After countless hours of practice, the Concerto Soloists at the Winter Concert presented a long musical piece in accompaniment with the ‘Iolani Symphonic Orchestra. The three soloists performed at the Moanalua Performing Arts Center on February 1, 2026.  Their performance showed sincere dedication to their instrument and a tightly-knit community nurtured through hard work over their years at ‘Iolani.

Before taking the stage, the soloists tried to focus on the performance mentally and physically. Each soloist performed a concerto, a musical piece composed for the orchestra and accompanied by a solo musician. Ella C. ’26, a violin soloist at the Winter Concert who has been with ‘Iolani’s Performing Arts since fourth grade, said, “I tried to imagine the audience before I went on… and reassured myself that everyone there were people who came to support [me].” Ashlyn I. ’26, a cello soloist at the Winter Concert,  who has been with ‘Iolani Performing Arts since seventh grade, said, “Not as many people do, that was really helpful to me, was listening to the song over and over, listening to all different types of recordings to see what kind of musical interpretations that different artists have, and then also just visualizing myself on the stage, or what I would like.”

Prepping for the solo took almost a whole year, with the soloists only able to accomplish this because of the community of teachers, classmates, and friends that helped them through obstacles and that taught them the techniques for their specific instrument. The soloists also showed a lot of appreciation for the different people in their community. Ashlyn said, “My two private teachers, they’ve helped me a lot in developing my confidence as a player. Technique and learning how to work and bring out certain emotions. My conductors, they’ve helped me play in the orchestra, an ensemble, which is different from playing as a soloist.

The soloists shared thoughts about their final performances and the legacy they hope to leave behind. Ashlyn said, “One of my last performances is coming up. I want them [the senior members of the orchestra] to look back and be proud of what they accomplished.”

They offered a piece of advice for new and aspiring musicians who hope to be soloists one day. Ella said, “The key to wanting to continue … is having fun doing it.” Ashlyn said, “Really enjoy the performance for what it is.” Their performance reflected years of dedication to their craft and support from their teachers. It was a reminder to continue to find joy in the music.