Every year, the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra opens its stage to the next generation through Nā Hōkū ʻŌpio Young Stars, an annual competition inviting Hawaiʻi’s most talented high school musicians to perform solo repertoire with a full professional orchestra. This year, two HYS students were featured, and we’re excited to celebrate them!

What Is Nā Hōkū ʻŌpio?

Open to 10th through 12th graders who are full-time residents of Hawaiʻi, the Young Stars competition gives young musicians the opportunity to perform as a soloist with a professional symphony orchestra. The competition spans strings, voice, woodwinds, brass, percussion, harp, and (new for this year) a composition category. 

We’re grateful to the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra for supporting passionate young musicians in Hawai‘i by giving them a platform to share their talents with our community!

Kolleen Roessig — Composition Winner

Kolleen Roessig is a violinist, a recent HYS graduate, and the inaugural winner of the Young Stars composition category. She participated in Concert Orchestra, Youth Symphony II, and two summers of PMI before heading off to Southern Methodist University this fall to study music composition with a minor in business.

Her winning piece, The Waning of Mischief, tells the story of a goblin’s redemption arc. “It starts out a little mischievous,” Kolleen explains, “and then it kind of takes a little bit of a darker turn, and then with a sudden abrupt key change, it brings back life to the piece and ends in a major, triumphant but still playful manner.” The inspiration? Her love of Dungeons & Dragons. “My friends and I really like to play D&D, and interacting with all the different characters really helped me flesh out the story.”

Kolleen came to composition through music theory classes that expanded her view of what music could be. She went on to study privately with a composition teacher she credits as deeply formative as well as the first working composer she had ever met in real life. John Williams was an early inspiration too. “From a young age, I loved his movies and his music really brought out the emotion in me. So when I sit down, I like to think about what scene I’m trying to paint.”

The Waning of Mischief was also Kolleen’s first orchestral piece. Hearing it performed live for the first time was something she won’t forget. “It’s so much better than hearing the MIDI mockup,” she says. “You can have it do exactly what you want in the computer, but you cannot ever add emotion to it. And that’s really where the performers come in.” For Kolleen, winning the competition wasn’t just an honor, it was confirmation. “It’s definitely like…this is what I’m supposed to do. And I love doing this.”

Her advice to younger students curious about composing is characteristically direct: just do it. “You don’t need to take music theory. You don’t need to have a teacher. You just need to have the passion. The main part of music is the melody, and that is all creative. Nobody can really teach you to do that.”

And if you’re on the fence about entering the competition? “If you’re nervous, or you think you’re not good enough…you never know until you try. The worst they can say is no.”

Ian Jun — Concerto Winner

Ian Jun is a 17-year-old cellist and current HYS student whose musical journey began at the piano at age five. A chance encounter with a video of Mischa Maisky performing the first Bach Cello Suite changed everything. “That’s when I became truly in love with the sound of the cello,” he says, “and how melodic and warm it was.”

For his Young Stars performance, Ian performed the first movement of Édouard Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor with the HSO. It was his first concerto experience. “It truly is a really large milestone for my musical career and aspirations,” he reflects, “and to do it with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra is such a privilege.” He describes the Lalo as “a very bold piece with a lot of emotional character and a very volatile work. It displays all the virtuosity and wonderful qualities of the cello.”

Throughout his cello journey, Ian credits his teacher, HSO cellist Ms. Nancy Masaki (another HYS alumna), as the most significant influence on his growth. “She has done so much for me to progress and mature as a musician, and also as a person,” he says. Performing alongside her for the first time in a concert setting made the Young Stars experience all the more meaningful.

Ian’s message to young musicians reflects the values at the heart of HYS: “Music is a fundamental right for everyone. If you’re truly passionate and willing to commit your life to producing music that’s truly you, then follow your dreams and let it blossom.” Whether playing solo, in chamber music, or in a full orchestra, Ian describes the sense of community as the value that resonates most deeply with him. “Music thrives in community and culture,” he says simply.

An HYS ʻOhana Moment

What makes this year’s Young Stars especially meaningful is how fully these two students represent everything the HYS ʻohana stands for: dreaming courageously to something new, inspiring and uplifting their communities through their music, and, at the end of the day, having fun!

Kolleen captured this beautifully in reflecting on a lesson from her YSII conductor, Mr. Elden Seta, recalling the Japanese character Hito, which represents a person supported by their community. “He taught us that we can be as strong as we are, but we will never be able to be supported without the second part of the character: your community and your family and your friends. I really want to take that to heart as I go on with my life.”