the Clark County School District in Nevada, the Las Vegas Youth Philharmonic, and the Hawaii Department of Education at Kalani High School, Kaimuki Middle School, and Moanalua Elementary. Currently, he teaches orchestra and private violin/viola students at Saint Andrew’s Priory. Professional affiliations include American String Teachers Association, Music Educators National Conference, Suzuki Association of the Americas, American Viola Society, and the International Association for Jazz Education.
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Helen Nguyen |
Helen Nguyen is the conductor of the String Orchestra Ensemble and Preparatory Strings. Mrs. Nguyen has a bachelor's degree in Music Education from Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She taught strings and chorus in the Scranton public schools from 1974-1992. She was a violist with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and various chamber and community orchestras. Locally, Mrs. Nguyen has taught at McKinley High School, Le Jardin Academy, Aiea Intermediate School and Wheeler Middle School. She currently teaches music at Dole Middle School.
