DMSO at Home Live Happy Holidays with John Helmich & Sophia Ahmad

John Helmich Violin

Violinist 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, Miriam Fried, Pamela Frank, 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 Derazey Piano Trio, the Belin Quartet, the Des Moines Metro Opera, and the Des Moines Symphony. He has performed on concert series at the Des Moines Art Center, the Des Moines Salisbury House, as well as for the World Food Prize, and the Iowa Gubernatorial Inauguration Ceremony. He has served as Principal Second Violin of the Des Moines Metro Opera, and is currently Associate Concertmaster. He has also performed in opera productions with Drake University, Simpson College, and the University of Iowa. He is currently a member of the first violin section of the Des Moines Symphony. In addition, Mr. Helmich has collaborated with today’s pop and jazz musicians including Josh Groban, Amy Grant, Max Wellman, and Mannheim Steamroller. He has also performed with numerous national touring Broadway shows.

Mr. Helmich has served as Teaching Artist of Violin at Drake University. He also teaches violin and coaches chamber music groups at the Des Moines Symphony Academy. His students have been accepted into the nation’s top music schools, including the New England Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music, Oberlin, Northwestern University, and the Peabody Conservatory.

Sophia Ahmad Piano

Sophia S. Ahmad is Senior Director of Development of Mercy Foundation. Prior to this recent appointment, she was Vice President of Public Relations at the Greater Des Moines Partnership and, from 2011-2015, she served as Director of Marketing and Public Relations at the Des Moines Symphony and Academy. During her tenure, she oversaw earned revenue and under her leadership, the organization consistently reported its highest subscription and single ticket sales revenue in history.

As a pianist, she collaborates regularly with Simon Estes, she has recorded for Prentice Hall’s Inside the Orchestra DVD and she has performed with artists from the New World Symphony, the National Portuguese Symphony Orchestra and the Des Moines Symphony, among others. In 2013, she presented a lecture recital entitled Schumann’s Romantic Forest: A Musical Journey Through ‘Waldszenen, Op. 82 throughout Central Iowa and at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. An advocate of new music, she has premiered numerous pieces and worked with composers including Libby Larsen, Bright Sheng and Simone Fontanelli. Her solo performances have been broadcast on Iowa Public Radio, and in 2012, she made solo appearances at Iowa State University and Drake University, performing the music of Philip Glass. She also appeared as the keyboard soloist in Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 with the OSSIA new music ensemble.

Ms. Ahmad is a Presser Scholar and active as a music teacher, performer, critic and writer. At the Eastman School of Music, she taught piano class, and she co-founded and performed in the annual Women in Music Festival. She was invited to make a solo appearance in March 2014 at the tenth anniversary of the Festival, which featured Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Higdon as its composer-in-residence.

Ms. Ahmad holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Literature and an Arts Leadership Certificate from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., with additional chamber music studies in collaboration with New England Conservatory in Boston, Mass. Her principal teachers have included Edward Ferdinand, Mia Chung-Yee, Anne and Raymond Hanson and Douglas Humpherys. She has appeared in master classes and coachings with Malcolm Bilson, Martin Canin, Ursula Oppens, David Deveau and James Buswell.