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Hakuoh University Handbell Choir from 2013

Celebrating its 27th anniversary, the internationally-recognized Hakuoh University Handbell Choir will be on Oʻahu, February 13–18 for its 24th Goodwill Tour of Hawaiʻi. The group is offering four public concerts, scheduled performances for friends of Hakuoh University, and more than 500 Oʻahu school children.

Led by acclaimed director Hirotaka Arai, who founded the choir in 1988, the 13 student handbell ringers will perform free public concerts on:

The choir will perform a range of selections from classical standards including Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” to contemporary hits from Disney’s Frozen “Let it Go” as well as a Hawaiian favorite “Hawaiʻi Aloha.” The choir has the capacity to ring seven octaves of handbells, and their dedication to practice and performance has created worldwide demand for their music.

More on the Hakuoh University Handbell Choir

From their home in Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, Hakuoh’s ensemble has traveled to performances in Canada, England and Australia and has entertained audiences including the Emperor and Empress of Japan and the King and Queen of Belgium. They have performed at Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and the International Handbell Symposium in Jeju, South Korea in August 2014.

In September 2013, Hakuoh University renewed an international cooperative agreement with the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges. The annual Handbell Choir Concert, co-sponsored by Hakuoh University and the UH Community Colleges, is one of the cooperative activities undertaken by the two institutions.

For more information about the choir’s performances, call (808) 956-0321.

UH news videos on the Hakuoh University Handbell Choir

Handbell choir enchants Hawaiʻi audiences, February 2013

Hakuoh University Handbell Choir performance at Windward Community College, February 2013

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