Musician pleads for return of stolen violin
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer
It's a sad story, even without the violin music.
Photo courtesy of Iolani Yamashiro
Iolani Yamashiro, Honolulu Symphony violinist and music teacher at The Kamehameha Schools, lost a big piece of herself when someone broke into a colleague's car and stole her 170-year-old violin.
Iolani Yamashiro was photographed in 1997 with the Olry violin that was stolen last weekend from a colleague's car.
She and her assistant, fellow violin teacher Ben Hoke, are so desperate to get it back they will forget about prosecuting for the weekend break-in.
"No questions asked," Yamashiro said. "Did I mention that?"
Both were kicking themselves yesterday over the loss; Hoke because he had stowed the violin in his locked, alarm-wired Acura Integra at 9 p.m. Friday; Yamashiro because she'd never had the instrument appraised or insured. Her educated guess at its worth: about $20,000.
Yamashiro, who has accepted a transfer to teach string instruments at the school's Maui campus, flew Friday night to Maui for concerts and carried a viola with her. She left the violin with Hoke to bring as carry-on luggage when he joined her the next morning.
Instead, Hoke found his car, parked in the ungated garage of his Salt Lake condo, had been jimmied and the violin, an 1832 model by the French manufacturer Olry, was gone. Everyone's fear: The thief, seeing the nylon carrying case, figured it was an 'ukulele and may have dumped the violin, not knowing its value or how to unload it.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime-Stoppers, 955-8300.
Yamashiro vows not to press charges. "Bless them, just give me my violin back," she said, "and I'm a happy person."
