Concerts planned to spotlight String Leadership Camp students, GVSU faculty

More than 35 local high school students with experience playing string instruments will visit Grand Valley State University for the opportunity to learn from and perform with Grand Valley faculty and industry professionals during the third annual String Leadership Camp.

The camp will take place August 13-15 on the Allendale Campus. Henry Duitman, GVSU Symphony Orchestra director and String Leadership Camp coordinator, said the camp is beneficial for high school students who don’t typically perform chamber music.

For the first time in the camp’s history, six piano students will participate, which Duitman said will complement the string musicians.

“Piano trios, quartets and quintets comprise much of the finest chamber music written for string players,” said Duitman. “It will be a rewarding and exciting three days for these high school piano and string students.”

A series of four recitals, which are all free and open to the public, will take place in conjunction with the camp.

Sookkyung Cho, assistant professor of piano, and Pablo Mahave-Veglia, associate professor of cello and Early Music Ensemble director, will be joined by Elayna Duitman, Cleveland Orchestra violinist, during a faculty recital on August 13. The concert will take place at 1 p.m. in the Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall, located in the Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts.

A recital on August 14 will feature members of Grand Valley’s string faculty, including Megan Crawford, Paul Swantek, Mahave-Veglia and Michael Hovnanian. Faculty will be joined in the performance by James Crawford, concertmaster of the Grand Rapids Symphony, as well as his brother Anthony, a professional violinist based in California. This recital will also take place at 1 p.m. in Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall.

Rounding out the week of performances will be two recitals by the 39 String Leadership Camp students on August 15. The first recital will take place at 6:30 p.m. in Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall and feature six piano trios, quartets and quintets. The second recital will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Cook-DeWitt Center and feature four string trios and quartets, as well as the String Leadership Orchestra conducted by Duitman.

For more information, contact Duitman at [email protected], or visit gvsu.edu/orchestra.