Symphony of Hawaiʻi Seas

The Symphony of the Hawaiʻi Seas is a unique, place-based concert that brings together moʻolelo (Kanaka Maoli oral traditions) and marine science through original orchestral music and animation created by local composers and artists to inspire a deeper understanding of Hawaiʻi’s kai (ocean) and our pilina (relationship) with it Designed especially for 4th–12th grade haumana (students), this program invites learners on an immersive journey, one that sparks curiosity, cultivates pilina with the ocean, and nurtures a lasting sense of environmental responsibility and aloha ʻāina.

This symphony is the third installment in a visionary trilogy of educational performances that combine science, culture, and the arts in a powerful, multisensory learning experience:

• Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds – Honoring Hawaiʻi’s native and endangered birds
• Symphony of the Hawaiʻi Forests – Exploring the beauty and importance of native forest ecosystems
• Symphony of the Hawaiʻi Seas – Celebrating the ocean as our ancestor, teacher, and lifeline

Each installment builds on the last, expanding students’ awareness of Hawaiʻi’s ecosystems and the deep connections between land, sea, culture, music, animation, and science. Together, these works form a musical and educational journey through the natural world of Hawaiʻi, told through the lens of community, kuleana (responsibility), and creativity.

The Symphony of the Hawaiʻi Seas is the result of a collaborative effort among the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) Music Department, English Department, and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra who led a team of artists, scientists, educators, and cultural practitioners. Local composers and animators worked in partnership with cultural practitioners, storytellers, and marine scientists to create five original musical movements, each rooted in Hawaiian genealogical narratives and aligned with current ocean science. These movements are brought to life through animation and accompanied by classroom lesson plans that meet Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), ensuring a rich, integrated STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) experience.

At its core, this project reflects a simple but profound truth: in Hawaiʻi, the ocean is not just a resource, it is a living relative. It provides, teaches, and connects us to the past and the future. Our oceans are under growing threat from climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. Through this symphony, students are invited to build understanding and pilina (connection) with the ocean through moʻolelo, music, science, visual arts, hula and actions of community mālama ʻāina.By blending ancestral knowledge with ocean science and artistic expression, Symphony of the Hawaiʻi Seas empowers young learners to explore their place in the world and their role in protecting it. It is an invitation to listen deeply, learn collectively, and move forward with aloha and kuleana for our island home.

E mālama i ke kai

Funding Source:

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Provost Strategic Investment Initiative awarded to Hawaiʻi Sea Grant