KristīneBalanas

In demand for her “savage, bold, dramatic playing” (The Strad), Kristīne’s head-turning transformation from a street musician and rock singer in Latvia to a graduate with honours from the Royal Academy of Music where she studied under György Pauk, and Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler under Kolja Blacher, marks her as an entirely idiosyncratic presence on stage.

The 24/25 season will see Kristīne make her debut with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra playing Bartok Violin Concerto No. 1 under the baton of Jukka-Pekka Saraste and with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Further performances include the Barber Violin Concerto at the inaugural concert of Chromatica Orchestra in London, the Beethoven Violin Concerto with Göttinger Symphony Orchestra, and Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 with Cappella Aquileia at Opernfestspiele Heidenheim under the direction of Marcus Bosch.

Recent highlights have included the Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria Tokyo with Trevor Pinnock, Orchestre National de Montpellier directed by Ainars Rubikis, Latvian National Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Concerto Budapest, George Enescu Philharmonic and returns to Philharmonie Merck and Risør Chamber Music Festival with Tine Thing Helseth. Kristīne recently made her Japanese debut with a solo recital and concerto engagement with the Kioi Hall Chamber Orchestra and was joined by her sister Margarita Balanas at "Night of the Young Stars", Dresdner Musikfestspiele, at the invitation of Jan Vogler.

Kristīne’s many successes in previous seasons include her debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Andris Poga at the Cadogan Hall, a nationwide tour with Kremerata Baltica, remarkable performances of the Brahms Double Concerto alongside her sister Margarita with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra at the prestigious L’Auditori in Barcelona, appearances with the Saarbrücken Symphony Orchestra under Sebastian Rouland and with the OrquestaClasica Santa Cecilia with conductor Lavard Skou Larsen.

Kristīne performs on the 1694 'Rutson' Stradivarius violin, kindly loaned to her by the Royal Academy of Music.