Sophie van der Westhuizen

Originally from South Africa, Sophié van der Westhuizen moved to the U.S. in 2001 and became a citizen last September. She is an International Steinway Artist and performs as both soloist and collaborative pianist, with a specialization in piano duo with her husband, Pierre. Their performance on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, with live NPR broadcast, remains a highlight. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and is the recipient of several performance awards. Prior to joining the faculty at Kalamazoo College, she served on faculty at Cleveland State University, Heidelberg University, Youngstown State University, among other institutions. She is the former director of ArtsConnect, a community outreach program for the Cleveland International Piano Competition. In addition to her position at K-College, she maintains a private teaching studio at home with 18 students of all ages. Sophié is also an accomplished violinist.