Celebrating its 29th anniversary, the internationally-recognized Hakuoh University Handbell Choir will be on Oʻahu, February 27–March 6 for its 26th Goodwill Tour of Hawaiʻi. The choir will hold two public concerts and scheduled performances for friends of Hakuoh University and Oʻahu school children.
The choir will perform classical standards including Pachelbel’s Canon in D to contemporary hits like “Let it Go” from Disney’s Frozen 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.
About Hakuoh University Handbell Choir
From their home in Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, Hakuoh’s ensemble has traveled to performances in Canada, England, Australia and South Korea, 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 at the International Handbell Symposium in Vancouver, Canada in July 2016.
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.
Event information
Led by acclaimed director Hirotaka Arai, who founded the choir in 1988, the 17-student handbell ringers will perform free public concerts:
- March 1, 7 p.m. at Windward Community College, 45-720 Keaʻahala Road, Kāneʻohe
- March 2, 7 p.m. at Central Union Church, 1660 South Beretania Street, Honolulu
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
