Famed Japanese violinist Midori, who has performed with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma and Leonard Bernstein, will perform with the Holland Symphony Orchestra Friday night and Saturday night at the West Ottawa Performing Arts Center as part of the orchestra’s Gift of Music series, which runs until August 16.
(Photo courtesy Holland Symphony Orchestra)
Holland Symphony Launches
Gift of Music Series
The Holland Symphony Orchestra is proud to present its 2025 Gift of Music, a vibrant five-event series blending world-class artistry with homegrown talent and community spirit.
From now through Aug. 16, audiences across West Michigan will have an opportunity to experience a dynamic mix of music, dance, and visual art — through both free and ticketed events for all ages.
Headlining the celebration is legendary violinist Midori, whose four-decade career includes groundbreaking performances with the world’s top orchestras. Since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11, the “simply magical” (Houston Chronicle) violinist has performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and has collaborated with world-renowned musicians including Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, and many others.
The celebration began with a pop-up HSO Brass Ensemble concert at the Holland Farmer’s Market Wednesday afternoon in partnership with Community Action House, which provided healthy snacks for attendees of all ages.
Dedicated in memory of the late Zeeland business leader and philanthropist Jack H. Miller, HSO welcomes superstar violinist Midori to the lakeshore. She will make her Holland debut with music director and conductor Johannes Müller Stosch and the HSO in two performances of Mendelssohn’s towering Violin Concerto and Arvo Pärt’s raucous double violin concerto entitled Tabula Rasa with ZenViolin creator and prodigy Moni Simeonov. The program will include Mendelssohn’s whimsical Hebrides Overture “Fingal’s Cave” and J. S. Bach’s regal Orchestral Suite No. 1.
The concerts will take place on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. at HSO’s new home, the West Ottawa Performing Arts Center. Tickets priced at $45-$35 for adults and $20 for students are available at HollandSymphony.org or by calling (616) 796-6780.
A special highlight of our Gift of Music month will be our Free Family-Friendly Community Concert. The Holland Symphony Orchestra’s annual Community Concert: Music Unites Us on Saturday empowers our community to gather for free music, art, dance, and local food.
More than 1,500 community members enjoy dancing in the sunshine, live art making, and orchestral folk music, along with local food vendors such as DaKidd BBQ, Robinson’s Popcorn, Dolce Mini Cakes & Tacos, PAC pizza, and the Macatawa Bank Ice Cream truck. The 2025 concert will feature conductor Johannes Müller Stosch and the local Cumbia band Grupo Super Nova with the Holland Symphony Orchestra and original arrangements by famed local composer Greg Scheer.
Cumbia originated in Colombia and is a Latin American style of music and dance that combines African, European, and Indigenous influences. It’s known for its percussion-heavy sound and double beat. Muralist Chris Garcia will accompany the music with live painting. Guests will also enjoy a photo booth and dancing lessons by the Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) Salsarines.
The family-friendly activities start at 5 p.m. and the concert at 7 p.m. Event sponsors are Corewell Health, the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, Gentex Corporation, the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“This community event is made possible with the support of the City of Holland and embraces the transformative power of music and movement to unite, enrich, and celebrate our community in shared spaces of accessibility and enlightenment,” HSO president and chief executive officer Michael Naess said.
The Gift of Music month concludes with a celebration of HSO’s new home, the West Ottawa Performing Arts Center. The free family-friendly Our New Home concert on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. invites the entire West Michigan lakeshore community to explore the new state-of-the-art performance facility and enjoy conductor Johannes Müller Stosch and the HSO in Prokofiev’s beloved children’s musical folk tale Peter & the Wolf.
Also on the program will be the first movement of Mozart’s D Major Flute Concerto starring HSO principal flute and Susan & Randall Miller chair, Rebecca VanDeWalker. Audiences will also enjoy the orchestra’s sublime music-making in the first movements of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major and Haydn’s “London” Symphony No. 104 in D Major.
To RSVP for this general admission event go to HollandSymphony.org/Events or call (616) 796-6780.
Founded in 1990, the Holland Symphony Orchestra is a community supported ensemble committed to engaging all people through music to enrich the cultural life of West Michigan. For more information about the symphony, visit HollandSymphony.org or call (616) 796-6780.
From now through Aug. 16, audiences across West Michigan will have an opportunity to experience a dynamic mix of music, dance, and visual art — through both free and ticketed events for all ages.
Headlining the celebration is legendary violinist Midori, whose four-decade career includes groundbreaking performances with the world’s top orchestras. Since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11, the “simply magical” (Houston Chronicle) violinist has performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and has collaborated with world-renowned musicians including Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, and many others.
The celebration began with a pop-up HSO Brass Ensemble concert at the Holland Farmer’s Market Wednesday afternoon in partnership with Community Action House, which provided healthy snacks for attendees of all ages.
