New Faces

New Faces

Please give a warm welcome to our new members!

In the 2010/2011 season:

What a great group of new members this year! Check back here as we collect more information about our many new members.

	Kitty Metzger Cello (started playing cello October 2006) First rehearsal: Sep. 7, 2010 Born in a brand new Chevrolet on the way to the hospital in Southwestern Iowa. Started playing piano at age 4. Took lessons from my Aunt Marice (who still is the local piano teacher and church organist). In high school played piano for choir as well as organ. Plays classical guitar and bass guitar. After a European Vacation, and touring music museums in Italy . . . I decided . . . "I must learn how to play the cello, after all . . . it's only one note at a time, how hard can it be?" The past 3-1/2 years, I've been a member of the Des Moines Symphony Academy playing with the "Temple Cellists". Four years later, I officially join the Des Moines Community Orchestra, a dream has come true. I get to play with "the pros!" I've been married to my WONDERFUL husband, Architect Daryl Metzger, since 1975. We have two "children," Larry, 10 (Black Lab) and Felix, 3-1/2 (fat worthless black cat). Larry the Lab reacts to F# and howls along. Felix the cat, likes to share the piano bench with me. I've been with Clear Channel Radio for 20 years in advertising sales, and also teach aerobics daily at the YMCA since 1980.
	Bernie Olhausen French horn
	Barb Barnes Violin First rehearsal: Sep. 7, 2010 Originally from Des Moines, Barb has only recently returned to the metro area. She is a retired pediatrician, and now works part time for Wesley Life.
	Mark Bakker Trombone First rehearsal: Sep. 14, 2010. Together with his wife, Teresa, Mark has two children, Allan and Vera, and one grandson, Michael. Hometown is Wellsburg, Iowa. Mark earned a BA degree in chemistry from Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Today he works as a tax preparer for Accounting Associates. Other interests include reading, golf, and other sports.
	Cornelia Montgomery Viola and Violin Born in Cedar Rapids, she studied with Flora Hrowaltka Taylor there. Cornelia has two sons. Retired now from work in the museum world (Islamic art), she has broad international connections, having lived in Cambridge, New York City, Iran, Belgium, and Morocco, to mention a few places. She says everywhere she's been, she's never been able to stop playing music, first with violin, and later viola. Her most recent and perhaps favorite musical experience has been playing in a quartet in Dublin, NH.
	Maria Johnson Flute and Cello First rehearsal: Sep. 7, 2010 Maria grew up in Iowa, but recently moved to Des Moines from Oregon where she taught music for the past seven years. She currently workds for Girl Scouts. She earned a B.S. degree in Music Education form Pensacola Christian College. Maria is married, and has two boys, 2-1/2 years and 7 months old.
	Betsy Dopf Cello

In the 2009/2010 season:

What a great start to a new season! Truly, new members are the lifeblood of the orchestra.

