An alumnus, scholar and prize winner of the Royal College of Music in London, Abel Balazs is a versatile violinist specialising on historical violins and viola d’amore. His repertoire ranges from the early 17th century and 20th centuries with a particular 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 and conductors in the U.K., including Florilegium (David Hill, Benjamin Nicholas, Neil Ferris), Gabrieli Consort & Players (Paul McCreesh), Academy of Ancient Music (Richard Egarr, Laurence Cummings), The English Concert (Harry Bicket, Trevor Pinnock), Monteverdi String Band (Oliver Webber), Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (András Schiff, Steven Devine, John Wilson), Early Opera Company (Christian Curnyn), La Nuova Musica (David Bates), La Serenissima (Adrian Chandler), Counterpoint Ensemble (Mark Forkgen), Meridian Sinfonia, Oxford Bach Soloists (Tom Hammond-Davies), VOCES8 Baroque Orchestra (Barney Smith), Nonsuch Baroque Players (Tom Bullard), The Brook Street Band (Harry Sever), The Baroque Collective (Alison Bury), Dunedin Consort (John Butt) and The Illyria Consort (Bojan Čičić). 

 

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, Claudio Astronio, Giovanni Antonini and Vanni Moretto. 

 

In the U.K. he has performed in venues such as Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, Saffron Hall, Cadogan Hall, Royal Albert Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Sheldonian Theatre, Royal Opera House, New College Chapel Oxford, Exeter College Chapel Oxford, Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, Milton Abbey, Winchester Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, The Old Market Brighton, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, St. James’s church London and Handel & Hendrix in London. 

 

Internationally, he has performed in Germany (Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nuremberg, Max-Joseph-Saal Munich, Franckesche Stiftungen, Freylinghausen-Saal, Halle), Portugal (Casa da Música Porto, Theatro Circo Braga, Mosteiro de Alcobaça), 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, Sala Ghislieri Mondovì, Chiesa di San Martino Asti), 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 held a La Serenissima Emerging Artist Chair 2020.

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