Staff

Philip W. Pletcher

Philip W. Pletcher – Co-Artistic Director
Philip W. Pletcher, pianist, has been active in music since age four and has played throughout the United States and Canada. Phil is active as a soloist and collaborative musician and is a Production Pianist for Opera Grand Rapids.  He serves as Administrative Director and Pianist for the Grand Rapids Musicians’ League Youth Choirs, maintains a private teaching studio, acts as a staff accompanist at Grand Valley State University and adjudicates for regional competitions.  He performs with William Bokhout and Hollis Dobreff in the piano/vocal trio colla voce, is the Director of Music at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ and accompanies the Schubert Male Chorus.

Formerly, he was on the accompanying staff at Calvin College and for seven years held the position of Music Director at St. Cecilia Music Society, where he administered all of the performance and educational programs and produced the popular annual Eight Piano Concert.  His arrangements for multiple pianos have been performed across the U.S.  Phil hosted the weekly radio show “Guest Conductor” for four years on WFGR 98.7 FM, the former Grand Rapids classical station, and is a past president of the Grand Rapids Piano Teachers’ Forum.  Mr. Pletcher received his bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Bethel College in consortium with Indiana University.  His graduate study was at Michigan State University under Ralph Votapek.

He serves on the board of directors of the Grand Rapids Bach Festival and on the Advisory Council for the Calvin College Artist Series.  He is also the Piano Representative for the Michigan Music Association.

RT Williams
RT Williams – Co-Artistic Director

RT Williams sang his first solo at the age of 6 in his father’s church and has been performing ever since. He directed children, youth and adult church choirs for 20 years and then switched to a training career with Johnson Controls for 14 years. He sings with our co-director Phil Pletcher as the baritone with the male a cappella quartet, Half-in-Half. He has been singing with the Schubert Male Chorus for the past five years and directed them for the spring 2009 season. He also directs the Mid-Lakes Sweet Adelines chorus in Plainwell, MI and under his direction they placed third for small choruses in the Spring 2010 Region 3 competition.

Kathleen Osborn – Pianist

Kathleen Osborn is an active musician throughout the region. As a pianist, she has accompanied soloists from the West Michigan Flute Association. She is a flutist who performs in that organization’s flute orchestra as well as their chamber choir. Also a singer, she has performed with Opera Grand Rapids Chorus and the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus. Kathy is a cantorial soloist at Temple Emanuel, and has had singing roles in musicals with Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, West Michigan Savoyards, Master Arts Theatre, Jewish Theatre of Grand Rapids, and the Red Barn Theatre in Saugatuck. She has studied piano with Gregory Ballard and Phil Pletcher. Kathy holds degrees from Valparaiso University and Indiana University School of Medicine. When not practicing or performing, she works as a psychotherapist in private practice.