Kristīne Balanas

  • Violin

General management

KristineBalanas_2©AigaVitola_@aiga.vitola.photo

Kristīne Balanas - A musician of “eye-popping virtuosity” (The Times)

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 an internationally acclaimed soloist in classical music is unprecedented.

Born into a family of non-musicians, Kristīne as well as her siblings Margarita and Roberts devoted their energy and their life to music and made their way as professional, internationally acclaimed soloists all of which follow their own musical profile. The street music not only provided the funding for Kristīne’s first violin but also nurtured her ability to forge deep connections with her audience and to play with her full heart, regardless of the setting. The contrast between the freedom of creating and performing in untraditional environments and the disciplined atmosphere of Europe’s leading music academies profoundly shaped her artistic identity. She also has a deep desire to open classical music to a wider audience and, for example, to make challenging works accessible through concert introductions.
Kristīne graduated with honors from the Royal Academy of Music, studying under György Pauk, and continued her education at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler under Kolja Blacher.

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Kristīne Balanas is working with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Liverpool Philharmonic, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Saarländisches Staatsorchester, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris (directing from the violin), Orchestre National de Montpellier, European Union Youth Orchestra, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Trondheim Symfoniorkester, Kremerata Baltica, Latvian National Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic, Concerto Budapest, Israel Philharmonic, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kioi Hall Chamber Orchestra.

She is playing with conductors such as Jukka-Pekka Saraste, James Gaffigan, Tarmo Peltokoski, Trevor Pinnock, Gergely Madaras, Andris Poga, Margarita Balanas, Ainars Rubikis, Kristiina Poska, Harry Ogg, Shiyeon Sung, Josep Vicent, Lin Liao, Marcus Bosch and Chloe van Soeterstede.

Kristīne has performed at festivals and concert halls including L’Auditori in Barcelona, Royal Albert Hall, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, the Moritzburg Festival, Festival Radio France Occitaine Montpellier, Fjord Classics, Philharmonie Merck and Risør Chamber Music Festival and Montserrat International Chamber Music Week.

A regular guest soloist on Latvian National Radio Recitals, Kristīne has also performed on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and BBC One’s The One Show, and given recitals at the Purcell Room, St. John’s Smith Square and Kings Place.

Kristīne Balanas has won numerous prices, amongst them the 2018 Young Artist of the Year in the Grand Music Awards of her home country, the Fundacion Excelentia Young Talent Award from Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain, and the 3rd prize of the 66th International ARD Music Competition.

Kristīne performs on a 1787 Antonio Gragnani violin, kindly loaned to her by “The Little Butterfly Foundation”.

Season 2025/2026

Please use this by Weigold & Böhm authorized Biography only.

Contacts

Photos

  • KristineBalanas_2©AigaVitola_@aiga.vitola.photo
  • KristineBalanas_1©AigaVitola_@aiga.vitola.photo
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  • KristineBalanas_8©AigaVitola_@aiga.vitola.photo
  • KristineBalanas_12©AigaVitola_@aiga.vitola.photo
  • Balanas Sisters ©Decca / Pip Bourdillon
  • Balanas Sisters ©Decca / Pip Bourdillon
  • Balanas Sisters ©Decca / Pip Bourdillon
  • Balanas Sisters ©Decca / Pip Bourdillon

News

Balanas Sisters ©Decca / Pip Bourdillon

Kristīne and Margarita Balanas have signed with Decca Classics

KristineBalanas_2©AigaVitola_@aiga.vitola.photo

New General Management: Kristīne Balanas

Concerts

  • Kristine Balanas

    Poole, 7:30 pm

    Details
    Tickets

    Orchestra:

    Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

    Conductor:

    Gergely Madaras

    Program:

    Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Fantasie und Fuge c-Moll BWV 537 (Bearbeitung von Edward Elgar, op.86) (9 Min.)
    Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): Konzert für Violine und Orchester d-Moll op. 47 (32 Min.)
    ~
    Josef Suk (1874-1935): Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale ´St. Wenceslas´ Op. 35a  (7 Min.)
    Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936): Vetrate da chiesa - 4 Impressionen (27 Min.)

    Location:

    Lighthouse, Poole´s Centre for the Arts

    Organizer:

    www.bsolive.com

  • Kristine Balanas

    Santa Maria da Feira, 5:30 pm

    Details
    Tickets

    Partner(s):

    Margarita Balanas

    Program:

    Johan Halvorsen (1864-1935): Passacaglia für Violine und Viola über ein Thema von Händel
    Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Partita für Violine solo Nr. 3 E-Dur BWV 1006
    Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Suite für Violoncello Nr. 1 BWV 1007 G-Dur
    Pause
    Peteris Vasks (1946-): Castillo Interior
    Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): Sonate für Violine und Klavier G-Dur

    Location:

    Igreja da Misericórdia

    Organizer:

    https://fimuv.pt/

  • Kristine Balanas

    Chichester, 7:30 pm

    Details
    Tickets

    Orchestra:

    Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

    Conductor:

    Gergely Madaras

    Program:

    Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Fantasie und Fuge c-Moll BWV 537 (Bearbeitung von Edward Elgar, op.86) (9 Min.)
    Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): Konzert für Violine und Orchester d-Moll op. 47 (32 Min.)
    ~
    Josef Suk (1874-1935): Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale ´St. Wenceslas´ Op. 35a  (7 Min.)
    Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936): Vetrate da chiesa - 4 Impressionen (27 Min.)

    Location:

    Chichester Cathedral

    Organizer:

    www.bsolive.com

  • Kristine Balanas

    Famagusta, 8:00 pm

    Details

    Orchestra:

    TRNC Presidential Symphony Orchestra

    Conductor:

    Rengim Gökmen

    Program:

    Brahms: Konzert für Violine und Orchester D-Dur op. 77

    Location:

    Rauf Raif Denktas Culture and Congress Center

    Organizer:

    https://www.presidency.gov.cy/cypresidency/cypresidency.nsf/home/home?openform

  • Kristine Balanas

    Strovolos, 8:00 pm

    Details

    Orchestra:

    TRNC Presidential Symphony Orchestra

    Conductor:

    Rengim Gökmen

    Program:

    Brahms: Konzert für Violine und Orchester D-Dur op. 77

    Location:

    Presidential Palace

    Organizer:

    https://www.presidency.gov.cy/cypresidency/cypresidency.nsf/home/home?openform

Projects

  • Kristine Balanas (Violine) - Margarita Balanas (Violoncello)

    Details

    Program:

    Kodály: Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 (1914)
    Peteris Vasks: Castillo Interior (2015)
    ~
    Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Cello, M 73 (1920-22)
    Handel/Halvorsen: Passacaglia from Suite No. 7 in G minor
    Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (arr. for violin and cello)

    Contact:

YouTube

Playlist

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Biography 2025/26