"... I am beyond thrilled that Lance has recently accepted the position of Principal Guest Conductor with HOT, starting with our production of Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree."

March is an odd month. I mean, yeah, it’s the third month of the year…so, ‘odd’. But I don’t know of another month famously associated with both a proverb and a famous Shakespearian quote attached to them? “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb” (which may or may not be applicable to our weather here in Hawaiʻi...we’ll have to see how this month ends) and “Beware the Ides of March” (from Julius Caesar, Act I, scene 2).

The latter strikes me most because, well, I love Shakespeare. And although his play Julius Caesar was NOT the basis for it, Giulio Cesare in Egitto is absolutely one of my favorite Handel operas. (Seriously, if you don’t know his operas, start with this one. Such sublime music!)

For HOT, March is a very special month, especially in 2026. That’s because it’s our 65^th birthday! Our very first production – Puccini’s iconic opera Madama Butterly – was presented in March 1961. We were launched as the Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre, under the auspices of the then Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. HOT formed our own non-profit corporation in 1980 and now have over 175 productions under our belt.

That first Cio-Cio-san was sung by soprano Kunie Imai, who made history as the first Japanese singer to be engaged as a regular at the Metropolitan Opera. Indeed, she had made her Met (and American) debut just three years before her appearance with HOT, performing in the same role. Her Pinkerton was the Honolulu-born and educated tenor Charles K. L. Davis. The complete performance was even broadcast on a local radio station, so opera was definitely in (and on) the air!

This spring, we are heading into the home stretch with preparations for our first-ever world premiere, Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree. In fact, rehearsals have begun for performances on May 1, 3, & 5. Hurray!

I’m sure you know that our own international opera star, baritone Quinn Kamakanalani Kelsey, is returning to create the title role of Timoteo Kamalehua Haʻalilio. He is going to be amazing in the role! We also welcome the HOT debut of Hawaiian soprano Tasha Hokuao Koontz, who plays Timoteo’s wife Hana Hooper Ha’alilio.

Other cast members from within our community include three multi-talented members of the HOT staff – Blythe Kelsey (Kekāuluohi), Erik Haines (Lord Aberdeen), and Kawaiola Murray (A Retainer) – as well as Leslie Goldman (Clarissa Lyman Richards), Kip Wilborn (Capt. Lord George Paulet), and Dr. David Young (Daniel Webster).

And of course, our director and choreographer, Patrick Makuakāne, was born and raised here in Honolulu before moving to San Francisco and founding his cutting-edge Hālau, Nā Lei Hulu i ka Wēkiu.

But did you know our conductor for this important production, Lance Inouye, also has deep ties to Hawaiʻi?

Indeed, Lance was raised in Honolulu in a family that has lived in the islands for generations. And he grew up surrounded by music. From middle school onward he performed with the Hawaii Youth Symphony, studied piano, and participated actively in his school music programs. He attended Maʻemaʻe Elementary and Kawananakoa Intermediate before graduating from Punahou School.

Lance’s first exposure to opera came during high school when Hawai'i Opera Theatre visited Punahou as part of an outreach program to introduce students to the art form. That included a presentation on the story and music of Carmen, sparking an early connection to opera that would later shape his career.

Although his work has taken him to many places across the United States and around the world, Inouye has always considered Hawaiʻi home. In 2022 he returned to conduct the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra as a guest conductor, and in 2023 he made his conducting debut with Hawai'i Opera Theatre leading Jack Perla’s An American Dream.

That is why I am beyond thrilled that Lance has recently accepted the position of Principal Guest Conductor with HOT, starting with our production of Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree. It is an honor to be working with such a passionate musician, someone who is natural educator and mentor for young singers, someone who is truly kind and compassionate. Someone who is truly of this place.

I know that this is just the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship. Please join me in welcoming Lance Inouye to…and back to…the HOT ʻOhana!

Thank YOU for being part of that ʻOhana.
There would be no Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre without your support.

A hui hou!

Andrew