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 first prizes at the Coleman and Monteray Chamber Music Competitions. The Quartet also won a prize at the Evian International String Quartet Competition in France, which led to some concerts there in addition to their concerts across the U.S. The Montclaire Quartet held residencies at the University of Northern Iowa and The West Virginia Symphony, where Ms. Henson was concertmaster. She was a member of the Pioneer Quartet here in Des Moines for 6 years, and is now in her ninth 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.

John Helmich -- Violin
John 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.

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. Last year, Ms. Finkelshteyn joined the faculty of Graceland University. She has been performing with the Belin Quartet since 2005.

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.

George Work -- Cello
George Work holds the BM, MM, and the Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, where he also served as teaching assistant to Robert Sylvester. His principal teachers include Robert Sylvester, Paul Katz, Ronald Leonard, Gabor Rejto, and Carol Work. In 1981, he joined the Ames Piano Quartet, in residence at Iowa State University. The Quartet has released twelve critically acclaimed CD recordings, one on the Musical Heritage label, three on Albany Records, and the others on Dorian Recordings. The Ames Piano Quartet has appeared in concert throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Austria, France, Taiwan, Mexico, South Africa and Russia. In 2003, the Quartet became the first American chamber group to perform in Cuba since the 1959 Revolution. The Quartet has also been featured in various radio programs, including "Performance Today," "The Listening Room," and "St. Paul Sunday."

George Work is also active on the summer festival circuit, having taught and performed at the Brevard Music Center, the Texas Music Festival, the Madeleine Island Festival, and the Schlern International Festival, among others. He joined the Des Moines Symphony in 2007, and the Belin Quartet in 2008.