Strings | People | Faculty | Alumni
Calvin String Faculty
Calvin College string faculty members are active performers in the Grand Rapids community and around the world. In addition to a season of performances with the Grand Rapids Symphony, faculty have recently enjoyed the following highlights:
- Dr. David Reimer (violin) recently concluded his third summer as faculty of the MasterWorks Festival, a Christian fine arts camp. He performed two Heifetz arrangements on the Calvin College Faculty Showcase and is planning a Spring recital.
- Patricia Wunder (violin)
- Leslie Van Becker (viola)
- Karen Krummel (cello) will be giving a presentation at the January Michigan Music Teachers Conference and also performing on the Trinity Lutheran Church Recital Series in the Spring.
- Elizabeth Colpean (harp) has performed internationally, including a principal harp position with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and participation in the Seventh World Harp Congress in Prague.
Alumni Achievements
Susan (Hansen) Belliel (BA, 1992) enjoyed a fruitful four years at Calvin, playing in the Calvin String Quartet, rising to Co-Concertmaster of the Calvin College Orchestra and winning the concerto competition, resulting in a solo performance of Chausson’s Poeme with the CCO. During her stay at Calvin, the orchestra toured twice under the direction of Derald DeYoung, performing on the East Coast by way of Ohio and Pennsylvania (1989) and Canada (1992). After graduating with a degree in Music Education, Susan continued to enjoy musical success, winning a position in the Grand Rapids Symphony (1993) and playing in different bands that performed country, bluegrass, Celtic and jazz music. Currently, she can be heard with the GRSO and the country band Branded. Susan is married to Brian Belliel and is the mother of four daughters.
The Rogouwi String Quartet was a prolific ensemble at Calvin from 2004 to 2007, performing on tour in England, in two Fall Music Festivals, on the Music at Midday series at Park Church, Master Classes for the Eroica Trio and the Cavani String Quartet, the National Anthem for a Calvin sporting event, for many weddings and receptions, etc. Cellist Jon Wiest, the son of missionaries to Turkey, won the 2005/06 Concerto Competition and is now a scholarship graduate student at Temple University. Holland's Christine Witte, the 1st violinist, was a 3-year concertmaster for the CCO and picked up the viola in her final year to sit Principal Viola. Christine is now a scholarship grad student at DePaul. Catherine Rominger was a Music History major and now is working in the Admission Department of Oklahoma Baptist University. She is also the Principal Violist of the OBU Community Orchestra. Angela Gould, the 2nd violinist, is the only Rogouwi member that has not yet graduated. She played Principal Second Violin for the CCO during the fall semester and will be performing in recital in February.
