Flute & Piano
Join Tom Geballe and Bob Grove for a romantic evening of flute masterworks. Embrace lush melodies from the world’s greatest composers, ranging from Vivaldi and Bach, to Brahms and Debussy, to Gershwin and Morricone. A sumptuous evening of musical bliss for music lovers of all ages.
Tom Geballe
At age 10 and by the decision of his parents, Tom Geballe began playing on a wooden flute of unknown origin that was languishing in the attic of the family home in Seattle. He played in middle school bands and wind ensembles, and then in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra from age 14 to 19 and the University of Washington Orchestra from age 17 to 19, while taking lessons from the principal flutist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Zeitlin. It was in the Youth Symphony Orchestra at age 17 that he met Carole (age 14) who shared the principal flute responsibilitiy with him for two years (in particular when he was playing piccolo). At age 19, Tom’s family spent a year in Amsterdam, where Tom took lessons from the principal flutist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Hubert Barwahser, played in both the Amsterdam University Orchestra and the Amsterdam Youth Orchestra, and corresponded with Carole. They married in 1967.
Tom completed his PhD in (astro)physics at U.C. Berkeley in 1974 and subsequently spent two postdoctoral years at Leiden University, during which he was first chair flute in an orchestra in The Hague made up almost entirely of diplomats. Starting in 1977 he was a Carnegie Fellow in Pasadena at the Carnegie Observatories for four years, during which time their children, Anneke and Matthew, were born. In 1981 the family moved to Hilo, where Tom was a staff astronomer first at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and then at the Gemini North Telescope. He retired in 2018 but continues doing research as an Emeritus Astronomer at Gemini.
Since arriving in Hilo, Tom and Carole have played at celebrations, memorials, church services, informal musical gatherings, and (Tom) even in a family rock&roll band at two family weddings.
Bob Grove
Bob Grove is a graduate of the University of Missouri Conservatory of Music. There, he studied with John McIntyre to become a concert pianist, before pursuing Masters work in Music Composition with Dr Gerald Kemner and Choral Conducting with Dr Eph Ehly. Bob has performed with a wide range of operatic, symphonic and choral groups, both as a pianist and a vocalist, and served as Artistic Director of the Kansas City Singers before moving to Hawaii to become the Music Director at Holy Cross.
Bob is excited to be part of Hawaii’s rich musical community and to help bring our fine kamaʻāina musicians to the stage.
- Seating: General Admission. Doors open at 6:30 pm
- Cost: A suggested donation of $20 per person is welcome