Dedicated in memory of the late Zeeland business leader and philanthropist Jack H. Miller, HSO welcomes superstar violinist Midori to the lakeshore. She will make her Holland debut with music director and conductor Johannes Müller Stosch and the HSO in two performances of Mendelssohn’s towering Violin Concerto and Arvo Pärt’s raucous double violin concerto entitled Tabula Rasa with ZenViolin creator and prodigy Moni Simeonov. The program will include Mendelssohn’s whimsical Hebrides Overture “Fingal’s Cave” and J. S. Bach’s regal Orchestral Suite No. 1.
The concerts will take place on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. at HSO’s new home, the West Ottawa Performing Arts Center. Tickets priced at $45-$35 for adults and $20 for students are available at HollandSymphony.org or by calling (616) 796-6780.
A special highlight of our Gift of Music month will be our Free Family-Friendly Community Concert. The Holland Symphony Orchestra’s annual Community Concert: Music Unites Us on Saturday empowers our community to gather for free music, art, dance, and local food.
More than 1,500 community members enjoy dancing in the sunshine, live art making, and orchestral folk music, along with local food vendors such as DaKidd BBQ, Robinson’s Popcorn, Dolce Mini Cakes & Tacos, PAC pizza, and the Macatawa Bank Ice Cream truck. The 2025 concert will feature conductor Johannes Müller Stosch and the local Cumbia band Grupo Super Nova with the Holland Symphony Orchestra and original arrangements by famed local composer Greg Scheer.
Cumbia originated in Colombia and is a Latin American style of music and dance that combines African, European, and Indigenous influences. It’s known for its percussion-heavy sound and double beat. Muralist Chris Garcia will accompany the music with live painting. Guests will also enjoy a photo booth and dancing lessons by the Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) Salsarines.
The family-friendly activities start at 5 p.m. and the concert at 7 p.m. Event sponsors are Corewell Health, the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, Gentex Corporation, the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“This community event is made possible with the support of the City of Holland and embraces the transformative power of music and movement to unite, enrich, and celebrate our community in shared spaces of accessibility and enlightenment,” HSO president and chief executive officer Michael Naess said.
The Gift of Music month concludes with a celebration of HSO’s new home, the West Ottawa Performing Arts Center. The free family-friendly Our New Home concert on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. invites the entire West Michigan lakeshore community to explore the new state-of-the-art performance facility and enjoy conductor Johannes Müller Stosch and the HSO in Prokofiev’s beloved children’s musical folk tale Peter & the Wolf.
Also on the program will be the first movement of Mozart’s D Major Flute Concerto starring HSO principal flute and Susan & Randall Miller chair, Rebecca VanDeWalker. Audiences will also enjoy the orchestra’s sublime music-making in the first movements of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major and Haydn’s “London” Symphony No. 104 in D Major.
To RSVP for this general admission event go to HollandSymphony.org/Events or call (616) 796-6780.
Founded in 1990, the Holland Symphony Orchestra is a community supported ensemble committed to engaging all people through music to enrich the cultural life of West Michigan. For more information about the symphony, visit HollandSymphony.org or call (616) 796-6780.
Three New Trustees Join Hope College Board
The Hope College Board of Trustees has elected three new members and has appointed three new Executive Committee members.
The new Hope Trustees appointed to a three-year term, include Jeannie Cunnion (Greenwich, Conn.), Rev. Dr. Jonathon Brown (Holland), and Phillip D. Torrence (Kalamazoo).
Trustees reelected to serve second terms are Lisa Joldersma (Washington, D.C.), and John Soderstrom (Madison, Conn.).
Trustees concluding their service on the board are Dr. Stephen Boerigter (Holland) and Carol Van Andel (Ada). Carol will remain involved with Hope, serving as a co-chair of the economics and business campaign.
Executive Committee Members (new and returning) include:
• Brett VanderKamp (Chief Executive Officer of New Holland Brewing Co., Holland) has been elected to a four-year board chair term, succeeding Boerigter, who served as chair for three years.
• Tommy Gordon (General Manager of Gordon Food Services, Grand Rapids) has been elected vice chair for a two-year term, succeeding Dr. Matthew Wixson (serving various leadership roles in the University of Michigan-Anesthesiology department), who will now chair the Sustaining the Mission Committee.
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About the New Hope Trustees
Jeannie Cunnion: After serving as a family counselor, foster care recruiter and adoption advocate for 15 years, Jeannie felt called to pursue a writing career to help individuals and parents grow their relationships with Jesus. She is now a best-selling author and national speaker, with her work being featured on traditional and Christian news outlets and podcasts nationwide. With her husband Mike and one of their five sons, she also co-founded the 509 Foundation, a nonprofit creating opportunities for young adults in Haiti for education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Jeannie graduated from Auburn University and received her master’s degree in social work from The University of Alabama. She and her husband served as elders at their church for many years in Greenwich, Conn., and they now reside in Nashville, Tenn.
