''…I thought it was so fantastic, I just had to share it with you all. ‘' Sir Elton John, on Roberts Balanas' arrangement of ‘I'm Still Standing’

''FREAK'‘ - vulfpeck

A musician of eclectic artistry, Latvian violinist Roberts Balanas enjoys a wide range of musical interests and aims to tear down the boundaries between different genres of music. Combining his background in classical music with the sound worlds of pop, rock and funk, his solo violin arrangements have amassed millions of views across the web.

Recent highlights include solo shows at Latvian National Opera, Vilnius Philharmonic Hall, EartH Theatre and OMEARA (London), Bridgewater Hall (Manchester) and Medinet Habu Temple (Luxor, Egypt) among others. Upcoming performances include concerts and workshops at Cayman Arts Festival as well as his debut with Latvian National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of 'Dharma at Big Sur’, the 6 string electric violin concerto by John Adams under the baton of Ainārs Rubiķis.

Having made his solo debut at London’s Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall at the age of 16, Roberts has performed extensively across the UK, Europe and Asia ever since. His musical collaborations include eminent artists such as Trevor Pinnock, Miloš Karadaglić, Jess Gillam and Edward Gardner. His performances are regularly featured on Classic FM, The Violin Channel, BBC Radio 3 and Scala Radio amongst others.

Balanas is grateful to Hattori Foundation, The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Tillett Trust and Albert Cooper Musical Trust for their generous support. He currently performs on a 2021 Paul Belin violin and a custom made Fortevio 6 string electric violin.