Meet The Staff

Nola Nahulu

Artistic Director

Director for Gioventu Musicale & Ho'okahi Ensembles

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. She has been associated with the Unitarian Church, Bishop Memorial Church, Moloka'i Children's Chorus and Kamehameha Alumni Glee Club. Besides HYOC, she also directs the Kawaiaha’o Church Choir, Hawai'i Opera Theatre Chorus, and the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club. She is the founder and director of Kawaiolaonapukanileo (an ensemble dedicated to the preservation of hawaiian choral music).

Her teaching endeavors have included: Our Redeemer Lutheran School, the
Kamehameha Schools, the University Laboratory School, and lecturer at UH Manoa Music Department. In honor of her many contributions, Nola received the YWCA Leadership Award in 2010, she was featured on the PBS “Long Story Short” program in 2011, she was named a Honpa Hongwanji Living Treasure in 2013, and she was awarded a Ho`okele Award by the Hawaii Community Foundation for excellence in nonprofit leadership in 2014. In 2017 she received the Joe McAlister award from the Honolulu Chorale and in 2018 she was honored by the Windward Choral Society the John McCreary Aloha ke Akua award. In 2020 she was given the Kalani Ali`i Award by the Aha Hipu`u (Association of Hawaiian Benevolent Societies) for her contributions to Hawaiian Culture. She and her sister own Bete Inc., a designer Hawaiian apparel company.

Wendy Chang

Associate Artistic Director and Principal Accompanist

Wendy 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, where she also serves as the Associate Artistic Director. She has been a lecturer at the University of Hawai'i Manoa Music Department, and teaches piano privately. Ms. Chang has completed Level III certification in the Kodaly Method, and levels I and II of Orff Schulwerk.

She retired in 2025 from teaching at Maryknoll Grade School after 19 years as the music and choir teacher.

Malia Ka'ai-Barrett

General Manager

Malia Katrina Kana'auao Ka'ai is a native of Lahaina, Maui. A graduate of the Kamehameha Schools, she has her B.A. in History and Minor in Music from Whitworth College. She also holds a M.A. in Pacifc Island Studies from UH-Manoa.

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 Theatre, Kawaiolaonapukanileo and Kawaiaha'o Church. 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.

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She has been a member of Hawaii Opera Theatre's chorus since 1993 and the Young Artist Mae z. Orvis Opera Studio since 1998. Her solo debut with the Hawaii Opera Theatre was as the 2nd handmaiden in the 1999 production of "Electra." Since then she has appeared with HOT as the Mother in "Madama Butterfy," Olga in "The Merrie Widow," 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 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."

Nicole Sakata Hayasaka

Bambini Director

EMK Outreach Program Coordinator & Instructor

Aunty Nicole is a graduate of Brandeis University with a degree in Music Theory and has completed Kodaly Ievel I training. She is a part of HYOC's E Mele Kakou Outreach program. Nicole has sung all her life; calling HYOC home first as a singer, then as part of the administrative staff, and now as a member of the artistic staff.

Nicole Huffman

Stelline Director

Nicole Huffman is enjoying her third season with HYOC, and works with Stelline. She graduated this last spring from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with her Post Baccalaureate in Music Education, and is currently the music teacher at Nanaikapono Elementary school.

Amanda Lippert

Coro Director

Amanda Lippert making her debut with HYOC this year. She is the K-1 music teacher at Punahou School and also directs Children's Choirs for 2nd-5th grade children through the Punahou Music School. She is a past-president of the Hawaii Music Educators Association, and has Kodaly II and Orff II certifications. She earned a BM and MM from Ithaca College, and an Ed.D. from UH-Mānoa. She loves helping children see how music relates to their lives. Amanda is also passionate about building relationships with and supporting music educators.

