Abel Balazs

An alumnus, scholar and prize winner of the Royal College of Music in London, Abel Balazs is a versatile violinist specialising on historical violins. His repertoire ranges from the early 17th century and 20th centuries with a specific interest in late 18th century German repertoire and early 19th century music.

During his MPerf degree and Artist Diploma studies at the RCM, he was a Parnassus Award Holder studying under professor Catherine Martin and Bojan Čičić. For his Artist Diploma recital in June 2019, he was awarded the McKenna Prize 2019 for having the highest mark in a baroque instrument at the Royal College of Music.

Abel has participated in masterclasses and received tutoring from various prominent musicians, among them, Pavlo Beznosiuk, Enrico Gatti, Vittorio Ghielmi, Amandine Beyer, Chiara Banchini, Adrian Butterfield, Monica Huggett, Catherine Mackintosh and Alessandro Tampieri.

Abel has been performing and recording with several leading period instrument ensembles in the U.K., including Florilegium, Gabrieli Consort & Players, Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Early Opera Company, La Nuova Musica, The Counterpoint Ensemble, Oxford Bach soloists, VOCES8 Baroque orchestra and The Illyria Consort.

In Portugal, he is a tutti violinist of the Orquestra Barroca da Casa da Música, a guest artist of Ludovice Ensemble and more recently, invited to be part of the new ensemble, Real Câmara led by Enrico Onofri. In Italy, he regularly performs with Theresia Orchestra, led by Alfredo Bernardini, Chiara Banchini and Claudio Astronio.

In the U.K. he has performed in venues such as Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican Hall, Saffron Hall, Cadogan Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, Sheldonian Theatre, Royal Opera House, New College Chapel Oxford, Exeter College Chapel Oxford, Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, Winchester Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, The Old Market and Handel & Hendrix in London.

Internationally, he has performed in Germany (Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nuremberg, Max-Joseph-Saal Munich), Portugal (Casa da Música Porto, Theatro Circo, Braga), Spain (Auditorio Nacional, Madrid, Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona, Auditorio de Principe Felipe, Oviedo), Italy (Palazzo Ducale Mantua, Teatro Alle Vigne Lodi, Teatro Comunale Ponchielli Cremona, Santa Maria della Passione Milan, Conservatorio C. Monteverdi Bolzano, Palazzo Veneziano Malborghetto), Austria (CMA Ossiach) and Turkey (Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall, Istanbul).

Abel was a Handel House Talent member at Handel & Hendrix in London (2019-2021) and holds a La Serenissima Emerging Artist Chair 2020.

Abel plays on a John Betts (c.1800) violin, on loan from the Harrison-Frank Foundation and a Zosimo Bergonzi violin (c.1750).