The O'ahu Choral Society (OCS) has a 28-year history of bringing music of the highest artistic excellence to the people of Hawai'i. OCS is committed to providing our island community with robust programming for all music, with repertoire that spans the decades. OCS presents choral/orchestral masterworks from Beethoven to Bernstein, major chamber ensemble works, along with new commissions, including contemporary and local composers like Michael Foumai and Herb Mahelona.
Created in 1995, OCS functioned under the umbrella of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra until 2009. Our members include approximately 75 singers from all walks of life, including young adults to seniors, united by their talent and love for classical music and choral singing. We perform major choral works with the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra (HSO), as well as smaller works with chamber ensembles, accompanists and a cappella. OCS features local and international artists as soloists, and frequently joins with other arts organizations in the community to continuously deliver choral music for all of Hawai'i Nei.
Mission
To create music at the highest artistic level in Hawai'i
Goals
The O'ahu Choral Society strives to :
OCS continues to provide excellent choral music to the local community, thanks to the generosity of organizations and donors such as the Orvis Foundation, Atherton Foundation, the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts and the Hawai‘i State Foundation for Culture and the Arts, as well as multiple corporate sponsors and individual donors.
Created in 1995, OCS functioned under the umbrella of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra until 2009. Our members include approximately 75 singers from all walks of life, including young adults to seniors, united by their talent and love for classical music and choral singing. We perform major choral works with the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra (HSO), as well as smaller works with chamber ensembles, accompanists and a cappella. OCS features local and international artists as soloists, and frequently joins with other arts organizations in the community to continuously deliver choral music for all of Hawai'i Nei.
Mission
To create music at the highest artistic level in Hawai'i
Goals
The O'ahu Choral Society strives to :
- Present the highest quality performances of great choral music for the enjoyment and enrichment of the community of Hawaii
- Be a passionate leader and contributor to the cultural and artistic vitality and spirt of Hawaii
- Support and cultivate the love and appreciation for choral music
OCS continues to provide excellent choral music to the local community, thanks to the generosity of organizations and donors such as the Orvis Foundation, Atherton Foundation, the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts and the Hawai‘i State Foundation for Culture and the Arts, as well as multiple corporate sponsors and individual donors.
Selected Performances and Guest Conductors
The O‘ahu Choral Society has performed choral masterworks such as:
We have had the honor of performing under the following renowned conductors before they left this earth: Sergiu Commissiona, Katsuhisa Hattori, Skitch Henderson, Donald Johanos, Karen Kennedy, Joseph Flummerfelt, Robert Page, Robert Shaw, and Sir David Willcocks. We also had the privilege of being under the illustrious batons of Eiji Oue, Scott Speck, Samuel Wong, Aaron Mahi, Nola Nāhulu, Timothy Carney, Akiko Fujimoto, and JoAnn Falletta.
- Orff's "Carmina Burana"
- Walton's "Belshazzar's Feast"
- Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky"
- Haydn's "Creation"
- Handel's "Messiah"
- Requiems by Brahms, Mozart, Verdi, Fauré, and Duruflé
We have had the honor of performing under the following renowned conductors before they left this earth: Sergiu Commissiona, Katsuhisa Hattori, Skitch Henderson, Donald Johanos, Karen Kennedy, Joseph Flummerfelt, Robert Page, Robert Shaw, and Sir David Willcocks. We also had the privilege of being under the illustrious batons of Eiji Oue, Scott Speck, Samuel Wong, Aaron Mahi, Nola Nāhulu, Timothy Carney, Akiko Fujimoto, and JoAnn Falletta.