MEET THE COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE
Dr. Michael-Thomas Foumai is the Director of Artistic Engagement and the Susan Kosasa Composer in Residence for the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra (HSO). The New York Times has described his music as "vibrant and cinematic," while the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has characterized it as "full of color, drama, and emotion." Dr. Foumai's comprehensive symphonic catalog spans from commercial arrangements to original compositions, with a particular focus on Hawai'i's cultural heritage.
Dr. Foumai's orchestral works have been performed by conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Lidiya Yankovskaya with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lina Gonzalez-Granados with the National Symphony Orchestra, Sarah Hicks with the Seattle Symphony, Edwin Outwater with the San Francisco Symphony, and George Manahan with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. He has also collaborated with Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as Dane Lam, Mei-Ann Chen, JoAnn Falletta, Hans Graf, Earl Lee, Rei Hotoda, Anthony Parnther, Andrew Grams, and Scott Yoo at the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra.
Beyond his compositional work, Dr. Foumai hosts the HSO’s Masterworks Concert Conversations and oversees HSO’s education and community initiatives, including designing the series "Beyond the Music." He is the HSO principal arranger and has created arrangements for guest artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Taimane, Jake Shimabukuro, Raiatea Helm, Amy Hānaialiʻi, and Robert Cazimero. His accolades include a Fromm Foundation Grant from Harvard University, the Music Teachers National Association Distinguished Composer of the Year Award, the Jacob Druckman Prize from the Aspen Music Festival, and three BMI composer awards.
In 2019, Dr. Foumai was selected for the 17th class of the Pacific Century Fellows, a group of 35 distinguished young leaders representing Hawaiʻi's diverse backgrounds. He currently serves as a faculty member at the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu and holds degrees in music composition, including a Bachelor of Music from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and both a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan.
