Nola A. Nahulu
Artistic Director

Ms. Nahulu is a native of Makaha, O’ahu and received her education from: Wai’anae Elementary School, Kamehameha Schools, Whitman College (B.A. Psychology), and University of Hawai’i Manoa (M.A. in Music Education, Choral).

Ms. Nahulu has been involved in the Choral Music scene of Hawai’i since 1979. The organizations she has been associated with have included the Unitarian Church, Bishop Memorial Church, Moloka’i Children’s Chorus and the Kamehameha Alumni Glee Club. She is currently the interim Director of the Honolulu Symphony Chorus and Director of Hawai’i Youth Opera Chorus (Executive and Artistic Director), The Kawaiaha’o Church Choir, Hawai’i Opera Theater Chorus, and the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club. She is the founder and director of the Kawaiolaonapukanileo ensemble (an ensemble dedicated to the preservation of the hawaiian choral music genere).

Her teaching endeavors have included: Our Redeemer Lutheran School, the Kamehameha Schools, the University Laboratory School, and lecturer at UH Manoa Music Department. She and her sister own Bete, Inc., a designer hawaiian apparel company.

Ms. Nahulu became Musical Director for the Hawai’i Youth Opera Chorus in 1986. Since then the chorus has grown from twenty singers to over 200 children grades K-12. The focus of the organization is that of Music Education. There are nine graded ensembles as well as choral conducting internships available for high school and college students and other teachers.

Ms. Nahulu is a member of HMEA (Hawai’i Music Educator’s Association), Treasurer for SGM (Society for General Music) and is Past President for ADCA (American Choral Director’s Association) Hawai’i Chapter. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Hawaii Arts Alliance, Hawaiian Music Foundation & HACY (Hawaii Arts Center for Youth).

Jean Lilley
Executive Director

Jean Lilley has joined the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus with over 15 years of experience in positions from consultant to management in nonprofit organizations. Over the last eight years Jean was Executive Director for two different Habitat for Humanity affiliates and most recently providing management and consulting to two Native Hawaiian organizations. She has a passion for the development of programs and resources that will ultimately benefit the community. She also has an additional 10 years of experience in marketing and management of for profit organizations in California and Kansas. Jean received a B.A. in Business and Communications from Texas Lutheran College and an MBA in Management from Fort Hays State University in Kansas.

Ms. Lilley moved to Honolulu four years ago with her husband and son, Seth, who is an HYOC alumni. Seth is a student at the University of Hawaii studying Theatre Performance. She also has a daughter, Meghann, who is currently teaching Kindermusik in San Mateo, CA. Jean is a member of the Hawaii Habitat for Humanity Association Board of Directors, an associate member of the Hawaii Yacht Club and a member of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. She also enjoys the beach, walking and sailing in her spare time.

Wendy Chang
Associate Artistic Director &
Principal Accompanist

Ms. Chang completed her musical training at the University of Hawai’i Manoa receiving both her B.M. and M.M. in piano performance. She has been the principal accompanist for the Hawai’i Youth Opera Chorus since 1987. She has been a lecturer at the University of Hawai’i Manoa Music Department and teaches piano privately. She is a member of HMTA (Hawai’i Music Teachers Association) & HPTA (Hawai’i Piano Teachers Association). She currently teaches elementary music at Maryknoll School.

Malia Ka'ai-Barrett
General Manger

Malia Katrina Kana’auao Ka’ai, a native of Lahaina Maui. Graduate of the Kamehameha Schools class of ’85. Graduate of Whitworth College in ’89 with a B.A. in History and a Minor in Music. Graduate of UH Manoa in ’98 with a M.A. in Pacific Island Studies.

Since 1991 she has been the General Manager of the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus. Ms. Ka’ai is an active soloist and choral member in the community, performing with the Hawaii Opera Theater, Kawaiolaonapukanileo (a Hawaiian a capella ensemble, dedicated to preserving Hawaiian choral music genre) and Kawaiaha’o Church etc. Her vocal instructors include: Les Ceballos, Ann Fennesey-Rants of Whitworth College, Neva Rego and Elizabeth Grierson of the Bel Canto School of Singing in Honolulu. She has participated in numerous master classes and workshops with world renown opera singers and coaches: Denise Graves, Diana Soviero, Frederika von Stade, Mary Dibbern, Bernard Uzon, Mark Flint, Ying Yuang, the San Francisco Opera Merola Program and Richard Perlman of the Chicago Lyric Opera etc.

