The Belin Quartet
Committed to musical excellence.

Welcoming one and all to its weekly open-air summer concerts, the Belin Quartet has been harmonizing with the Des Moines community for more than 20 years.  With instrumental support from the Civic Music Association since its founding, the Belin Quartet honors the enduring legacy of David Belin (1928-1999) and Connie Belin (1930-1980).

The nationally-known leader of a local law firm who was instantly recognizable with his trademark bow tie, David Belin was also a talented violinist who loved classical music. A champion of public education whose contributions inspired the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa, Connie Belin was also an ever-present supporter of music and the arts.

Their vision of sharing the joys of classical music was realized as a result of their generous philanthropy. Through the Iowa Foundation for Education, Environment, and the Arts, a charitable foundation created by David Belin, members of the Belin family have supported the Belin Quartet since its inception. In addition to partnering with the Civic Music Association on current concerts and programs, an ongoing foundation initiative seeks to expand efforts to endow the Belin Quartet so that this cherished tribute to David and Connie Belin and this treasure of the Des Moines community will continue in perpetuity.

Meet the Musicians

With musicians whose talents span multiple instruments and a resonant flair that reaches into the quintet repertoire, the Belin Quartet appears in multiple configurations among members Tracy Engman Finkelshteyn, John Helmich, Julie Fox Henson (violins), Rebecca Vieker (viola), and George Work (cello).

Tracy Engman Finkelshteyn

Tracy Engman Finkelshteyn

Violin

Violinist Tracy Engman Finkelshteyn joined the Belin Quartet in 2005. A Des Moines native, 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.

Tracy was a member of the first violin sections of 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.

John Helmich

John Helmich

Violin

Violinist John Helmich has been a member of the Belin Quartet since 2004. John 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.
Julie Fox Henson

Julie Fox Henson

Violin

Violinist Julie Fox Henson has been a member of the Belin Quartet since 2001 and is the Assistant Concertmaster of the Des Moines Symphony. She performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the area. Julie enjoys a successful teaching studio in the Ames/Des Moines area and was voted the 2010 Leopold LaFosse Studio Teacher of the Year by the Iowa String Teachers Association.

Rebecca Vieker

Viola

Rebecca Vieker is a performer and teacher in Des Moines, Iowa. Born in Detroit, Rebecca began violin lessons at the age of 4 and began taking viola lessons during high school. She completed a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying under Jonah Sirota of the Chiara Quartet. She went on to earn a Master’s degree and a Performance Diploma from Boston University, under the tutelage of Michelle LaCourse.
Since she finished her undergraduate degree in 2014, Rebecca has been teaching private violin, viola, and piano lessons. During her time in Nebraska, she was a full-time instructor at Nissa’s String Studio, a premier string studio in Lincoln, while also coaching chamber music for the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra. In Boston, she taught with the Worcester Music Academy, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Intensive Community Program,City Strings Studio, and Noteworthy Experiences. Rebecca has had students perform in All-State and District Orchestras as well as various youth symphonies around the country. During her time in Hartford, Rebecca studied under Terri Einfeldt to become a registered Suzuki teacher.

Rebecca has performed around the country with various symphonies and chamber ensembles. She’s played with such groups as the Des Moines Symphony, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the Lincoln Symphony, and the Sioux City Symphony and shared the stage with artists such as Joshua Bell and Ben Folds. During her time in Nebraska, she was a member of the Rangbrook Ensemble and Co-founded the Star City Strings Ensemble. While at Boston University, she served as the orchestra manager and rotating principal in the BU Symphony Orchestra. When she’s not teaching or performing, Rebecca enjoys playing and coaching volleyball, hiking, and spending time with her dog, Rey Feta Skywalker, and her husband, Chris.

George Work

George Work

Cello

Cellist George Work has been a member of the Belin Quartet since 2008. A professor of cello at Iowa State University and member of the Des Moines Symphony, George holds his bachelor’s and master’s degrees of music and a performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music, where he also served as teaching assistant to Robert Sylvester.