Violinist Helena Baillie has been hailed by The Strad magazine for her “brilliance and poignance,” and stands apart for a rare ease on both violin and viola. Cellist Anita Balázs is a laureate of several international competitions including the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition in Porec, Croatia and the Alfredo e Vanda Marcosig International Competition in Italy. Pianist Erika Switzer performs regularly in major concert settings around the world, including at New York’s Weill Hall (Carnegie), Geffen Hall, Frick Collection, and Bargemusic, at the Kennedy Center, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. Together, these exciting musicians offer a program which includes Tchaikovsky’s haunting Trio in A Minor, Opus 50.
This concert is made possible, in part, with the generous support of Jim McGuire.
London-born Helena Baillie was hailed by The Strad magazine for her ‘brilliance and poignance,’ and stands apart for a rare ease on both violin and viola. American Record Guide praised her ‘gorgeous singing tone’ in an album that ‘from the opening flourish will be a special recital.’ A prizewinner in international competitions including Munich ARD, Banff and Tertis, Helena has performed throughout Europe and the United States, with broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and Performance Today for American Public Radio. She has collaborated in chamber music with Pinchas Zukerman, Midori, the Tokyo String Quartet, the Shanghai Quartet, and the Beaux Arts Trio, with whom she collaborated in a live broadcast from the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. Helena was honored by a Bard Fellowship from 2010-2015. While a Fellow, her projects included Bach Among Us at Bard’s Fisher Center, which Helena produced and performed in collaboration with dancers of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Helena teaches violin and viola for the Bard College Music Program.
Hungarian cellist Anita Balázs was born into a musical family and started her music studies at the age of 5. From early childhood, she has been giving concerts in Europe, taking part in international festivals and masterclasses in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Croatia, France, and Switzerland with professors such as Heidi Litschauer, László Fenyő, Philippe Muller, and Wolfgang Boettcher. She holds an Artist’s Diploma from Montclair State University where she studied with Nicholas Tzavaras (Shanghai Quartet) as well as a Master of Musical Arts degree from Yale School of Music where she studied with legendary cellist and teacher Aldot Parisot. Laureate of several international competitions such as the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition in Porec, Croatia or the Alfredo e Vanda Marcosig International Competition in Italy, she has also been awarded 1st prize as well as the Grand Prix of the Jury at the Janos Starker Competition in Hungary and 1st prize at the International Cello Competition in Liezen, Austria.
Pianist Erika Switzer collaborates regularly with a variety of artists in major concert settings around the world, such as New York’s Weill Hall (Carnegie), Frick Collection, and the Kennedy Center. Her performances have been called “precise and lucid” (New York Times), and “intelligent, refined, and captivating” (Le Monde). She has won numerous awards, including best pianist prizes at the Robert Schumann, Hugo Wolf, and Wigmore Hall International Song Competitions. Recent recordings include English Songs à la française and A Left Coast with frequent recital partner, baritone Tyler Duncan. Switzer is a co-founder of Sparks & Wiry Cries, which curates opportunities for creators, performers, and scholars through innovative initiatives that foster a diverse future in art song performance. She is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Collaborative Piano Studies at Bard College and its Conservatory of Music, and holds a doctorate from The Juilliard School. erikaswitzer.com; sparksandwirycries.org