She is a member of Hawaii Opera Theater’s Chorus since 1993 and the Young Artist Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio since 1998. Her solo debut with the Hawaii Opera Theater was as the 2nd handmaiden in the 1999 production of “Electra”. Since then she has appeared with HOT as the Mother in “Madama Butterfly”, Olga in “The Merrie Widdow”, Mrs. Hayes in “Susannah”, as the Prima Cercatrice in “Suor Angelia” and as Ciesca in “Gianni Schicchi”. In 2000 she was a finalist with the Hawaii Public Radio 4th Annual Art Song Contest. She has also sung with the Honolulu Symphony as a soloist for Grieg’s “Peer Gynt”, Mendohlson’s “Mid Summer Nights’s Dream” & Rutter’s “Mass of the Children”. She was a soloist with the Hawaii presentation of Mozart Requiem in September 2002 in commemoration of the 9/11 events. She has also sung the soprano solos for the following Requiems that were presented by Kawaiaha’o Church including: Faure, Brahms and Rutter. She was the soprano soloist for Hawaii premier of Rutter’s “Mass of the Children”. Her debut as soprano soloist with the Royal Hawaiian Band was in 2005.

Chet-Yeng Loong Ph.D
Assistant Director (Bambini & Stelline Programs)

Dr. Loong has completed all levels in Kodaly and Orff-Schulwerk and is certified in both of these methods. Before coming to the University of Hawaii, Dr. Loong taught music in the public schools of Malaysia; and at Baldwin-Wallace College, OH.

She has presented at local (Cleveland Orff-Chapter, New York City Orff-Chapter, NOCKA, Baldwin-Wallace College, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, The University of Akron), state (HAEYC, HMEA, LCCC, MMEA, OAEYC, OMEA, Peak-Arts Association, Boulder, CO, WMEA), regional (MENC, MKMEA), national (Suzuki National Conference, MENC, OAKE, AOSA), and international (ISME) conferences. Dr. Loong has also presented internationally, in a series of Early Childhood Music workshops in China (Chang Sa, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Shanghai, Suzhou, Xian and Xinjiang).

As a researcher, Dr. Loong has presented at the MENC poster session, the Early Childhood Music Conference at Michigan State University, the Desert Sky Research Symposium at Arizona State and the Symposium for Music Teacher Education, Greensboro, NC. Her research on early childhood and elementary music has been published in several leading journals (Bulletin of the International Kodaly Society, Early Childhood Connections, Early Childhood Spotlight - MENC, Kodaly Envoy, Perspectives - ECMMA, Triad and Orff Echo).

Currently, Dr. Loong serves as the Chair of the Music Education Department. She also serves on a steering committee of the Alliance for Active Music Making in General Music Teacher Education (Society for Music Teacher Education, MENC).  Dr. Loong is the Director of the Bambini Ensemble for HYOC.

Mia Porecca
Assistant Director (Angeli)

Mia Evaimalo, an alumna of HYOC, knew she was going to be a music teacher by the time she was in the 4th grade. Having attended the Kamehameha Schools since kindergarten, she grew up watching the song contest directors, and participating in Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus, Concert Glee Club, Warrior Marching Band, as well as other performing ensembles.

Upon graduation in 2001, she moved to southern California to attend Chapman University and study Music Education and Performance Conducting under Dr. William Hall. She is the Middle School Choir Director at Kamehameha Schools and directs’ the Angeli Ensemble for HYOC.

Christine Eilers
Assistant Director (Coro)

Christine Eilers has been an elementary school teacher for 25 years with a variety of private Lutheran schools. She is currently teaching at Our Redeemer Lutheran Schools. She also spent several years as the Education Coordinator and Executive Assistant at the Honolulu Symphony. She taught for many years at Our Savior Lutheran School where she also served as the school’s choir director. She has a BA in Education with a concentration in church music from Concordia University in St. Paul, MN.

Ms. Eilers is organist at Christ Lutheran Church in Mililani, and a member of the Honolulu Symphony Chorus and the Hawaii Opera Theatre Chorus. Chris also serves as President for the American Choral Directors Association: Hawaii Chapter. She is the Director of the Coro Ensemble and has been with HYOC since the summer of 2000.

Aaron Sala
Assistant Director (Cantilena)

Coming Soon!!!

Lauren Williams
Hula Instructor
Choreographer
Assistant Director (Gioventu)

Lauren is an alumna of HYOC where she began as a member of the 1st Angeli ensemble. After her graduation from Punahou school in 2001, she studied at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA (Aunty Nola’s alma mater).

