BELLANOTA STRINGS & OUR MUSICIANS
BellaNota Strings is a professional ensemble of Weddings & Events Musicians who’s been based in Atlanta since 2017. We have been building the diverse repertoire of songs to perform, developing our own unique & beautiful sound. We can provide you with all the support you need to make your event unique and special. We are one of the most popular event ensembles in Atlanta. Please don’t hesitate to contact us directly with any questions, special requests, or for more information about us, our performance experience, and musical services.
Rosie Riquelme, Director of Orchestras at Collins Hill High School, received her Bachelors of Music Education degree from Georgia College and State University where she was a student of Dr. Daniel Kaplunas.
As a violinist, she has performed with various groups including the Omaggio String Quartet, GCSU String Ensemble, GCSU String Quartet, Georgia All-College Orchestra, Agnes Scott Community Orchestra, Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra, Gwinnett County Chamber Orchestra, and the Da Salo Solisti Chamber Orchestra.
While attending GCSU, she was concert master for five terms. Rosie has had the honor or performing with various performing artists including Josh Groban, Michael Buble, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Ashanti Floyd otherwise known as “The Mad Violinist”.
Rosie also teaches private violin lessons at the Lawrenceville Suwanee School of Music.
Rosie Riquelme - Violin
Founding Member
Colin comes from a musical family in which his mother played harp and piano, and his sister played flute and cello, and his wife plays flute and piano.
He is an alumni of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. There his formal music education included Violin under the tutelage of Serban Rusu and Davis Law, Viola Performance with Susan Bates & Melissa McBride, Composition, and Conducting, where he received training under the baton of Suzanne Suwanda, Herbert Blomstedt of the San Francisco Symphony and Seiji Ozawa. Colin has performed with the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra, Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra, Gwinnett Symphony Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Youth Symphony, Stanford Summer Symphony, California Summer Symphony, and the El Camino Youth Symphony, where he won Concerto Competitions performing the Bruch 2nd Violin Concerto and the Walton Viola Concerto. Colin has also performed as a guest violinist for the San Francisco Symphony and the University of Texas Symphony in San Antonio. Before joining the Georgia Philharmonic, Colin was also the General Manager for the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra.
Colin Ogg - Violin
Founding Member
Christopher Williams is a violist specializing in the performance of new and innovative music. His debut solo album, Viola Voltage (2018), features electroacoustic works for solo viola and various electronic medias. He has performed with orchestras in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana, and Alabama. He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Georgia in 2018. He also earned his Master’s Degree in Music Performance from UGA in 2014. He was awarded Director’s Excellence Award from UGA in 2016 for his performances in numerous graduate chamber ensembles. He studied viola performance with Maggie Snyder, Idalynn Besser, Seanad Chang, Scott Rawls, Erika Eckert, and Rebecca Bull. Christopher is an active violin, viola, and cello teacher for the UGA Community Music School and also hosts sectionals and master classes throughout various student orchestras in Georgia.
Christopher Williams - Viola
Founding Member
A native of Atlanta, Harrison’s interest in orchestral playing began when he joined the Buckhead Youth Orchestra. Two years later he had the privilege of becoming a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Jere Flint. Harrison began his undergraduate career at Columbus State University, studying under Andres Dias and Troy Stewart. He finished his undergraduate education at Georgia State University where he studied under Martha Gerschefski and earned a Bachelors of Arts in Music Performance. Harrison recently received a Masters in Music Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied under renowned cellist Anne Martindale-Williams. He now studies with various members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, including Joel Dallow, Brad Ritchie, and Christopher Rex. Harrison has had many opportunities to travel and perform overseas, including China, France, Italy, as well as for Prince Albert II in Monaco. Harrison Cook regularly performs with local orchestras around the Atlanta community. He also plays with various trios and quartets at private parties, weddings, and corporate functions. When not playing as a freelance musician, he is busy teaching privately. Harrison has a home studio in Kennesaw, GA, and at Simpson Middle School.
