Honolulu symphony can't pay musicians

[Rootz]

With all of the pressing social problems that Hawaii faces, it is clearly a brilliant idea to send tax money to musicians playing the music of dead white Europeans for an increasingly shrinking audience. If you send money to the Symphony, then every single hula halau in the state should get the same amount of money.

[Marsha]

It is shameful that the beauty such musicians bring to our world is so undervalued. How noble of the musicians, however, to persevere. If our society is to improve, it is important that we support its positive elements.

[Cat Manapua]

Paper today said they solved their money problems through private donations. Good for them. That's the way to do it. You like the symphony - pay for the symphony. But don't give away public money to what is, in effect, a narrow special interest of a generally well to do demographic.

[Inconvenient Truth]

I heard wrote:

that the governor was hesitant to release that $4 million in funds because she didn't want it to go to a hack like Ken Friedenberg. Someone should probably let her know that he was "relieved" of his duties a while ago.

If he's a hack what does that say of the other musician's in the orchestra given the following reviews below? This type of comment is reminiscent of Symphony spokesman & Principal bassoonist, Paul Barret's son's threats and complaints made against former Symphony board member and Bank of Hawaii president Mike O'Neil.
Media Reviews of Ken Friedenberg:
Mozart Horn Concerto #4 / May 15, 2000
“.. a very sweet, warm tone like melted chocolate flowing smoothly from his horn.”
“Friedenberg shone as brightly in lyrical passages as in technical displays, leaping between octaves and running through arpeggios.”
“His playing which suited Mozart beautifully, remained well within traditional “Classical restraint” bounds, only hinting tantalizingly at more strident tones in his arsenal.”
Ruth O. Bingham, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
“To Honolulu Symphony principal hornist Ken Friedenberg, the instrument sounds as deceptively easy to play as the music of Mozart that was featured on Sunday’s program.”
“The cool elegance of the work was matched by Friedenberg’s burnished tone, and his almost yogic breath control in the long passages of each of the three movements was impressive. Without so much as one cracked note, a rarity with this infernal instrument, Friedenberg tapped into the playful aspect of Mozart’s music while maintaining a certain low-key reserve that seems quite appropriate to the horn’s timbre.”
“Friedenberg”s sterling performance…”
Gregory Shepherd, The Honolulu Advertiser
Sunday In The Park with George / Stephen Sondheim
“…there’s a horn player named Ken Friedenberg who laces the music with the power the same way the best cognac beefs up champagne.”
Harry Weber, The Riverfront Times, St Louis, MO
Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream / April 6, 2003
“ Ken Friedenberg, on the French Horn, gave a stunning performance, beginning with his long held accompaniment notes in the overture and culminating in extensive solos in numbers VII and VIII.”
Ruth O. Bingham, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Mahler Sym.#5 / Oct. 27, 2002
“Friday night yielded numerous gorgeous passages, especially by…Ken Friedenberg on French horn…”
Ruth O. Bingham, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Brahms Sym.#1 / Sept. 15, 2002
“Of particular note Friday night were solos by…French horn principal Ken Friedenberg…”
Ruth O. Bingham, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Brahms' Fourth Symphony / September 13, 1999
“One pleasant surprise was the French horn section's stronger presence, possibly thanks to the new principal Ken Friedenberg.” By Ruth O. Bingham /Special to the Star-Bulletin
Ruth O. Bingham has a Ph.D. in musicology from Cornell University and is an instructor at the University of Hawaii.
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony #2 / May 29, 2001
“Tchaikovsky had a love affair with French horns: Principal Ken Friedenberg shone throughout the concert, but particularly in this work, with its dark Russian melodies.”
Ruth O. Bingham, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
“Ken Friedenberg and …(horn and bassoon, respectively) gave shape and focus to the first movement with their solos. By Gregory Shepherd / The Honolulu Advertiser
Hindemith’s “Mathis der Mahler” Sym./ Jan. 8, 2002
“…Ken Friedenberg on French horn was marvelous throughout, even on all those whole notes…”
Ruth O. Bingham, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Bach B-Minor Mass / May 2, 2000
“…with excellent horn accompaniment by Ken Friedenberg.”
Gregory Shepherd, The Honolulu Advertiser
Rachmaninoff Sym.#3 / April 18, 2000
“Ken Friedenberg’s horn work throughout the symphony earned him a special ovation at the works conclusion.”

[Inconvenient Truth]

Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai,
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai,
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai,
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai,
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai,
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Michiko Singh, Wade Butin, Wayne Yoshigai

[Inconvenient Truth]

Wayne Yoshigai, Was seen with an older and younger man in Narita Airport Star Alliance VIP lounge on Sunday, 29-January-2006 wearing a black shirt and black sweater. The younger man may have been
John P. Schamber
Realtor®, CRS, GRI

John works as a team with his mom, Sharon Schamber, R CRS. Together they are your "2-for-1" team of Certified Residential Specialists.

[Inconvenient Truth]

Dear Mr. James Dooley /“Investigative” reporter Honolulu Advertiser,

You are a witness to the testimony of one Jason Pell, violinist with the Honolulu Symphony who committed suicide on the 1st of September at 7:29 p.m.. After experiencing retaliatory forms of workplace mobbing for contacting media people like yourself and speaking out against the alleged sexual harassment by conductor Samuel Wong against his own girlfriend Sue McGinn and others, Pell was subjected to a very hostile workplace environment. Mr. Pell spoke to you on or about December 22 of 2003. As an investigative reporter for the Honolulu Advertiser you have an obligation to report difficult issues that may seem politically unpopular.

