Meet the Directors
Mrs. Elizabeth Balkema is the Director of Orchestras at Heritage High School in Frisco, Texas.
Mrs. Balkema grew up in Odessa, Texas and graduated from Permian High School. She attended Texas Tech University where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree. While at Texas Tech, she studied music education with Dr. Bruce Wood, conducting under Gary Lewis and cello with Dr. Alexander Ezerman. Mrs. Balkema also had the opportunity to teach with the Texas Tech String Project.
Mrs. Balkema's teaching career began in 2005. Prior to coming to Frisco, Mrs. Balkema taught in the Midland and Mesquite Independent School Districts. She had the privilege of opening Heritage High School in 2009 and grew the orchestra program from 23 students to over 170. Under her direction, the Heritage orchestras have received several UIL Sweepstakes awards as well as top honors at music festivals around the state.
Mrs. Balkema is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), Texas Orchestra Directors Association (TODA) and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA).
In her free time, Mrs. Balkema enjoys spending time with her husband Dan, two children Lily and Andrew and golden retriever, Daphne. She also enjoys traveling, attending concerts and plays, reading and supporting the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers!
Ms. Laurel Day grew up in Richardson, Texas, and graduated from Richardson High School. She attended The University of Texas at Arlington and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2022. While at UTA, Ms. Day studied viola with Catherine Forbes and conducting with Dr. Clifton Evans. She was also a member of the UTA Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Music Program.
Ms. Day is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) and Texas Orchestra Directors Association (TODA).
In her free time, Ms. Day enjoys spending time with her family and friends—and her dog, Bonnie. She also enjoys reading, weightlifting/running, and eating way too many desserts.
Mrs. Young Park is the harp director at Heritage High School and she began teaching at FISD in 2010.
Mrs. Park's musical journey began at age 12 as she spent time under the guidance of her mother who was a pianist. Upon listening to the mother's friend at church playing the harp, she decided to take one lesson and immediately fell in love.
She earned her bachelor's degree in Orchestral Instruments at Ewha Women's University in Seoul, Korea. Afterward, she went to Paris to pursue her master's degree in harp studies at Ècole Nationale de Musique de Chartres with eminent French harpist Cathrine Michel. Mrs. Park then continued her studies at Conservatoire de Boulogne-Billancourt.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling, arranging music for harp, gardening, and cooking. She currently plays with her church's choir on Sundays.