Tracy Finkelshteyn is an accomplished violinist and educator whose artistry and intellectual depth have earned her recognition across North America. She holds both a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.) and a Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) from Northwestern University as well as a Master of Music (M.M.) from the Yale School of Music.

Tracy’s dynamic performance career includes performing with the Winnipeg Symphony and Manitoba Chamber Orchestras, the Minnesota Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Des Moines Symphony and the Storioni Ensemble. As a member of the Belin String Quartet since 2005, she has contributed to innovative chamber music programs that bring classical music to diverse audiences.

In addition to her performing career, Tracy is a dedicated teacher who has held faculty positions at St. Olaf College, Carleton College, Northwestern University, North Carolina State University and, since 2022, at Grinnell College. Her teaching reflects her belief in the power of curiosity, creativity, and disciplined artistry to inspire students both in music and beyond. Through her dual passions for performance and education, Tracy continues to enrich the musical community with her intelligence, independence and expressive spirit.

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.

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 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.

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.