Randy Wong
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Randy Wong | |
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| Born | Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, United States |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Arts administrator, musician |
| Employer | Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony |
| Known for | Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony leadership; co-founder of WAITIKI 7 |
| Title | President and Chief Executive Officer |
Randy Wong is an American arts administrator and double bassist based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. He is president and chief executive officer of the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony and performs as a bassist with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra.[1][2] He is also known as a co-founder of the exotica- and jazz-oriented ensemble the WAITIKI 7.[3]
Career
Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony
Wong became executive director of the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony in 2012, and was later promoted to president.[4] A 2014 feature in MidWeek described him as the youngest executive director in the organization’s history and profiled his background as a former Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony student musician and educator.[5]
In 2020, Hawaii Business Magazine interviewed Wong about the organization’s operations and programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] In 2025, Hawaiʻi Public Radio interviewed him about the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony’s 60th anniversary programming and community activities.[1]
Wong has also written in an industry context as president of the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony for the League of American Orchestras’ Symphony website.[7]
Performer
Wong is listed as a bassist with the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra on the orchestra’s roster of musicians.[2]
WAITIKI 7
Wong co-founded the WAITIKI 7, an ensemble associated with contemporary interpretations of mid-20th-century exotica and jazz.[3] A 2023 Hawaiʻi Public Radio interview described him as a co-founder of the group and discussed the resurgence of exotica as well as WAITIKI 7 performances in Honolulu.[8]
A 2025 JazzTimes profile identified Wong as the leader of the WAITIKI 7 and discussed the album Exotica Reborn: In Studio and Live at House Without a Key.[9]
Education
A 2014 MidWeek feature reported that Wong earned a bachelor’s degree in classical music performance from the New England Conservatory and a master’s degree in arts in education from Harvard, and noted further graduate study at Carnegie Mellon University.[5]
Selected discography
- With WAITIKI 7 — Adventures in Paradise (2009).[10]
- With WAITIKI 7 — New Sounds of Exotica (2010).[11]
- With WAITIKI 7 — Exotica Reborn: In Studio and Live at House Without a Key (2025).[9][3]
Reception
Coverage of Wong has included a feature profile in MidWeek focused on his appointment and work with the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony, and an interview in Hawaii Business Magazine focused on organizational leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6] As a bandleader and co-founder of the WAITIKI 7, Wong has been featured in a 2025 JazzTimes profile and a 2025 WBUR music round-up discussing the group’s contemporary approach to exotica and jazz.[9][3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony marks 60 years of championing music education". Hawaiʻi Public Radio. March 10, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Musicians — Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra". Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Our favorite local music from August". WBUR News. August 28, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ "MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Hawaii Youth Symphony President Randy Wong". Musicians' Association of Hawaiʻi (AFM Local 677). April 19, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Fournier, Rasa (November 18, 2014). "Symphonic Youth". MidWeek. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Petranik, Steve (May 16, 2020). "Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Hawaii Youth Symphony". Hawaii Business Magazine. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Youthful Sounds, Enduring Impact". Symphony.org. August 7, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Evening Concert explores Exotica with Randy Wong". Hawaiʻi Public Radio. November 17, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Back to the Lounge: A Space-Age Idiom Gets Refreshed for the 21st Century". JazzTimes. August 28, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ May, Chris (May 14, 2011). "The Waitiki 7: Waitiki in Hi-Fi". All About Jazz. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ↑ May, Chris (May 24, 2010). "The Waitiki 7: New Sounds Of Exotica". All About Jazz. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
External links
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