Kristine Balanas

Kristīne Balanas (born 8 May 1990) is a Latvian violinist who is a laureate of many international violin competitions.

Early life and education

Balanas received her first violin lessons at the age of seven with Olita Meldere. She later attended the Emīls Dārziņš Specialist Music School and studied with Romans Šnē.

Balanas studied with Professor György Pauk at the Royal Academy of Music in London for her undergraduate degree, and graduated with a Master of Arts in 2014. From 2014 to 2015, she was an Artist-in-Residence at Buckingham University.

Career

Balanas has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra, the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, and the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra. She has performed as a soloist in the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, London Philharmonic, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, EUYO Symphony Orchestra, Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, and Latvian National Orchestra.

The Guardian's Joe Staines ranked Balanas as the best violinist at the Bishopsgate Institute's 2009 J&A Beare Solo Bach competition, characterising her performance as "outstanding" and "wonderful." The following year she won second place.

Balanas released a music video in April 2018, of her performing Ysaÿe's "Obsession" from his Second Violin Sonata, and including her "dressing up as a violin-hurling femme fatale surrounded by ballet dancers," according to The Strad. In 2020, she released a music video of her performance of Philip Glass' The Baptism.

Honors and awards

Personal life

Balanas has a younger sister, Margarita, who is a cellist and a brother, Roberts, who is a violinist.

References

  1. ↑ "Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition ... SENIOR SEMI-FINALISTS". Menuhin Competition. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  2. ↑ "PROGRAMMA - Eiropas Ziemassvētki" (in Latvian). eiropasziemassvetki.lv. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  3. ↑ "EMCY's "Stars of Tomorrow" Tour 2009". EMCY. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "CHAMBER SERIES - CHANGE OF ARTIST". Faust Chamber Orchestra. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Kristine Balanas". Royal Philharmonic Society. June 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "Kristine Balanas". medici.tv. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Joe Staines (6 March 2010). "Bach in Bishopsgate: a tiny festival that punches well above its weight". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2021. Of the violinists, I felt that Kristine Balanas was outstanding and seemed the obvious winner of the entire competition [...] the wonderful Balanas
  8. 1 2 "Taejun Park wins J.&A. Beare Solo Bach Competition". The Strad. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2021. The second prize of £500 went to 20-year-old Latvian violinist Kristine Balanas
  9. ↑ "Kristine Balanas' video for her performance of Ysaÿe's 'Obsession'". The Strad. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Should classical artists embrace music video singles?". The Strad. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "Violinist Kristine Balanas – Philip Glass 'The Baptism'". The Violin Channel. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Kristine Balanas – violin Reinis Zarins – piano". The Dysart Petersham. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "ARD Violin Competition awards no first prize – again". The Strad. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2021. Kristine Balanas (Latvia) taking third
  14. ↑ "Violinist Kristine Balanas – 'Being Prepared for the Unexpected to Happen on Stage'". The Violin Channel. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC HONOURS ANNOUNCED". Royal Academy of Music. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2021. Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) - Awarded to former students who have made a significant contribution to the music profession [...] Kristine Balanas Violin
  16. ↑ "Kristine Balanas y Lavard Skou Larsen abren la temporada 20/21 de la Fundación Excelentia". Beckmesser (in Spanish). 20 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021. Kristina Balanas, ganadora del Premio al Talento Joven de esta Fundación
  17. ↑ "IV Premio Excelentia a la música clásica en el Auditorio Nacional". Fundación Excelentia (in Spanish). 19 May 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2021. – «Jóvenes talentos»: ARTHUR Y LUCAS JUSSEN, y KRISTINA BALANAS
  18. ↑ "Balanas sisters play Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia". The Strad. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2021.