Known for her distinguished artistry and mesmerising stage presence, Margarita Balanas has performed for audiences world-wide, being hailed as “powerful, delicate, intense and brilliant” (GLAM Adelaide).
Latvian cellist and conductor Margarita Balanas has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Foundation Louis Vuitton, Walt Disney Hall and L’Auditori Barcelona.
Recipient of Latvian Grand Music Award, Margarita has performed as a soloist with renowned orchestras including The Munich Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta Riga, Saarbrucken Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, and has participated in acclaimed festivals including Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, International Cello Festival Shanghai, Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier.
In addition to her career as a cellist, Margarita Balanas is the assistant conductor of Paavo Järvi at the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in season 23/24. She is the founder and music director of the ANONIMI orchestra and charity, and has conducted the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, Glover-Edwards Symphony Orchestra, Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Järvi Academy Orchestra and Sinfonietta. Margarita has received mentorship and guidance from Paavo Järvi, Ben Palmer, Sigmund Thorp, Neeme Järvi and Leonid Grin and was selected for Professional Diploma studies in conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London under Sian Edwards.
This season’s highlights include concerto performances with the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, performances at Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Moritzburg Festival, U.S. and Europe tours with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi. Margarita will be conducting Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Orquestra Do Algarve featuring her violinist sister Kristīne Balanas as soloist, Cayman Arts Festival Camerata and ANONIMI orchestra.
Margarita is a recognised guest artist for Classic FM, Scala Radio, BBC Radio 3 In Tune. Her debut album of Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No.1 and other works with Linn Records has since been featured on some of the most exciting Apple Music playlists such as ‘Classical You Must Hear This Month’, ‘Women in Classical Music’ and ‘The A-List Classical’. Margarita recorded for Deutsche Grammophon at Musikverein together with Anne-Sophie Mutter and Mutter’s Virtuosi.
Margarita currently plays the Charles-Adolphe Gand ‘Auguste Tolbecque’ 1849 cello kindly on loan from The Little Butterfly Foundation. Camille Saint-Saëns wrote his cello Concerto No. 1 for Tolbecque who premiered the concerto on this cello in 1873.