Adult Amateur Piano Competition Returns to Hawaii

KAILUA, Hawaii - May 27, 2014 - PRLog -- The Aloha International Piano Festival (AIPF) today announced the return of its popular Adult Amateur Piano Competition on Friday, June 13 at 6 p.m. at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. This free event showcases nine talented competitors from across Hawaii, the U.S. mainland, and Japan who will compete in front of an enthusiastic crowd, inspiring everyone with the message that there is no age limit when it comes to pursuing your dreams. Judges include concert pianist Jon Nakamatsu, Oberlin Conservatory of Music professor Haewon Song, concert pianist Frederic Chiu, Mannes College The New School for Music professor Thomas Sauer, and concert pianist and composer John Bayless. Tickets are not required and everyone is welcome; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit alohapianofestival.com and follow AIPF on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/AlohaPianoFestival).

Now in its second year, the Adult Amateur Piano Competition is an exhilarating addition to the Aloha International Piano Festival, which runs from June 8 to 15, 2014 and features concerts, free events, classes and workshops. The Adult Amateur Piano Competition is open to adults age 25 and older, and who do not derive their main income through piano performance. Many have never had the opportunity to study music professionally, while others have studied music at the college level and may have once considered a professional career in music. The public is invited to share in the excitement and enthusiasm of this event, which never fails to reaffirm the important role music plays in our lives.

2014 Aloha International Piano Festival: Adult Amateur Competition Competitors

Mami Glass (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Glass, an operations manager for Hawaii Home + Commercial LLC, studied piano for three years in Japan beginning at the age of 10. She recently fulfilled a lifelong dream to purchase her own piano.

Arisa Hasegawa (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Hasegawa, who currently works in the retail industry, took lessons from age five to 15 in Kobe,  Japan.

Grace Huang (Georgetown, Texas)
Huang, a research assistant, started playing the piano at age seven. She grew up in Taiwan and moved to the U.S. to attend college, and earned a degree in molecular biology from the University of Texas. For many years, she did not have a teacher or other learning opportunities, but was able to resume taking formal lessons five years ago.

Mana Isomine (San Jose, California)
Isomine, a piano technician, started learning piano at age 6 in Japan and graduated from the Kunitachi College of Music in 1992. Isomine worked as a music coordinator for the Japanese Baptist Church in San Jose from 2003 to 2008.

Shiro Kawai (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Kawai, a software engineer, started learning piano at age 11 and took lessons until he was 17-years-old. He resumed playing the piano three years ago after a long hiatus. He enrolled as a student in the 2013 Aloha International Piano Festival program, which he calls an “eye-opening experience.” He returns this year to continue learning.

Peggy King (Kula, Maui, Hawaii)
King, a homemaker and animal rescue volunteer, attended the  Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Her past work experience includes piano and fitness instruction, privately and at Valley Isle Fitness Center, and various elementary schools on Maui. In addition, she has performed at churches, art openings and private events.

Miho Kiyoki (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Kiyoki, a graduate student, started playing the piano at age three. She was selected as a representative pianist of the University of Tokyo and studied privately with professors of the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo for several years.

Rie Saito (Saitama, Japan)
Saito, who currently works part-time, graduated from the Musashino Academia Musicae (Tokyo, Japan) in music education.

Mari Yoshihara (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Yoshihara, a professor of American Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, began taking piano lessons at age three in Tokyo, Japan. She continued to study piano privately while attending college in Japan. Yoshihara took a break from the piano during graduate school, but soon after, resumed playing. Yoshihara competed in the 2011 Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in Fort Worth, Texas.

About the Aloha International Piano Festival
Founded in 2006 by pianist Lisa Nakamichi, the Aloha International Piano Festival (AIPF) is a non-profit organization committed to educating Hawaii’s children and teachers. AIPF addresses three main needs: the need for music teacher training, the need for low-cost music concerts and music education opportunities, and the need for high-caliber classes and lessons for piano students. AIPF strives to elevate the awareness of classical music in Hawaii while offering people of all ages the opportunity to experience music in a welcoming and educational setting. As a result of volunteer efforts and work to minimize administrative costs, AIPF has consistently offered programs at low and affordable rates for more than eight years. Visit alohapianofestival.com (http://www.alohapianofestival.com/) for more information.

The Aloha International Piano Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of The Atherton Foundation, the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu, and the Music Teachers National Association Foundation.