Harrison Cook - Cello
Founding Member
Lacey Glancy began studying violin at age 5, piano at 7, and cello at 11. She received her Bachelor's degree in Music from Brigham Young University. Most recently she was Principal Second Violin with the Georgia Philharmonic, and prior to relocating to Georgia she was the Principal Second Violin for the Houston Civic Symphony. She teaches private music lessons out of her home studio and sings in her church choir. She is the mother to twin boys and loves art, reading, and fitness.
Lacey Glancy - Violin
Nick Hoy is attending his first year of doctoral studies in music at UGA. He performs with the UGA’s “The Secret Sits”, a new chamber music ensemble at UGA under the direction of Dr. Michael Heald. Previously he was the concertmaster of the Alpharetta Symphony, and principal 2nd violin with Georgia Philharmonic for the 2017-2018 concert season.
Nick Hoy - Violin
The proud mother of 2 beautiful daughters, Carolyn is currently an Orchestra Director in the Gwinnett County Public School System. Carolyn has served as the section violist with the Spartanburg Philharmonic, the Augusta Symphony, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra & the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra. She also served as a Music Education Department Teaching Assistant and Professor of Record at the University of Georgia.
Carolyn Alford - Viola
Phoebe Clark began learning piano at age 5 and switched to cello at age 11. She focused on cello throughout high school, performing with the Kendall Honor Orchestra and the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony. Clark then went on to study cello with Dr. David Starkweather at the University of Georgia, while getting her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education. She performed as a concert cellist with the UGA Symphony Orchestra and the Athens Symphony. Clark is now a full-time orchestra teacher in the Gwinnett County Public School system. She has been a cellist for BellaNota and BellaSempre Strings for 2 years.
Phoebe Clark - Cello
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Dr. Karen Michelle Bergmann is a native of central Maryland, where she started her musical journey on violin and piano at 4 years old, switching to cello at the age of 8. She attended high school at the Baltimore School for the Arts, then went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree Magna cum Laude with a double major in Music and Religious Studies at Ithaca College in upstate New York. Karen subsequently won a full scholarship to complete her Master’s studies at the Irish World Music Centre at the University of Limerick, Ireland. She then relocated to Tuscany, Italy, where she studied at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory and developed her career as a soloist and chamber musician, highlighted by a series of concerts at the historic Orsanmichele church in Florence’s city center. Karen returned to the U.S. in February of 2007. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Georgia in May of 2012, and is currently a full-time freelance musician and Suzuki-certified cello teacher based in Athens, GA.
Karen Bergmann - Cello
Kathryn G. Otwell began violin at the age of three under the tutelage of her mother, Valerie B. Gardner (graduate of Curtis Institute of Music). Kathryn continued her study in violin receiving both her undergraduate and masters in violin performance. Since the age of sixteen, she has soloed with various symphonies and won multiple scholarships. She has performed internationally with various ensembles and has instructed nationally in numerous violin workshops. Kathryn has been teaching privately for over twenty years and continues to instruct violin and piano in her home and at Jackson Music Store. She has performed most recently with Georgia Philharmonic (concert master), Atlanta Ballet Symphony, Atlanta Pops, Atlanta Opera, and Asheville Symphony Orchestra (principal second). When not working, Kathryn enjoys riding horses, reading, spending time with her family, and teaching martial arts at her local YMCA.
Katie Otwell - Violin
Coming from a family with no musical background, Jonathan is the first in his family to take music seriously. He began learning cello at the age of 11 and by the age of 17, has performed in Carnegie Hall and The Lincoln Center in NYC, along with various other prestigious venues throughout Denver, CO and Metro Atlanta. Jonathan was part of the most prestigious youth orchestras in Georgia (Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, All State Orchestra, etc.) and has placed 1st in multiple local competitions in Georgia. Nowadays, Jonathan teaches cello and gigs on the side when he has time. He enjoys playing various soundtracks from his favorite video games during his free time as well.
Jonathan Fan – Cello
