Henry Akina

In 1996 Henry Akina became the first Hawaiian-born General and Artistic Director of Hawaii Opera Theatre. Prior to that he was the principal Stage Director and manager of the Berlin Chamber Opera, a company he founded in Berlin in 1981. He has directed opera for companies in Germany, Hungary, France, China, Thailand, the continental U and Canada. At HOT, he has staged the Hawaii premieres of Macbeth, Elektra, Tristan and Isolde, Don Carlo, Madama Butterfly Turandot and La bohème. Other projects have included Don Carlos for Hong Kong Opera, La bohème for Vancouver and Rigoletto for New Orleans.