	Sandi Hurtado-Peters Violin First rehearsal: April 6, 2010
	Rebecca Wilson French Horn First rehearsal: January 5, 2010 A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Rebecca also has a masters degree in Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute in Chicago. Rebecca has been a bilingual kindergarten teacher for several years, but is currently taking a year off to be at home with her two children. She and her family recently moved to the Des Moines area from the Quad Cites.
	Yoshihiro (Yoshi) Ozaki Cello First rehearsal: January 12, 2010 Yoshi comes from Chiba, Japan. He graduated from a university in Japan with a Business degree, and also from Baylor University in Texas with Biochemistry and Music degrees. Yoshi studied cello at Baylor, where he performed Elgar's Cello Concerto with the Baylor Campus Orchestra. Currently, Yoshi is at Des Moines University studying to become a physician. While here, he formed a Des Moines University quartet, including fellow DMCO musicians, Nicole Nelson and Deb Gordley. Yoshi is a ski instructor, and loves baking cakes, and cooking.
	Khristi Blocton Cello First rehearsal: January 5, 2010 Khristi is a 2005 graduate of Drake University, with a degree in Music Education. She currently works for Principal Financial group, DMACC Ankeny Library, and teaches cello at Rieman's Music. Khristi is also pursuing a Masters Degree in Library Science through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Distance Education program.
	Brad Smerage Violin First rehearsal: November 10, 2009 Brad relocated to Des Moines from Seattle, WA, in 2004. With him came his wife, Sarah, and daughter, Grace. Their son, Owen, followed shortly in 2005. By day, Brad is a tax consultant with RSM McGladrey. Music has always been a central part of life for Brad, playing both the violin and guitar for several years. Violin was a significant focus in the early years, including starting off college as a violin performance major. In more recent years, the guitar took primary focus, and he has played in several bands, playing music for some of the night crowds in Seattle and Des Moines. Brad says joining DMCO feels like "coming home" again - playing symphonic music again reminds him of one of the true joys of life.
	Laura DeKock Viola First rehearsal: October 6, 2009 Laura is from Pella, Iowa, and currently attends Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny. Laura also works at the Animal Health Clinic in Ankeny.
	Grant Caswell Bassoon First rehearsal: September 29, 2009 Grant is from Des Moines, and is currently a Music Major at Drake University. He graduated from Southeast Polk High School in 2008, and has played bassoon since December 2005. Grant also loves kilts and things that involve kilts, but is yet to learn to play the bagpipes ... something coming soon no doubt.
	Loren Stoneberg Trumpet First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 Loren grew up in the country near Aredale, Iowa, attending high school in Dumont. Education includes a B.S. in Pastoral Studies at Faith Baptist College in Ankeny, Iowa. Married 23 years, his family includes wife Brenda, son Erik, 20, and daughter Rachael, 18. Loren works in welding at Vermeer in Pella, and is active on weekends in Pulpit Supply in north central Iowa. His family is very musical -- in addition to Loren on trumpet, Brenda plays horn, Rachael piano, and Erik trumpet and guitar.
	Susanna Fessel Violin First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 A senior at Faith Baptist College in Ankeny, Iowa, Susanna is from Charles City, Iowa, but grew up in Germany. Susanna is pursuing a degree in music education.
	Scott Thebeau Violin First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Scott attended Parks College of St. Louis University. With a degree in Aviation Science, Scott works as a pilot for Republic Airways. After a life-long interest in the violin, Scott finally began taking violin lessons about 2-1/2 years ago.
	Gail Harrison Violin First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 Gail recently moved to Des Moines from Muscatine, Iowa, where she played in the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra under Brian Dollinger. Originally from Mt. Morris, Michigan, Gail and her husband have two sons. Gail has been playing violin since 1997.
	Hoang Bui Violin First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 Hoang is married, and mother of four children. Des Moines is hometown, and she works at Wells Fargo Financial. Hoang is a graduate of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.
	Adam Ford Cello First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 Adam is a life-long resident of West Des Moines, and currently attends Heritage Christian Academy in Des Moines. In addition to cello, he plays 7-string jazz guitar, bass guitar, bass clarinet, fiddle, mandolin, and pretty much anything else with strings that he can get his hands on. Adam is a member of the West Des Moines Community Band, and contributes to music ministry weekly at church services.
	Derrick Hawks Trombone First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 Derrick grew up in Dunbar, Wisconsin. He's currently a student at Faith Baptist College in Ankeny, working on a degree in music education. Derrick's hobbies include music, reading, and baseball.
	Michael Swope Trumpet First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 Michael is a recent graduate of Faith Baptist College in Ankeny, his hometown. Currently, Michael works at Perishable Distributors of Iowa, and will soon start studies for a Masters in Music Education. Michael helped start a brass quintet called Impromptu Brass, where he performs weekly. Michael is married to "a beautiful young lady named Susan."
	Nicole Nelson Violin First rehearsal: September 8, 2009 Nicole recently returned to hometown, Des Moines, after attending undergraduate studies at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, majoring there in biology, anthropology, and pre-med, with minors in mathematics and biochemistry. Nicole now attends Des Moines University, studying to become a physician.
	Stephen Lounsbrough Violin First rehearsal: September 22, 2009
	Julie Stroud Violin First rehearsal: September 29, 2009 A Des Moines native, Julie grew up in West Des Moines. She studied violin locally with Jim Brauninger and Cheryl Kutscher, and earned music degrees as an adult student from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and the University of Northern Iowa. Julie teaches violin locally, and via live webcam to students in Nevada, New Jersey, and Newfoundland. She also enjoys writing, playing with dirt, food and power tools, and dabbling with rock and blues on her electric violin. Julie lives in Norwalk with her husband Pat, son Eric (4), and Purrcy the Cat. Visit her on the web at http://www.violinnovation.com .