Duo Balzalorsky-Haas -more than 40 years of successful international concert performance as a Duo (1979-2020)

After more than 40 years of very successful international performance since 1979, the collaboration of the two artists was interrupted due to a tragic event. Hinko Haas died in July 2020.

Duo Balzalorsky-Haas-Three-Time 13th IMA Nominees, were named the winners of 13th Annual Independent Music Awards – Live Performance EP Category.

They were also named the winners of The Canary Islands International Contest 2007-Category Interpretation-Instrumental

Ovations for Volodja Balzalorsky and Hinko Haas at Nordland Music Festival in Bodo, Norway, “Slovenere begeistret i Ronvik” (“Slovenians thrilled the audience in Ronvik”) Avista Nordland

An exceptional harmony of ease and performing authenticity – a concert of two true musicians making true music. Dnevnik, Ljubljana

Volodja Balzalorsky and Hinko Haas demonstrated an extraordinary mastery in the interpretation of the program.

International Festival of Ohrid – Nova Makedonia

Duo Balzalorsky-Haas…Exceptional musical phrasing, exuberant, impulsive emotionality and technical mastery – these were the chief distinctions of the violinist V. Balzalorsky and the pianist H. Haas

Music Panorama – Radio of Slovenia

About DUO

Volodja Balzalorsky and Hinko Haas, both prominent Slovenian artists from Ljubljana, have made their name by highly acclaimed concerts in many countries, as soloists and as members of various chamber ensembles.

As a Duo they appeared for the first time in 1979, at the Ohrid Summer Festival and have been giving regular joint performances since 1986.

They have successfully performed in Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, France, Germany, Norway, and Luxembourg in various International concert series and Festivals such as:

Ljubljana Summer Festival; Violin virtuosos – Belgrade; Ohrid Summer Festival; Concerts in Cankarjev dom – Ljubljana; Festival of contemporary music Radenci; Festival The Scene of Pristina; Concerts in HGZ- Zagreb; The Slovenian music days – Ljubljana; The European month of culture Ljubljana, Festival Nei Suoni dei Luoghi in Italy, The Spectrum Festival (various venues in Slovenia), Festival of Slovenian Culture in Cahors in France, Nordland Music Festival , Norway, Festival of Nations Rome, Italy, etc.

Duo Balzalorsky-Haas has recorded for the principal radio stations [Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Skopje, Maribor and Koper], for TV Slovenija, for LP and CD, embracing a wide repertory of music from the classical era to the contemporary.

Some of renowned Slovenian composers have written music specifically for them to perform.

VOLODJA BALZALORSKY

Volodja Balzalorsky is an internationally acclaimed concert violinist who has performed in many music festivals and concert series throughout Europe, and North America.

He is recipient of several International Music Awards: Holywood Music in Media Award 2009 – Best Classical, The Inland Empire Music Award 2008 – Best International Artist, The Ontario

Independent Music Award 2007 – Best International Artist, The Canary Island Music Award 2007- Best Interpretation, and Julij Betetto Music Award 2006. He is also The Los Angeles Music Award 2007 and 2008 Nominee , The Hollywood Music Award 2008 Nominee and The Just Plain Folks Music Award 2006 Nominee – Best chamber music album.

Critics have described him as an artist with a sensitive, intelligent and intuitive gift of interpretation, a polished technique, and a rich, full tone.

Volodja Balzalorsky is particularly active in the field of chamber music. He performs with several well-known international groups and ensembles. Critics comment on the degree to which he is able to develop and maintain unity with his musical partners in this milieu, presenting “… an exceptional harmony of ease and authenticity of performance.

Volodja Balzalorsky has made extensive live and archival radio and TV recordings in various countries. In 2005, four CDs were released as part of his “LIVE” Collection, with 5 more planned for release on the CANTABEL label, with added releases by EROICA, a well known US Label that features great classical artists worldwide.

Volodja Balzalorsky considers teaching an important and complementary part of his artistic career (Violin class at the Music Academy of University of Ljubljana), and regularly gives master classes in Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Great Britain, and the United States.

After graduating from the class of professor Igor Ozim at the »Hochschule für Musik« in Cologne, Germany, he continued his studies in Moscow with Galina Barinova at the Conservatorium P.I.Tchaikovsky, with Josip Klima at the Music Academy in Zagreb, where he received his Master’s Degree, and with the eminent Czech violinist Josef Suk at the “Universität für Musik” in Vienna.

HINKO HAAS (1956-2020)

Hinko Haas was one of the leading Slovene pianists.

Hinko Haas, one of the most prominent representatives of Slovenian pianists, studied the piano at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana with Dubravka Tomsic – Srebotnjak and finished his postgraduate studies in her class. He continued his studies with R. Kehrer in Weimar, C. Copens in Brussels and with C. Engel in Bern where he won a scholarship granted by the Swiss government.

He received several Music Awards, among others Julij Betetto Music Award . He is also The Just Plain Folks Music Award 2006 Nominee – Best chamber music album.

He received also the Preseren award of the Academy of Music and the Preseren award of the University of Ljubljana.

He has collaborated with several soloists and ensembles (Violin-Piano Duo with Volodja Balzalorsky, Les percussions de Strasbourg, Taipei Chamber Orchestra, Igor Ozim, Wolfgang Panhofer, Ana Pusar Jeric, piano duo with Aci Bertoncelj, Ljubljana Piano Trio, Trio Syringa, trio Pro Musica Nova…).

He gave concerts in Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Germany, Swizerland, Belgium, Russia, Taiwan, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and performed with Slovene and foreign orchestras and conductors. He has been a guest of Ljubljana International Summer festival, Ohrid Summer festival and World Music Days 2003.

Since 1992 he was Professor of piano at the Academy of Music of University of Ljubljana.