Live Musical Experiences for Young Audiences
At Allegro Keiki our goal is to plant musical seeds by exposing, inspiring, and building inclusive community with music as our focal point. Allegro Keiki offers live instrumental performance events designed for kids age 0-5 and their caretakers. Our events are inclusive, engaging, and developmentally informed instrumental music performances by Oahu's Kai String Quartet, a premier professional all female, all mother, string quartet. Our events cover a diverse range of musical genres from classical to nursery rhymes to Disney and beyond! Our events aren’t just kid-friendly, but truly kid-focused. We believe the joy and power of music to be a core ingredient for a happy childhood.
Meet the musicians
Kai String Quartet
Rachel Saul Schifino, violin
Anna Callner Pare, cello
Kai Quartet is the premier all-female, all-mother string quartet based on the beautiful island of Oʻahu.
With a deep-rooted connection to Hawaiʻi’s vibrant arts scene, Kai Quartet has collaborated with many of the islands’ most celebrated musicians and cultural icons including Robert Cazerimero, Paula Fuga, Makana, and Ron Artis II, to name a few. Their talent and professionalism have also led them to perform alongside global superstars, including the legendary Eminem.
Each member of the quartet brings a wealth of both performance and teaching experience...and most recently their experiences as parents.
Known for their versatility, exceptional musicianship, and ability to connect with their audiences they are as passionate about nurturing a love for music in the next generation as they are about bringing elegance and emotion to weddings, corporate events, recording sessions, and live performances.
Anna Callner Pare, cello
Rachel Saul Schifino, violin
Anna Callner Pare, cello
Cellist and founder of Allegro Keiki, Anna Callner Pare fell in love with the cello at age 10 through her public middle school’s music program in her hometown of Seattle, Washington. She went on to earn a double B.A. in Cello Performance and Russian Literature from Bard College (NY) and spent time studying in St. Petersburg, Russia, deepening her connection to both music and literature. She later earned a Master of Music in Cello Performance from Florida International University (FL), where she was a graduate assistant to the Miami String Quartet. She is also a graduate of the School for Strings Teacher Training Program in New York City, studying Suzuki cello pedagogy with Pam Davenport.
A passionate educator, Anna has taught music for more than 25 years in Miami, New York City, and Hawaiʻi, working with students at KIPP NYC College Prep, Punahou School, and Kaʻōhao Elementary School among other institutions and organizations. She also loves working one-on-one with students through her private cello studio.
Anna’s musical journey has taken her across the U.S., South America, Europe, and Asia, performing everything from classical to rock. She is an active member of the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, Early Music Hawaii, the Sovereign Strings Band, and the Kai String Quartet. One of her most cherished honors was being the first cellist to perform live at the prestigious Merrie Monarch Festival, playing for the 2016 Miss Aloha Hula competition. She’s also performed at Lantern Floating Hawaiʻi’s Memorial Day 2017, Kumu Hula Kealiʻi Reichel’s Kūkahi 2018, the 2024 Na Hoku Hano Hano Awards, and even shared the stage with rap legend Eminem. Her original solo cello compositions have been featured at Moth MainStage at Hawaiʻi Theatre and the Honolulu Museum of Art. Anna loves collaborating across genres and has created improvised music to accompany the art work of visual artists Shantell Martin and Ava Fedorov. Anna composes and records music for the Species Unite Podcast, a show dedicated to telling the stories of people working to create a kinder world for animals—a cause that’s close to her heart.
In 2015, after a decade of teaching and performing in New York City, Anna relocated to Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, where she has built a beautiful life grounded in gratitude with her husband Ravi, son Siddhartha, and daughter Swara.
Rachel Saul Schifino, violin
Rachel Saul Schifino, violin
Rachel Saul Schifino, violin
Violinist Rachel Saul Scifino fell in love with the violin at age five, after watching her older sister play at school. She had started playing piano at age three but quickly found her true passion with the violin. Known in the Allegro Keiki community as the other “Ms. Rachel” (😘), she brings infectious enthusiasm to both performing and teaching, believing deeply in music’s life-changing power.
Rachel has been a member of the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra since 2012, performing additionally with the Hawai’i Opera Theatre, Tucson Symphony, Boston Philharmonic, and more. She served as Concertmaster for Maui Chamber Orchestra, Palaver Strings, BU Chamber & Opera Orchestra, North Shore Chamber Orchestra, and Honolulu Benefit Orchestra. She holds degrees from Northwestern University and Boston University, studying under Gerardo Ribeiro and Peter Zazofsky — both students of the legendary Ivan Galamian (her “Grandfather teacher”!). She thus shares kinship with some of the world’s best violinists who also studied with Galamian at Juilliard!