Joanna Takagi Habermann

Cantilena Director

Auntie Joanna began singing in HYOC (then HCOC) under Auntie Nola’s direction in 1989 and has been involved in choral music ever since. An ‘Iolani School graduate, she holds a BA in Music from Pomona College, an MM in Choral Conducting from Butler University, and a Kodály Certificate from Texas State University. Joanna teaches middle school general music and choir at Punahou School and has taught music in private schools in Hawaii, California, Florida, Texas and Indiana. Locally, she has served as assistant director with the Hawaii Opera Theatre chorus, led the choral program at Sacred Hearts Academy, and formerly directed HYOC’s Bambini Ensemble before returning to HYOC in 2021 to direct the Cantilena ensemble. Joanna has a passion for community children’s choirs and has worked with such nationally recognized groups as the San Francisco Girls Chorus, Indianapolis Children’s Choir and Miami Children’s Chorus. Joanna lives in Manoa with her husband Josh and children; Kira & Kai.

Lauren Kanoelani Chang Williams

Hula Instructor

Kumu Lauren Kanoelani Chang Williams studied with her first Kumu Hula, Leimomi I Maldonado, of Ka Hale I o Kāhala for over 20 years before completing an ʻūniki (graduation requirements) and opening her own studio, Hālau Nā Pua Hala Kūnou I ke Kai, in 2010. She currently teaches hula out of her family home in Nuʻuanu and also shares her love of Hula and Hawaiian music at Punahou School in Mānoa. Kumu Kanoe is also an alumna of HYOC a returning staff member, and former member of the Hawai'i Opera Theatre Chorus.

Phil Hidalgo

EMK Outreach Program Instructor

Accompanist

Phil Hidalgo has been accompanist for HYOC since 1992 and as of 2003 has become the E Mele Kakou Outreach Program Instructor. Phil also plays piano for a number of public and private school choirs, soloists, and musical theatre productions. He is Level I Kodaly certifed. Phil has been an award-winning Musical Director for productions at both Manoa Valley Theatre, Kennedy Theatre, and Diamond Head Theater. His on-stage credentials include performing with Hawaii Opera Theatre's Chorus since 1992 and singing with Kawaiolaonapukanileo, a Hawaiian a cappella ensemble. Phil is the sole proprietor of PMH Studio which along with music designs t-shirt graphics.

Linda Asahina

Cantilena Accompanist

Linda has enjoyed accompanying various choral organizations in the islands, including Punahou Junior School choirs, Chaminade University Community Chorus, Honolulu Boy Choir, Hang Sheng Chorus, and most recently, the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus.

Linda has also played in the pit for many musical theatre productions at such venues as the Hawaii Theatre, Paliku Theatre, Mamiya Theatre, Diamond Head Theatre and Manoa Valley Theatre.

Leslie Goldman

Voice Coach

Leslie Goldman is a proud Kama'aina! Before returning home to join HOT's Orvis studio, she enjoyed performing in companies on the mainland and in Europe where she hit the stage as Musetta from Puccini's La Boheme, Susanna from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and Adina from Donizetti's L'elisir D'amore to name a few. She made her Hawaii Opera Theater main stage debut as Frasquita in the 2017 season's kick off opera ,Carmen, by Bizet. In 2019 she performed the role of Annina with HOT in Verdi’s la Traviata. For the 2020 digital season of Hawaii Opera Theatre, performed The Witch for the debut perform of “Chicken Skin”, she also performed the title role of The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors by Menotti. Last Season for HOT, she was thrilled to be performing the role of Susan Sowerby in Nolan Glassers new production of A secret Garden and the role of Nella in Puccini’s beautiful opera “Gianni Schicchi”. Leslie is one of the head teaching artists for the Hawai’i Opera Theater as well, and has been a principle singer for the outreach program which brings music to over 85 school across the islands. Leslie has a passion for life and it comes through in her artistry

Erik Haines

Voice Coach

Erik Haines is the Director of Education for Hawaii Opera Theatre where he has worked since 1992. He has appeared in more than 28 productions with HOT, most recently as the Duke in Romeo et Juliette. Erik and HOT's education team keep busy creating and implementing opera-related programs for Hawaii's youth, providing lectures and demonstrations in the community, and promoting opera in general, including the company's award winning HOT Residency program. He performs frequently in the

community, often representing the company through its state-wide outreach programs. In addition to his work for the opera he is the voice coach for the Hawai'i Youth Opera Chorus, an instructor at the University of Hawai'i West O'ahu, teaches voice to singers in the community, and is vice-president of the Mililani Aikido Club. In his spare time he enjoys leatherwork, fusing metal, electronics and technology, most things science, and hanging out with Auntie Debbie.