Isabelle Belance-King

The Duke University Department of Music mourns the passing of Isabelle Belance-King, who died in Chicago in June after a brief illness. Isabelle received her Bachelor of Music with honors in music history and a Licentiate in Piano Performance from McGill University. She then matriculated at Duke, where she completed a Master of Arts in Musicology. She began teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and more recently served on the faculty of Harold Washington College in Chicago. An accomplished pianist and guitarist, she had many musical interests ranging from Liszt and Sigismond Thalberg to the Beatles, whose music she especially admired. Her infectious smile, serenity of spirit, and warm musicality touched everyone who met her, and she will be sorely missed. She is survived by her husband, Greg King, and newborn daughter Chloe. A memorial fund has been established for the support of her daughter. Inquiries may be directed to Christy Reuss.

Read Isabelle's obituary in the Chicago Tribune.

A call was sent out requesting alumni to share memories of Isabelle, and the wonderful photo and tribute below were submitted by Claire Fontijn (PhD '94). Any additional thoughts or photos may be sent to Elizabeth Thompson and they will be posted on this website.

From left to right: Stephen Zank, Isabelle Belance, Suzanne Purtee, Claire Fontijn and Robert Hill
(photographer: Barbara Norton)

One lovely evening in Durham in May 1990, Isabelle went out with four colleagues and Professor Hill from the Musicology program. We had dinner at Papagayo's, which was not far from Erwin Road in those days, and had a tremendous meal of Mexican food accompanied by Margaritas (of which Texan Barbara was fond!). Isabelle and Stephen lived across the way from me on Demerius Street. I can still call to mind the sound of Isabelle's lovely voice in lilting French and English, along with her great generous laugh. She had a beautiful spirit that brightened any room she entered. It was not long ago that I saw her again at an AMS meeting, a small reunion with our classmate J. Michael Cooper. Isabelle was just as sweet and brilliant as ever! She lives on in our memories of her, and of course through baby Chloe.

With a heavy heart, Claire (PhD '94)