We understand that you know many of the people involved (i.e. union attorney Alan Hoe who refused to meet with Wong’s attorney Wayne Yoshigai at the union building when his job was being threatened and Symphony Board member and President of the advertiser Michael Fisch, your boss) in the cover up efforts of the Honolulu Symphony. Copies of this letter and other evidence will be sent to the appropriate parties including the Pell family members who are devastated. If you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem. The symphony management will blame his suicide on a substance problem but it was obvious this was only a form of retaliation for his coming forward to complain about sexual harassment by boss and conductor Samuel Wong and friends and family members know that he was clean and had completely turned his life around months prior to his suicide of September 1st, 2004, 7:29 p.m.. Any 1st year investigative reporter knows that no one cleans up their life only to take it away unless they are being pressured and threatened in other ways. In fact his willingness to come to reporters like you in the media and report sexual harassment by conductor Samuel Wong against then girlfriend Sue McGinn and others, unbeknownst to him, was the real cause of his demise.

If you have difficulty remembering your conversation with Jason Pell rest assured that a proper transcript / tape does exist.

Regards

[Inconvenient Truth]

Attorney Wagne Yoshigai’s documented protocol for damage control at any and all expense to employees and client’s financial resources, turning the tables on complainers. Using opportunities to create more dysfunction in order to over-bill clients for Torkildson, Katz, Fonseca Moore & Hetherington

 Michiko Singh’s HCRC Complaint against the Honolulu Symphony
 Stephen Bloom’s letter to Ken and Singh clearing Ken of any wrongdoing
 Landlord (witness Bernard Asato) general letter, evidence that Michiko Singh lied
 Sam Wong’s “She’s trouble” email
 Sam Wong’s “It was a simple kiss on the cheek email”
 Simmons cease and desist letter to Michiko Singh
 NLRB letter to Symphony about possible violations to Ken
 Ken’s letter to Wayne Yoshigai after 1st union seminar quoting “ we don’t believe you did anything wrong” and no thank you to their joint defense agreement
 Tape of Wayne Yoshigai in his office saying” we don’t have any intention to fire ken”
 Wayne Yoshigai’s settlement offer to Michiko Singh after the mediation with Louise Ing and Singh
 Wayne Yoshigai’s taped statements to arbitrator Ted Tsukyama during Ken’s arbitration saying “he sexually harassed Ms Singh” despite evidence by independent witnesses and Carla Nishimoto that he did not and that Ms Singh lied in order to get a job in a US Symphony.
 Ken’s symphony reviews from the news papers.
 Internet published article summarizing pay cuts derivations
 Jason Pell / symphony violinist (boyfriend of principal flute Susan McGinn who filed sexual harassment complaints against conductor Sam Wong) document given to Wayne Yoshigai, regards Symphony behavior, Sam Wong;’s behavior, etc.
 Jason Pell’s taped conversations with James Dooley, investigative reporter and whose boss Michael Fisch was on the Symphony board.

[anon]

Ken is crazy and needs help. He can't get over being fired from the symphony, and in order to make himself feel better about it, he spends all his time, day after day, year after year, trying to destroy it. Ken makes everyone embarassed that he was ever given a job in the first place. With the way he's behaving, he will probably never be employed by anyone again. The things he writes are lies. He uses his old friends as his cast of characters in his imaginary world. It makes people sorry they were ever kind to him. Maybe because of his behavior, Ken will never have friends again either. Keep going Ken, your hole is getting deeper every day.

Jasons Travel companion wrote:

<quoted text>
It is doubtful that you were a good friend of his otherwise you would have known that the same lawyer who was defending Samuel Wong against several sexual harassment complaints, Wayne Yoshigai, was also trying to have Jason fired for threatening to come forward about his then girlfriend Sue's complaints, witnessing S. Wong with another woman in Waikiki and how uinfairly he was being treated and shuned by his fellow musicians for speaking to the media and writing an expose about all of the inappropriate behavoir by Symphony men and otherwise. An effort to defend his life and livelihood. Ups & Downs?? Are you kidding? The Union would not even step up to defend him, claiming instead that they were "too busy"! I had to show up with Jason as a witness during his meeting to terminate him at the Union with Jennifer Lovejoy and Attorney Wayne Yoshigai! All I do i write contracts, I'm not an attorney or Union rep!I'll never forget the smug, insincere smile on Yoshigai's face when, after he read Jason's testimony ended the meeting. It was obvious then that they were going to find a way to pressure and or fire him aftrer he "spilled the beans". They got off easy when he killed himself instead! You ought to be ashamed! How can you live with yourself and call yourself a friend. Actually only about people showed up for the Symphony's so called grievance meeting for Jason, during the season!

[Inconvenient Truth]

anon wrote:

Ken is crazy and needs help. He can't get over being fired from the symphony, and in order to make himself feel better about it, he spends all his time, day after day, year after year, trying to destroy it. Ken makes everyone embarassed that he was ever given a job in the first place. With the way he's behaving, he will probably never be employed by anyone again. The things he writes are lies. He uses his old friends as his cast of characters in his imaginary world. It makes people sorry they were ever kind to him. Maybe because of his behavior, Ken will never have friends again either. Keep going Ken, your hole is getting deeper every day.<quoted text>

Best Guess is that you either ignore facts, can't see the forest for the trees, will critisize anyone to get ytax payers money or you simply can't read the newspapers. Are you sure that it is not your own hole you are criticizing from?
"Sour notes roar from
Honolulu Symphony
Cayetano has kept quiet about her resignation but said she decided that "the community deserves an answer."
Cayetano, a successful businesswoman, had plans for changes that included "bringing transparency, more accountability and inclusiveness" to the organization.
"I resigned when it became apparent I wasn't going to get the support needed to do the job," she said. "It's sad because the musicians and community deserve more.""