For more than 30 years, Konrad Kono has been a steady presence in the Santa Barbara community.
Known to most simply as “Mr. Kono,” he has taught music at 10 local schools, directed his Camp Kono for 18 summers, and serves as pianist and organist at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Montecito and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian.
This month, he steps into a different role, headlining his own concert at the Lobero Theatre on Jan. 10.
We sat down with him to reflect on teaching, performing, and what this moment means.
Q: Can you share a bit about your background and when you started playing piano?
Konrad Kono: I grew up in Palmdale, California, where we mostly rode dirt bikes and played sports. But when I was eight, my mother, who I lovingly call a “Dragon Mom,” forced me and my siblings to take piano lessons.
By 16 we were finally allowed to quit; my brother and sister did, but I knew it would break my mom’s heart if I stopped, so I kept going.
She was tough, making me practice an hour a day, even on days when I worked all day in the family business or get home from an away sports game at 11 p.m. Looking back, I know I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without her persistence.
Q: When did the piano shift from a chore to a passion for you?
Kono: It happened around age 17. I would often listen to a lounge pianist at the Holiday Inn who played standards and jazz, and he showed me chord progressions for the blues and introduced me to artists like Ray Charles and Fats Waller.
I started to understand how chord progressions work and could suddenly see the patterns, and the whole world of music just opened up.
Once I understood the patterns in jazz, the classical music I had been forced to play suddenly made sense. That’s when my world turned, and I played because I loved it, not because I had to.
Q: You landed your first teaching job in 1995 with a rather unconventional interview. Can you tell us that story?
Kono: I applied for a job at El Rancho school. I showed up in a tie, carrying a thick book of curriculum. The principal, Tully Johnson, told me to take the tie off and threw my book out of the office.
He asked, “Do you know how to play ‘Great Balls of Fire’?” I said yes. He took me to the multipurpose room, and I ripped into the song. He hired me on the spot, telling me my job was to get the kids fired up to sing.
Q: You have also taught at Crane Country Day, Hope, Monte Vista, Washington, Brandon, Peabody, Riviera Ridge and Laguna Blanca schools. What is your philosophy when teaching children?
Kono: Many people are terrified of public performance, so I try to create a culture where students feel safe and validated, and supported by the audience. I want class to feel fun so kids actually want to participate.
When I was young, I used to babysit my cousins and I’d always put on shows, and I think those early experiences unknowingly shaped how I structure my classroom today — keeping it interactive and engaging.
Q: What made you decide that this was the moment to put together your own concert?
Kono: I had this gift of time and I told myself that I wouldn’t waste it. I’d wanted to do something like this for years but kept blaming not doing it on not having the time.
After 30 years of encouraging kids to get on stage even when they were scared, I realized how often I’d helped them turn performing into something joyful. It reminded me that it’s never too late and you’re never too old if you have a dream.
I’m 58, and honestly, my students gave me the courage to finally do it. It’s really a dream come true for me.
Q: Can you share any details of the show?
Kono: The show will feature a mix of styles ranging from straight classical music to jazz to gospel. I’ll be channeling influences like Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Liberace, and Vince Guaraldi, and there will be a “Phantom of the Opera” medley, as well as some very personal tributes.
Q: What do you hope the audience takes away from this performance?
Kono: I want them to feel love and pure joy.
For more information and tickets, visit https://www.lobero.org/events/konrad-kono/.