Noah Bendig-Balgley

“The concertmaster is a leader among equals in the orchestra, and must serve to facilitate communication between the conductor and the orchestra, and between different sections of the orchestra. The symphony orchestra is a huge organism. The concertmaster must keep his ears and eyes finely attuned to many things at once, and then make the necessary adjustments to provide clarity and leadership that bring the ensemble closer together.” (Noah Bendix-Balgley)

At the age of four, Noah Bendix-Balgley discovered his passion for classical music. He loved reading the book The Philharmonic Gets Dressed and was thrilled when he first saw other children playing the violin. Fascinated by the singing quality of the instrument, he persuaded his parents to let him try it himself. He made rapid progress and performed for Yehudi Menuhin at the age of nine.

He went on to study at Indiana University with Mauricio Fuks and at the University of Music and Theatre Munich with Christoph Poppen and Ana Chumachenco. His exceptional musical achievements were recognised early on at major international competitions: in 2008 he was awarded Third Prize and a Special Prize at the Concours International Long Thibaud in Paris; in 2009 he became a laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels; and in 2011 he won First Prize at the Concours International de Musique Vibrarte.

As a violinist, Bendix-Balgley regards it as his life’s goal to find a personal sound that is not only beautiful but also meaningful, and that speaks directly to audiences. From 2011 to 2015, he served as concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, before assuming the same position with the Berliner Philharmoniker.
As a soloist, he has performed with major orchestras including the Dresdner Philharmonie, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the symphony orchestras of Shanghai, Utah, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

A passionate chamber musician, Bendix-Balgley performs in several ensembles, among them the Rosamunde String Quartet (with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic) and the genre crossing septet Philharmonix, which features members of both the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Vienna Philharmonic. He appears regularly at leading international festivals, including the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, the Bergen International Festival, the Sarasota Music Festival, the ChamberFest Cleveland, the Zermatt Music Festival & Academy and the Le Pont International Music Festival in Japan.

Traditional klezmer music has been an integral part of Bendix-Balgley’s musical life from an early age. He is an acclaimed klezmer performer and has collaborated with ensembles such as Brave Old World. He teaches klezmer workshops throughout Europe and the United States. In 2016, he composed and premiered his own klezmer violin concerto, Fidl Fantazye, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he has performed the work frequently in the USA, Asia and Europe, including at the Berlin Philharmonie in April 2023.
In his free time, Noah Bendix-Balgley enjoys hiking, travelling and watching baseball.