She’s collaborated, performed and recorded with artists Jack Johnson, Eminem, Robert Cazimero, Kygo, Jeff Peterson, Ron Artis II, Makana, Taimane, Sean Na`auao, Mike Love, Paula Fuga and more. She was featured on the 2020 Na Hoku Hanohano “Music Video of the Year” in collaboration with Mana Maoli. In 2023, she was honored to be chosen as an 8x8 Shangri La Performing Artist, composing and recording an original solo violin work.
Over the years, she has worked with renowned String Quartets such as the Muir, Pacifica, Takács, Pro Arte, Chiara, St. Petersburg, Miami and Vermeer String Quartets. She has participated in music festivals such as the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, American Institute for Musical Studies (AIMS) Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria, National Orchestral Institute, Atlantic Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music, Rocky Ridge Music Festival, Interlochen Arts Camp, and more. Rachel made her solo debut with the Tucson Pops Orchestra in 2006, performing the Bruch Violin Concerto.
Beyond performing, Rachel is a dedicated youth educator in Hawai’i. She founded the After-School Strings Program at Mid-Pacific Institute in 2013, worked for many years with underserved youth as a Teaching Artist with Kalikolehua – El Sistema Hawai’i, with UpBeat Music & Arts and Chicago’s Music Learning Community (MLC).
She maintains an active private violin studio, teaches at Iolani School and Chamber Music at Punahou Music School. She has been a youth educator for two decades, previously training with “Strictly Strings” author James Kjelland and the Suzuki Institute of Boston.
Rachel feels immense gratitude to live and share music within her island community, embracing Aloha ʻĀina with her loving ʻohana, Jordan and Sage. Visit www.rachelsaulviolin.com to learn more!
Lauren Holt Ako, violin
Lauren Holt Ako, violin
Rachel Saul Schifino, violin
Violinist Lauren Holt Ako began her musical journey at the age of 2 when she started Suzuki violin lessons. Lauren graduated magna cum laude from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, with degrees in Music Education and Violin Performance. Lauren holds a Master’s in Violin Performance with an emphasis in Suzuki Pedagogy from Southern Illinois University. She has additional training in Orff-Schulwerk, Music Mind Games, and Suzuki Early Childhood Education. She taught violin, general music, and chamber music at Punahou School for six years before taking time off to raise her two children. She now enjoys teaching out of her home, playing with Kai Quartet, Allegro Keiki and subbing with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. Lauren is so blessed by all the incredible people and places that music has taken her throughout her life, including all over the US as well as Ireland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. Some of her favorite performance experiences include playing with Rod Stewart, Paula Fuga, Jack Johnson and Eminem!
Lauren is proud mama to her daughter, Olivia, son Oliver and wife to Austin and their fur baby Jax.
Martha Seroogy, viola
Lauren Holt Ako, violin
Martha Seroogy, viola
Violist Martha Seroogy, originally from De Pere, Wisconsin, started playing viola when she was 10 years old, studying with Matthew Michelic at the Lawrence Conservatory in Appleton, WI. At the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire, she majored in public relations and music on the Cohen String Scholarship, studying with Allison Ostrander of the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Martha performs regularly with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and has enjoyed a prolific orchestra career playing with the Chippewa Valley Symphony, Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra, St. Louis Civic Symphony, St. Louis Philharmonic, Maui Chamber Orchestra, and the Maui Pops Orchestra. She is currently the senior director of show operations of Cirque du Soleil's Auana. Martha lives on O'ahu with her husband Andy and daughter, Eve.
Words from our community
"Allegro Keiki is an absolute gift to our community! It’s a joyful and accessible way to learn about and experience live classical music from professional musicians in a welcoming environment for children. An enjoyable activity for music lovers of every age!"
- Nani, mother of a 2 year old
"We’ve been attending Allegro Keiki events from the very beginning, and they are truly the highlight of our month! Anna and the AK team create engaging, interactive experiences that captivate my little one while also giving me the opportunity to learn new songs to sing at home. We love that these events bring families together in a fun and educational way, helping us connect with both old friends and new ones. Our family absolutely loves Allegro Keiki and can’t wait to attend more shows!!"
- Suma, mother of a 10 month old
"We love coming to Allegro Keiki! As a mom to a 20 mos old and a young 3 mos old, there’s not many places where I can get out and entertain my oldest. He’s still too young for many playgrounds and many of the kids are older, but the few performances we’ve gone to, he’s safely been able to play among the older kids, learn to clap to the beat, play with scarfs, and find love in live music… watching him light up brings us so much joy and we couldn’t recommend a Saturday performance with Allegro Keiki enough! We hope to see you there!”
- Lauren, mother of a 20 month and 3 month old