BALANAS SISTERS

Kristīne Balanas violin

Margarita Balanas cello

Snow Concert Hall, Red Hill February 20

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

Opening their concert with an exciting performance of the Halvorsen arrangement of Handel’s Passacaglia in G minor, Latvia’s Balanas sisters, Kristīne and Margarita, showed why they are two of the most talked-about rising stars in Europe. As well as playing superbly, their silent interaction with looks and smiles was electrifying, showing their joy in performing with each other.

Kristīne Balanas, violin and Margarita Balanas, cello

Violinist, Kristīne Balanas, is a 3^rd prize laureate of the 66^th International ARD Music Competition, 2018 Artist of the Year in the Grand Music Awards of her home country and has performed as a soloist for many of the world’s leading orchestras and festivals.

Kristīne Balanas, violin

Cellist and conductor, Margarita Balanas, is a winner of the Latvian Grand Music Award and has performed with many renowned orchestras internationally. She has conducted the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Järvi Academy Orchestra and Sinfonietta.

Margarita Ballanas, cello

Following their opening performance of the Handel, Kristīne Balanas played J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 in E major for violin solo. All three movements were beautifully played, especially the reflective second Loure movement.

Margarita Balanas then played J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G major for solo cello. All three movements were played with great sensitivity and the third movement, Courante, was especially memorable.

The sisters then played two contrasting movements from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons - Summer and Winter.  Together, they brought out all the vibrant colour of Vivaldi’s Summer and their playing of Winter was equally colourful, passionate and exciting.

After interval, the sisters played Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks’ Castillo Interior. This 2013 work for violin and cello, with its slow, contemplative passages conflicting with rapid outbursts of emotion, was movingly played and proved to be the highlight of the concert.

The final work in four movements, Ravel’s Sonate pour violon et violoncelle, was also passionately played by the sisters, and was the perfect end to a great concert.

 

Photos by Peter Hislop

 

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 21 February 2025.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.