Decca Classics has signed Latvian-born musicians Kristīne and Margarita Balanas, two sisters marking a major milestone in a remarkable journey that began with busking on the streets of a small town and has led to performances on some of the world’s most prestigious stages.
Violinist Kristīne and cellist-conductor Margarita Balanas grew up in Dobele, Latvia, with no classical music background. Their earliest influences came from rock’n’roll, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Janet Jackson. As children, they performed spontaneous “mini-concerts” for passers-by in public squares, at times earning more in a single day than their father could in a month.
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“The coins from the street funded their first big opportunities,” allowing the family to move to Riga so the sisters could attend a specialist music school. A masterclass in London proved pivotal for Kristīne, who earned a place at the Royal Academy of Music. At just 17, she moved to London alone and continued to busk, even memorizing police patrol times to avoid being stopped.
Margarita followed at age 15, after securing a full scholarship to the Purcell School of Music. At just 18, Kristīne became her sister’s legal guardian. “We knew nobody,” the sisters recall, “but the UK gave us world-class teachers, friends from everywhere, and the belief that anything was possible.”
Kristīne later completed military training in Latvia. During the pandemic, Margarita pursued her passion for conducting, submitting an audition tape that led to a place on a program run by Grammy-winning Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi. She was later appointed his assistant at Tonhalle Zürich and has since launched her own orchestra, Anonimi—described by The Arts Desk as “the latest voice in the dialogue about what the future of classical music might look like” (★★★★).
The Balanas Sisters have since performed at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, and London’s Royal Albert Hall, among others. Their collaborations include performances with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra.
“We are so lucky in the end to be musicians,” they say. “It is a beautiful struggle. Music saved us.”
The sisters also co-founded Balanas Classical with their brother, Roberts, to create bold concerts, educational programs, and masterclasses aimed at young musicians and new audiences across Europe.
Their debut recording for Decca, Castillo Interior, is a spiritual and reflective work inspired by the writings of St Teresa of Ávila. Executive Producer Helen Rogers shared her first-hand impression of the sisters’ performance: “Last winter, I had the privilege of hearing Kristīne and Margarita perform in an intimate recital setting among the snow-covered pines of Latvia. I was utterly captivated from the first note – their performance of Vasks’ Castillo Interior had such pristine clarity and deeply moving humanity. Their story is equally impressive, and we are thrilled to welcome these two formidable women to our roster at Decca Classics.”
The Balanas Sisters commented, “We’re overjoyed to join the Decca Classics family. This is more than a signing for us; it is a chance to push boundaries and tell our story through music. For us, music has always been about freedom and finding our own voice, breaking a few rules, and discovering new ways to connect with people from all over the world. Signing with Decca gives us the chance to reimagine classical music for a new generation – full of energy, playfulness and a vision of what’s ahead.”
In 2026, they will return to London for their first UK concert as Decca Classics artists, performing a special ‘through the noise’ recital.
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