Margarita Balanas (born 30 September 1993) is a Latvian concert cellist and conductor.

Margarita Balanas
BornDobele, Latvia
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Cellist, conductor
Instrument(s)Cello
Websitemargaritabalanas.com

Career

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Balanas won her first international competition at age eight, and made her concert debut in London at Wigmore Hall at age 17.[1]

She has performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London,[2] and at Corum as part of the Festival de Radio France et Montpellier with her sister Kristine Balanas.[3]

Balanas has appeared as a soloist with Iași "Moldova" Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Gabriel Bebeselea.[4]

Appearing with Carlos Izcaray conducting the Orquestra Sinfonica do Porto Casa da Música, she performed Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme in 2015.[5]

She performed with Lynn Harrell at the Adelaide International Cello Festival in 2014.[6] Her playing was favorably noted.[7]

In 2018 she performed with the Orchestra of St John's, conducted by John Lubbock at Ashmolean Museum Proms.[8]

In 2019, she and her sister performed at The Alpine Fellowship annual symposium.[9]

Balanas was selected by Gautier Capuçon for the "Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle" at the Fondation Louis Vuitton[10] with performances broadcast on Medici.tv.[11]

Instruments

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Balanas plays a Charles-Adolphe GandAuguste Tolbecque 1849 cello.[12] Her former instruments include Nicolo Gagliano and Giovanni Battista Rogeri cellos.[13]

Personal life

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Balanas is the sister of violinists Kristine Balanas and Roberts Balanas.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Margarita Balanas (cello), Malgorzata Garstka (piano) play Beethoven and Brahms - Classical-Music.com". www.classical-music.com.
  2. ^ "MMSF RECITAL: MARGARITA BALANAS - Thursday 3 Mar 2016, 6pm - Royal Festival Hall London - Philharmonia Orchestra". Philharmonia Orchestra.
  3. ^ "evenement - Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier". lefestival.eu.
  4. ^ "MARGARITA BALANAS CELLIST". Neamt Music Festival. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  5. ^ "3 July 2015". Casa de Musica. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  6. ^ "Adelaide International Cello Festival - Artists". www.adelaidecellofestival.com.au.
  7. ^ Forester, Gordon. "Music Review: Lynn Harrell & Margarita Balanas". Glam Adelaide. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  8. ^ "OSJ ASHMOLEAN PROM – MUSIC FROM RUSSIA". Orchestra of St. John’s. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  9. ^ "The Alpine Fellowship".
  10. ^ ""Classe d'Excellence de Violoncelle" Gautier Capuçon". Fondation Louis Vuitton.
  11. ^ "The concert of laureates (1)—under the direction of Gautier Capuçon".
  12. ^ "MARGARITA BALANAS – Neamt Music Festival". Neamtmusicfestival.com. 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  13. ^ "Soloists - Philharmonia Orchestra". Philharmonia Orchestra.
  14. ^ "Balanas sisters play Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia".
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