Photos by Kathleen Connelly
The Symphony Winter Concert, held on Friday, Dec. 5 in Dillingham Hall, brought together Punahou musicians for an evening that highlighted both tradition and innovation. The program featured works by alumni composers Jon Magnussen ’86 and Shawn Conley ’01, alongside selections by Eric Whitacre, Dag Wirén and Edward Elgar.
Dr. Jonas Carlson opened the program with a performance of Swell Lines, a piece written for Punahou’s 175th anniversary and dedicated to Carlson and the Punahou Symphony Orchestra. Another highlight of the evening was the world premiere of a new composition by Conley, who also returned to the stage as the soloist. His collaboration with the Symphony marked a meaningful homecoming.
“It is so special for me to play with the Punahou Symphony again, especially with Mr. Young (my orchestra director!) conducting,” Conley shared. “Having the students work with me to bring this new piece to life has been a blast. The style of the piece is a bit outside of the normal orchestral repertoire, but they have been game to dive into it from the beginning. My musical journey started at Punahou in the orchestra room, and I love being back here again playing music that reflects a lot of what I have been doing in the years since.”
Director of Orchestras Craig Young, who conducted Conley’s piece, guided students through a program that blended contemporary creativity with classical foundations, offering them the opportunity to engage directly with living composers.
The concert offered students, alumni and community members an inspiring reminder of the lasting impact of Punahou’s music program and the creative paths it helps launch.
Conley recently released a new solo album, Uncharted, which continues to explore the musical ideas reflected in his latest composition. More about his work can be found at: https://shawnconleybass.com/
Here are the album links: https://shawnconley.bandcamp.com/album/uncharted-icr034 | https://found.ee/shawnconley_uncharted