Saturday: Classical goes cosmic at Kaua‘i Concert Association’s 50th anniversary show

A galactic god of war, heralded by a relentless blast of strings, will descend upon the Garden Isle Saturday night as the first of seven heavenly bodies to appear during the Kaua‘i Concert Association’s 50th Anniversary Concert.

For decades, the Kaua‘i Concert Association has provided its home island with live performances by world-class musicians and entertainers, in addition to educational programming at local schools.

Saturday’s celebratory concert – a special arrangement of English composer Gustav Holst’s early 20th century classic, the seven-movement suite “The Planets” – will go intergalactic with classical music that collides with the cosmic.

“I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate a 50th anniversary: It starts with Mars, the bringer of war, followed by Venus, the bringer of peace,” said the association’s director and pianist Monica Chung. “I thought to myself how relevant these themes unfortunately still are for us today, no matter where you live in this world …

“No matter what your background is, or where you come from, or what you believe in, we can all understand this. The piece is so powerful and so moving, but also a celebration,” Chung continued. “It moves you through all the pathways of life, everything from Saturn, the bringer of old age, to Jupiter, the bringer of jollity. It just has everything.”

Chung selected a special arrangement of “The Planets” to be played by a 20-piece orchestra, featuring musicians from Kaua‘i, the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra on O‘ahu and the U.S. mainland.

New York City-based conductor Tito Muñoz will lead the performance at the 550-seat Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center in Puhi.

Holst was primarily inspired by astrology, not astronomy, according to Muñoz. That’s why Earth is not included among the suite’s seven movements dedicated to the planets Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. (Humanity had yet to discover Pluto when “The Planets” was composed.)

“He was very fascinated by it … Each distinct planet is really a god and a symbol of astrology,” Muñoz said. “He tries to capture the essence of what that means to him.”

Mars is undeniably militaristic, evocative of war on a massive scale. It’s no wonder one of acclaimed film composer John Williams’ most recognizable works, “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader’s “The Imperial March,” sounds very similar.

Other movements, like “Venus, the Bringer of Peace,” also evoke the vastnesses of outer space, but with mystic, dreamy sounds.

“When we look up at the stars … I think the piece itself brings us to that same place of wanting to understand the things that we don’t understand,” Muñoz said. “There are all these really incredible sounds that Holst is able to utilize to create those feelings, and that’s part of the reason why I think a lot of people gravitate towards it and really like it.”

Some fans of “The Planets” include rock bands Black Sabbath, King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Powell. Holst’s astrological music has also been featured in episodes of “BoJack Horseman,” “The Simpsons” and “Bluey.”

The Kaua‘i Concert Association’s programming has varied from five to as many as 12 shows per year. All of its visiting performers are asked to provide educational services at senior centers and at local public, private and charter schools.

Many schools on Kauaʻi have limited or no official music curriculum, according to Jason Blake, a board member of the Kauaʻi Concert Association.

“A couple years ago, I went with one of the quartets and you had middle schoolers who’d never even seen a cello,” said Blake. “It’s a chance for us to go into the schools and have the kids see levels of world-class talent and also be exposed to things they normally wouldn’t be exposed to.”

In the past, the association has provided island students with a total of $25,000 in scholarships for piano, violin, trumpet, saxophone, voice and dance. It also has used grant funding to bus hundreds of school children to live performances at the Kaua‘i Community College Performing Arts Center. Tickets for students under 18 are still offered at a discounted price.

The Kaua‘i Concert Association’s current schedule is its most ambitious in decades, according to Blake. The association that was once limited to classical music has expanded over the years to feature blues artists, dance groups, drag shows and more. Upcoming events include a centennial performance of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” in October; bestselling humorist David Sedaris is set to appear in February.

Tickets for Saturday’s 50th Anniversary Concert remain available online and at the door. For more event and ticketing information, visit kauai-concert.org.

The Kaua‘i Concert Association also posts event information on Facebook and Instagram.