Kristīne Balanas (born May 8, 1990) is a Latvian

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist 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 The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

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 ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

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

* 2004 and 2008, 1st Prize in the Latvian National Competition for Violinists * 2007 12th Kloster Schöntal Violin Competition (1st Prize and 'Virtuoso Prize') * 2010 J & A Beare International Solo Bach Competition, 2nd place * 2011 30th Rudolf Lipizer Violin Competition in Gorizia, Italy, (Fourth prize and best performance of a 20th-century concerto) * 2015 Julius Isserlis Scholar,

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

* 2017 ARD International Music Competition, Third prize, violin * 2018, elected Associate of the

* 2018 Premio al Talento Joven of the Excelentia Foundation in Madrid, Spain (Winner)

Personal life

Balanas has a younger sister,

Margarita A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice (on the rock ...

, who is a cellist and a brother, Roberts, who is a violinist.

References

External links

KRISTINE BALANAS
(official website) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Balanas, Kristine Living people People from Dobele Latvian violinists 21st-century violinists 1990 births