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Kristine Balanas

Kristīne Balanas (born May 8, 1990)[1][2] is a Latvian violinist who is a laureate of many international violin competitions.

Early life and education

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Balanas received her first violin lessons at the age of seven[3] with Olita Meldere.[4] She later attended the Emīls Dārziņš Specialist Music School and studied with Romans Šnē.[4]

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.[5] From 2014 to 2015, she was an Artist-in-Residence at Buckingham University.

Career

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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.[6] 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.[4]

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."[7] The following year she won second place.[8]

Balanas released a music video in April 2018, of her performing Ysaÿe's "Obsession" from his Second Violin Sonata,[9] and including her "dressing up as a violin-hurling femme fatale surrounded by ballet dancers," according to The Strad.[10] In 2020, she released a music video of her performance of Philip Glass' The Baptism.[11]

Honors and awards

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  • 2004 and 2008, 1st Prize in the Latvian National Competition for Violinists[5][12]
  • 2007 12th Kloster Schöntal Violin Competition (1st Prize and 'Virtuoso Prize')[6][12]
  • 2010 J & A Beare International Solo Bach Competition, 2nd place[5][8]
  • 2011 30th Rudolf Lipizer Violin Competition in Gorizia, Italy, (Fourth prize and best performance of a 20th-century concerto)[6]
  • 2015 Julius Isserlis Scholar, Royal Philharmonic Society[5]
  • 2017 ARD International Music Competition, Third prize, violin[13][14]
  • 2018, elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music[15]
  • 2018 Premio al Talento Joven of the Excelentia Foundation in Madrid, Spain (Winner)[16][17]

Personal life

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Balanas has a younger sister, Margarita, who is a cellist and a brother, Roberts, who is a violinist.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition ... SENIOR SEMI-FINALISTS". Menuhin Competition. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
  2. ^ "PROGRAMMA - Eiropas Ziemassvētki" (in Latvian). eiropasziemassvetki.lv. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
  3. ^ "EMCY's "Stars of Tomorrow" Tour 2009". EMCY. 2009-06-30. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
  4. ^ a b c "CHAMBER SERIES - CHANGE OF ARTIST". Faust Chamber Orchestra. October 27, 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d "Kristine Balanas". Royal Philharmonic Society. June 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b "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. April 24, 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Should classical artists embrace music video singles?". The Strad. October 22, 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Violinist Kristine Balanas – Philip Glass 'The Baptism'". The Violin Channel. February 25, 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  12. ^ a b "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. March 20, 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. September 27, 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
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