Matthias Balzat

Although New Zealand remains the place of birth and childhood to him, Matthias is a well traveled cellist, and a frequent conspirator of musical shenanigans since the spritely age of three. After over two decades of assimilating the four-stringed beast, his passion for the cello has only grown, and his odyssey to bring what approximates the sound of music to the stage, ever prolonged. His relationship to music was a natural affair, growing up in a household with six bundles of musical talent older than he, and with of course the two remarkable facilitators of it all. The nine of them together played and toured the globe, entertaining the worlds of Folk, Celtic and beyond, before separately pursuing varying paths of profession and livelihood.

Matthias has been very blessed over the years with competition prizes, scholarships and supporting foundations to boost his ambitions. He received numerous first and second prizes in major competitions, both national and international, including the Schoenfeld International Cello Competition, Accordi Musicali International Competition, ROSL Annual Music Competition Strings Competition, in London; ROSL Chamber Music Scholarship Competition, in New Zealand; Winner of the New Zealand National Concerto Competition, twice; Winner of Sieghardt-Rometsch Instrumental Competition; Winner of NZ’s “Creative Performing Arts Person of the Year” award; Winner of the International Wallace Cello Competition; Winner of PACANZ and awarded NZ Arts Person of the Year; Winner of the National Te Awamutu Chamber Competition; Winner of the National Secondary Schools Chamber Competition; and second prize winner of the Gisborne International Music Competition. He was the recipient of the Sir Edmund Hilary Gold Medal Award, Jack McGill Music Scholarship, Full Scholarship to the Aspen Music Festival, NZ Aimes Award, and more. A special mention to the Deane Endowment Trust for their continuous support to him throughout the last few years.

https://matthiasbalzat.com