Rev. Dr. Jonathon Brown: Jon has been the lead pastor of Pillar Church, in Holland, since 2012. Prior to that he was the senior pastor of the First Reformed Church in Oak Harbor, Washington. Jon graduated from Hope College in 1999 and recalls that he preached his first sermon at Dimnent Chapel in the early 2000s. He received his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Western Theological Seminary and pursued a Master of Christian Studies degree from Regent College (Vancouver, B.C.). He’s also the director of the Bast Center for Christian Proclamation – a collaborative effort among Hope, Western Theological Seminary and Pillar Church – that nurtures compelling preaching for the church.
Jon is married to Kristyn (also a Hope alum) and they have four daughters.
Phillip D. Torrence: Phillip is an attorney and partner with the business law firm, Honigman, LLP. He is a member of Honigman’s executive committee and specializes in public and private securities offerings, growth equity and venture capital transactions, private equity transactions, and public and private mergers and acquisitions and dispositions.
Phillip is a 1996 Hope College graduate who went on to receive his law degree from the University of Utah. He has also served on the Hope College Alumni Board. Phillip and his wife, Sarah, have three children. Their eldest son graduated from Hope in 2024 and their youngest is a Hope sophomore.
The new Hope Trustees appointed to a three-year term, include Jeannie Cunnion (Greenwich, Conn.), Rev. Dr. Jonathon Brown (Holland), and Phillip D. Torrence (Kalamazoo).
Trustees reelected to serve second terms are Lisa Joldersma (Washington, D.C.), and John Soderstrom (Madison, Conn.).
Trustees concluding their service on the board are Dr. Stephen Boerigter (Holland) and Carol Van Andel (Ada). Carol will remain involved with Hope, serving as a co-chair of the economics and business campaign.
Executive Committee Members (new and returning) include:
• Brett VanderKamp (Chief Executive Officer of New Holland Brewing Co., Holland) has been elected to a four-year board chair term, succeeding Boerigter, who served as chair for three years.
• Tommy Gordon (General Manager of Gordon Food Services, Grand Rapids) has been elected vice chair for a two-year term, succeeding Dr. Matthew Wixson (serving various leadership roles in the University of Michigan-Anesthesiology department), who will now chair the Sustaining the Mission Committee.
—————
About the New Hope Trustees
Jeannie Cunnion: After serving as a family counselor, foster care recruiter and adoption advocate for 15 years, Jeannie felt called to pursue a writing career to help individuals and parents grow their relationships with Jesus. She is now a best-selling author and national speaker, with her work being featured on traditional and Christian news outlets and podcasts nationwide. With her husband Mike and one of their five sons, she also co-founded the 509 Foundation, a nonprofit creating opportunities for young adults in Haiti for education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Jeannie graduated from Auburn University and received her master’s degree in social work from The University of Alabama. She and her husband served as elders at their church for many years in Greenwich, Conn., and they now reside in Nashville, Tenn.
Rev. Dr. Jonathon Brown: Jon has been the lead pastor of Pillar Church, in Holland, since 2012. Prior to that he was the senior pastor of the First Reformed Church in Oak Harbor, Washington. Jon graduated from Hope College in 1999 and recalls that he preached his first sermon at Dimnent Chapel in the early 2000s. He received his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Western Theological Seminary and pursued a Master of Christian Studies degree from Regent College (Vancouver, B.C.). He’s also the director of the Bast Center for Christian Proclamation – a collaborative effort among Hope, Western Theological Seminary and Pillar Church – that nurtures compelling preaching for the church.
Jon is married to Kristyn (also a Hope alum) and they have four daughters.
Phillip D. Torrence: Phillip is an attorney and partner with the business law firm, Honigman, LLP. He is a member of Honigman’s executive committee and specializes in public and private securities offerings, growth equity and venture capital transactions, private equity transactions, and public and private mergers and acquisitions and dispositions.
Phillip is a 1996 Hope College graduate who went on to receive his law degree from the University of Utah. He has also served on the Hope College Alumni Board. Phillip and his wife, Sarah, have three children. Their eldest son graduated from Hope in 2024 and their youngest is a Hope sophomore.
Hope Awards Academic Honors
Seven Hope College graduates from Zeeland were recently honored for their outstanding academic accomplishments during their four years of study.
Summa Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum cumulative 3.9 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Magna Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum 3.7 grade point average on a 4.00 scale.
Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Here is the list of Hope graduates from Zeeland who received academic honors:
Summa Cum Laude: Natalie Terese Jarzembowski, Karinda M. Meeuwsen, Lucas H. Wiersma.
Magna Cum Laude: Audra Sue Eding, Margaret Elise Robrahn.
Cum Laude: Nathaniel Ryan McFall, Addison A. Nienhuis.
Summa Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum cumulative 3.9 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Magna Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum 3.7 grade point average on a 4.00 scale.
Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Here is the list of Hope graduates from Zeeland who received academic honors:
Summa Cum Laude: Natalie Terese Jarzembowski, Karinda M. Meeuwsen, Lucas H. Wiersma.
Magna Cum Laude: Audra Sue Eding, Margaret Elise Robrahn.
Cum Laude: Nathaniel Ryan McFall, Addison A. Nienhuis.