Lauren graduated in the Spring of 2006 with her bachelors in Hawaiian Studies from the University of Hawaii Manoa. She is currently employed at Sacred Hearts teaching Hawaiian Studies, Choir and Hula.

Lauren has danced hula under kumu hula Leimomi I Maldonado, of Ka Hale I O Kahala, for the past 18 years and now teaches keiki hula classes at their studio in Kahala.

A Kumu Hula since the summer of 2009, she has just started her own Hula Halau “Halau Na Pua Hala Kunou I ke Kai“.

Chad Williams
Assistant Director (Ragazzi)

Chad Williams, an HYOC alumni, is currently the middle school choir and drama teacher at Saint Louis School. He recently finished a second bachelor's in vocal performance from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Currently working on a master's in vocal performance, he also holds a BA in Developmental psychology from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Chad is often seen onstage and touring with the Hawaii Opera Theatre as a member of the Mae Z. Orvis Opera studio.

When not immerssed in all things musical he is often found wearing a number of different hats from youth leader with the First Presbyterian Church Middle School group, leading worship on inter-island mission trips, to spending time with his new wife and son from Canada. Chad is thrilled to be able to continue working with HYOC and especially focusing on the Ragazzi ensemble. "This is a unique opportunity to inspire Hawaii's young men to find their voice and be proud of a long heritage of song". 2011-2012 marks Chad's third year with the organization.

Rucci Aamodt
Accompanist
Keyboard & Theory Instructor
Festivals Coordinator

Rucci Aamodt began piano studies at the age of 5. She performed with the Honolulu Symphony as a Youth Talent Pool Competition winner and was also a winner in the Morning Music Club Competition. Rucci earned both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. She was head of the Music program at Maui Community College, choral director for the Maui Chapter of the Hawaiian Civic Club Association, and lecturer at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Currently, Rucci serves on the music faculty at Kap'iolani Community College.

Phil Hidalgo
DOE project coordinator
Accompanist

Phil Hidalgo has been accompanist for HYOC since 1992 and as of 2003 has added on the jobs of Project/Festival Coordinator and Bookkeeper. Phil also plays piano for a number of public and private school choirs, soloists, and musical theatre productions.

Phil recently appeared as Musical Director for the Manoa Valley Theater's production of "Musical of Musicals: The Musical" & "Urinetown." His on-stage credentials include performing with Hawaii Opera Theatre’s Chorus since 1992 and singing with Kawaiolaonapukanileo, a Hawaiian a cappella ensemble under the direction of Nola A. Nahulu. Phil is the sole proprietor of PMH Studio which along with music does t-shirt graphics.

Nicole Sakata
Administrative Assistant
DOE & Theory Instructor

Nicole is an alumnus of HYOC. She is a 1996 graduate of the UH Laboratory School. She completed her BA in Music Theory from Brandeis University in 2000. She has been working with HYOC as a theory instructor since 2006. She is a member of the Hawaii Opera Theater Chorus and sings with the Hawaiian a Capella ensemble Kawaiolaonapukanileo.

Erik Haines
Vocal Coach

Erik Haines holds a Master of Music Degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and has taught there as well as at Chaminade University, Windward Community College, and Punahou Music School. He has been a National Association of Teachers of Singing State Governor, a board member of the Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education and is currently president of the Waikele Elementary PTSO. He is the Director of Education for Hawaii Opera Theatre.

Erik has been performing with Hawaii Opera Theatre since his debut as in the 1986 production of The Tales of Hoffmann. He has been heard in the operas Carmen, Un Ballo in Maschera, Roméo et Juliette, Turandot, La Bohème, Samson et Dalila, Faust, The Merry Widow, The Bartered Bride, and others. Erik is often heard as a soloist around the state and continues to perform as a soloist with a variety of organizations.

Rebecca Ramos
Intern

Rebecca Ramos graduated from Radford High school in 2003. Singing in choirs since the sixth grade, Rebecca joined HYOC her freshman year of high school. As a member of the Gioventu and Na Leo ensembles, she interned with the Pacific Rim Childrens Choral Festival in its first three years. Rebecca is now attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa in pursuit of a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Vocal Music. Along with her regular classes, she has been actively participating in the University Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Aunty Nola’s Hawaiian Chorus. Expanding her performance horizons, she recently joined the HOT Chorus and plans to continue the stage expanse by auditioning for local community theater as well.

Through interning with HYOC Rebecca hopes to gain more experience in all aspects of choral organization. She looks forward to opportunities to conduct and gain the other experiences she will need as a future music educator.

Jace Saplan
Intern

Micah
Intern