About Us
Mission Statement
The Grand Valley Piano Chamber Series (GVPCS) was founded in 2021 to share the joy and beauty of classical piano chamber music with all in West Michigan. We do so by:
-
presenting performances of the highest caliber;
-
performing a wide range of piano chamber music repertoire including the lesser-known compositions by under-represented composers;
-
providing all concerts for free;
-
collaborating with, and bringing together, other organizations with the same mission.
Board and Staff
Artistic Director
Sookkyung Cho
Director of the GV Piano Chamber Series, Sookkyung Cho is Associate Professor of Piano at Grand Valley State University. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has appeared in venues such as Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, Sarasota Opera House, Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal in Canada, Château de Fontainebleau in France, Bilkent Piano Festival in Turkey, and Xi’an Conservatory in China. Dr. Cho received a bachelor’s degree from Juilliard, where she was honored with the John Erskine Graduation Prize, and earned a master’s degree at Peabody and a doctorate at Juilliard as a C.V. Starr fellow. Her debut CD, Schubert’s 1817 Sonatas, was released on Centaur to critical acclaim in April 2021. She is proud to be an adopted Michigander!
Administrative Assistant
Jake Doctor
Season 6 will be Jake's second season as the administrative assistant for GVPCS running our social media, making programs, and helping at performances wherever it is needed. Jake is a 4th-year student at GVSU pursuing a degree in cello performance. At Grand Valley Jake studies cello, early music, and chamber music under GVPCS regular, Dr. Pablo Mahave-Veglia. He is also a part of the GVSU Symphony orchestra under the direction of Dr. Joel Schut.
Board of Directors
Dr. Alan Steinman, President
Dr. Alan (Al) Steinman is the Allen and Helen Hunting Research Professor of Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI). Previously, he was Director of AWRI for 22 years. Steinman has published over 200 scientific articles, book chapters, and books; has been awarded over $60 million in grants, and has testified before the US Congress and the Michigan and Florida state legislatures. Dr. Steinman holds a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a Ph.D. in Botany/Aquatic Ecology from Oregon State University. His current community board service includes the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Goodwill International of West Michigan, and West Michigan Symphony.
​
Dr. Douglas Kindschi, Treasurer
Dr. Douglas Kindschi, now in his 49th year at Grand Valley State University, served in the position of dean for 28 of those years. He is currently University Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy and the Director of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute. He received his B.A. from Houghton College, graduate study at the Divinity School, University of Chicago, and received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. David Moore, Secretary
Dr. David Moore is board-certified in Internal Medicine after completing medical residency at Cook County Hospital, where he met his future husband of 46 years. A clinical assistant professor of medicine at U of I College of Medicine, he taught students and residents at Mt Sinai Hospital and Advocate Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, where he founded and co-directed a 24-bed inpatient AIDS treatment unit and integrative outpatient program. He has studied piano since the age of 4, currently with Dr. Daniel Baer. He studied organ at Northwestern University and was a church organist. His primary musical passion is collaborative piano and chamber music.
John Allen
A native of Grand Rapids, John Allen spent three decades as a high school English teacher in suburban Chicago. He is a classical guitarist, photographer, and writer. John holds a Master of Music Degree in guitar performance from The Cleveland Institute of Music and a B.A. in music and English from Kalamazoo College. He and his wife, MaryJean, are avid hikers in West Michigan and classical music concert goers throughout the United States and Europe.
​​
Frank Van Haven
Frank has had a life-long passion for classical music and music literature. He holds a music education degree from Calvin University and a doctorate in musicology from the University of Michigan. He taught music history at Emory University (Atlanta) from 1974 to 1986 and served as chair of their music department. He returned to Grand Rapids in 1986 to serve as CEO of Meyer Music, West Michigan’s school music specialist. Frank has also been a member of community orchestras in both Atlanta and Grand Rapids, as clarinet or oboe. Now retired, he and his wife Sharon faithfully follow many classical orchestra and chamber events in our area.
Dr. Sookkyung Cho, Artistic Director
Our Partners
Click on the logos to visit the organization's website!
