Harmonious Mrs. Hafner in the Honolulu Symphony
Photo by Kelia Cowan
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Rintaro Sato
September 28, 2009
Filed under Arts & Entertainment
‘Iolani is one of the few schools with a strong orchestra program. The reason it is so strong is because Mrs. Katharine Hafner leads it. She encourages the orchestra with quotes such as, “It’s not funny, it’s shameful.” Mrs. Hafner guides our orchestra with an iron fist, but she is facing a challenge even greater than the percussion section.
Aside from teaching at ‘Iolani, Mrs. Hafner has also been part of the first violin section of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra since 1980. As a veteran, she has seen the many ups and downs of the Symphony, but recently she has seen some of the lowest lows.
Last spring, the Symphony was fourteen weeks behind pay. For many of the people working in the Symphony, it is their only source of income, and with the base pay of $31,000, living in Hawaii is tough. Even though some of the musicians have been in the Symphony for many years, including Mrs. Hafner, their salary has dropped.
“They aren’t doing it for the money or glory, they are doing it for the art,” Mrs. Hafner said when asked about why musicians play in the Symphony despite the low pay.
Fortunately, the Symphony staff members were finally paid off and, along with a new executive director, an exciting new season has begun.
The 84 members of the symphony are not only dedicated, but also extremely talented. You cannot directly apply for an audition; the symphony will ask you to audition. An audition does not necessarily mean acceptance either. The select few who are accepted into the symphony know the competition and are expected to meet high standards.
The Honolulu Symphony is essential because it keeps classical music programs alive in Hawaii. Many of the musicians are also tutors and instructors of not only students, but for the band and music teachers throughout Hawaii. The professional teachers naturally have a higher expectation of the students than amateur teachers because they are competitive and have to meet a high standard. Even though Mrs. Hafner may deliver a cantabile of constructive criticism, it means she knows that the students can accomplish more.
So if you have some free time, or simply enjoy hearing music, support Mrs. Hafner and the Honolulu Symphony. Who knows? You may even earn some extra credit to balance out that bad playing test.
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