Doretta Balkizas

Ms Doretta Balkizas is a Lecturer in Violin at the University of Queensland’s School of Music (part of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences). Based in Germany from 2015 until her return to Australia in 2024, she is a versatile musician active as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. Her career includes engagements with prestigious ensembles such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, spanning performances across Europe, Asia, and Australia.

• Education:
  • Master of Music (Distinction), Hochschule für Musik 'Hanns Eisler', Berlin (2018)
  • Bachelor’s degree, Sydney Conservatorium of Music (student of Alice Waten)

Her research interests center on violin performance practice, pedagogy, and the intersection of classical music with interdisciplinary collaborations. As a chamber musician, she has participated in festivals including the International Holland Music Sessions and Yellow Barn Music Festival, collaborating with renowned artists like Roger Tapping and Donald Weilerstein.

Awards & Honors:

• Finalist, Symphony Australia Young Performer Award (2015)
• Major Prize-Winner, Dorcas McClean Travelling Scholarship for Violinists (2015)
• Inaugural Fritz Kreisler Prize recipient

She maintains active involvement in orchestral performance, having appeared as concerto soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Nanning Symphony Orchestra. Her teaching focuses on violin technique, historical performance practices, and contemporary repertoire interpretation.