Newly appointed Assistant Principal Cellist of the Grand Rapids Symphony, Andrew Laven graduated in May 2019 with his Master of Music degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as a student of Desmond Hoebig. He also has a Bachelor of Music Degree with a Performance Certificate from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Steven Doane and Rosemary Elliott.
Mr. Laven has extensive orchestral experience, having performed in concerts as a substitute with the Houston Grand Opera, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the New World Symphony. For the summers of 2015-17, he was a fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center and, in the summer of 2016, was the recipient of the Karl Zeise Memorial Cello award. During the following summer, Mr. Laven had the privilege of playing in private chamber music sessions for Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax in preparation for a performance of Brahms’ Piano Trio in C Major. In the summer of 2018, he was a guest at Tanglewood, having the unique opportunity to serve as the rehearsal cellist for Yo-Yo Ma for the world premiere of John Williams’ new work, “Highwood’s Ghost” for cello, harp, and orchestra with Boston Symphony principal harpist Jessica Zhou and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra conducted by Andris Nelsons. He has also collaborated with Ying quartet first violinist Robin Scott, violist Roberto Diaz, violinist Colin Jacobsen, and pianist Jon Kimura Parker. Other festivals include the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, the Karl Flesch Akademie, and the Avaloch Farm Music Institute.
