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Julie Fox-Henson -- Violin
Julie Fox-Henson has played in a string quartet most of her life. She was a
founding member of the Montclaire String Quartet, which formed at the
University of Colorado at Boulder and went on to win national competitions
and concertize across the U.S. She was a member of the Pioneer Quartet here
in Des Moines for six years and is now in her eighth year with the Belin
Quartet. She is the Assistant Concertmaster of the Des Moines Symphony and
enjoys an active teaching studio in Ames and Des Moines.
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John Helmich -- Violin
Mr. Helmich, a Davenport, Iowa native, received his Bachelor of
Music degree in Violin Performance and his Master of Music degree in Violin
Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. While there,
he was awarded the Howard Hanson Scholarship and graduated with High
Distinction. His primary teachers included Oleh Krysa and Timothy Ying.
During his studies at Eastman, he was coached extensively by the Ying
Quartet with additional master classes and coachings with Zvi Zeitlin, Ilya
Kaler, Marilyn McDonald, the Turtle Island String Quartet, and the Tokyo
String Quartet.
An avid soloist, as well as chamber musician, Mr. Helmich has performed in
concerts and recitals throughout the United States. He is currently a
member of the Des Moines Metro Opera and the Des Moines Symphony. In
addition, he teaches violin and coaches chamber music groups at the Des
Moines Symphony Academy and the Drake University Community School of Music.
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Tracy Engman Finkelshteyn -- Violin
Violinist Tracy Engman Finkelshteyn, a Des Moines native, returned to Iowa in June, 2004.
She earned Bachelor of Music Education and Doctor of Music degrees from Northwestern University and a
Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music. Ms. Finkelshteyn was a member of the first violin
sections in the Winnipeg Symphony and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and has served on the faculty of several
Universities including Northwestern, St. Olaf College, Carleton College and North Carolina State
University. She was also the first violinist of the Aurora String Quartet, based in Minneapolis and of
the North Carolina Symphony Quartet. The 2007 season marks her fourth year with the Belin Quartet and with
the Des Moines Symphony.
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Sherida Josephson -- Viola
Sherida Josephson received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in viola performance and pedagogy from the University of
Iowa. She has studied with William Preucil, Allen Ohmes, and Charles Traeger. Sherida taught viola at both the
University of Iowa and Drake University. Since 1982, Sherida has been principal viola of the Des Moines Symphony.
She also performs with the Mozaiques Chamber Ensemble and other musical groups in Des Moines. Sherida has a private
teaching studio and is co-director of the Des Moines Area Suzuki Institute.
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Mary Pshonik -- Cello
Mary Pshonik, a member of the Des Moines Symphony since 1993, and the Belin String Quartet since 2005,
earned her Bachelor of Music in cello performance from Iowa State University. While at Iowa State, she
began performing regularly with Basically Baroque (a quartet featuring baroque oboe, flute and continuo).
Soon after, along with flutist Rebecca Stuhr and harpsichordist Lynn Zeigler, she founded the Lyremar
Trio which recorded sonatas of Marcello, available from Centaur Records. Mary was a member of the Pioneer
Quartet for six years, and is an active freelance musician. Mary maintains a private studio in the Des Moines
area, has served as the cello instructor at Drake University , and also teaches cello, coaches chamber music,
and leads the Temple Cellists , a group of adult classical music aficionados, at the Des Moines Symphony Academy .
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