“The latest voice in the dialogue about what the future of classical music might look like” (The Arts Desk)

"It's more mysterious than ever today what it takes to be a conductor, but you can tell straight away whether someone has that certain something. Margarita Balanas has it." (Paavo Järvi)

“powerful, delicate, intense and brilliant” (GLAM Adelaide)

Latvian cellist and conductor Margarita Balanas has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, Sydney Opera House, 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 Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, International Cello Festival Shanghai, Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier.

Margarita Balanas holds the position of Assistant Conductor to Paavo Järvi at the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in season 23/24 and 24/25. She is the founder and music director of the ANONIMI orchestra and charity. Margarita has conducted the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Orquestra do Algarve, 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.

Seasons highlights include conducting the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and working with composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir. Margarita was the soloist in Schumann concerto performances with the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck and conductor Ben Palmer, and with Liepaja Symphony Orchestra and conductor Guntis Kuzma at 143rd Season Closing concert; Saint- Saens concerto No.1 performance with Fidelio Orchestra and conductor Raffaello Morales. She performed at the Dresdner Musikfestspiele and Moritzburg Festival together with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas, who was also the soloist in her conducting debut with Orquestra Do Algarve in Beethoven violin concerto in Portugal and Spain.

Margarita and Kristīne Balanas, performing together as Balanas sisters, recently concluded a highly successful Australian tour, performing in some of the country’s most prestigious venues. Their concerts at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Centre, Snow Concert Hall in Canberra, and North Baroque Hall in Adelaide, among others, were met with sold-out audiences and critical acclaim. The sisters’ exceptional artistry and seamless musical synergy captivated listeners, earning rave reviews from major publications such as The Age, Limelight, and The Sydney Morning Herald. Their performances were further recognized through features on prominent platforms, including ABC Classic Drive Live – Studio Performance & Interview, 2MBS Fine Music, Eastside FM Sydney, and 5MBS Adelaide. . "Such an engrossing study of contrasts can only raise the hope that these consummate musicians will soon return."– Tony Way, The Age (★★★★★)

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 toured the U.S. and Europe with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi and  recorded for Deutsche Grammophon at Musikverein.

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.