Changing the Tune
When the pandemic silenced concert halls worldwide, one young musician saw an opportunity. Christopher Yick, then barely 21, reimagined music education and gave back to his hometown by creating a tuition-free academy that bridges the gap between local keiki and top musicians.
The Hawai‘i Chamber Music Festival and its flagship Young Artist Program (YAP) are the realizations of a vision that began when Yick was just a kid himself.
A bass player, Yick graduated from ‘Iolani School in 2016 on an orchestra scholarship and understands firsthand the transformative power of philanthropic opportunities and music education.
“My family doesn’t come from the wealthiest background,” he explains. “I never understood how significant that orchestra scholarship was because it would lead to full tuition for college
and beyond. I’ve been really lucky that everywhere I’ve gone has been free, which not many people in Hawai‘i have that luxury and fortune.”
After studying at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings in Macon, Georgia, Yick continued his education at the Manhattan School of Music and San Francisco Conservatory. Along the way, he traveled the world, performed at Carnegie Hall and became a member of the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra while still in college.
In 2018, with mentorship from McDuffie himself, Yick began HCMF with small, one-off concerts whenever he was home visiting the islands. But when the pandemic hit, he took a bold leap.
“I spoke with my small but mighty board and said we should do a true festival and academy, be the first to return in-person, and do it all tuition-free,” he recalls. “Everyone thought I was crazy.”
Undeterred, Yick made his first-ever fundraising calls and raised $15,000 in just two weeks. He then created something unique — a side-by-side education model where string quartets would include three students and one professional, rather than the traditional instructor-student dynamic.
Now in its fifth year, YAP accepts students ages 12 to 18 who play violin, viola, cello or piano. The application process is refreshingly simple: no fees, and instead of requiring specific pieces, Yick and his team simply ask for “10 minutes of your best playing.” They don’t even ask which schools applicants attend, resulting in a diverse mix of students from public, private and home school backgrounds.
Beyond education, Yick has reimagined how classical music is presented in Hawai‘i. Tuxedos are replaced with aloha shirts. Concerts take place at venues like The Kāhala Hotel & Resort, transforming spaces people already know and love.
“We try to find ways to breathe new life into music and deliver it to the community in a new way — a Hawai‘i way,” says Yick.
The Hawai‘i Chamber Music Festival presents its seventh season, the Ellen Masaki Ohana Series, from June 14 to 22 at venues around O‘ahu, coinciding with YAP. This year’s “Cultural Celebrations” theme promises “non-stop music paired with non-stop aloha.”
