About
Joyce Rasmussen Balint is considered one of America's foremost classical mandolinists. Equally at home on the violin, she has enjoyed a career performing in symphony and opera companies along with solo and chamber recitals. Ms. Balint is also a popular teacher of both instruments in Westchester County. Her students range in age from six to eighty-six.
Ms. Balint has been the solo mandolinist with the Metropolitan Opera Company since 1975, and she currently plays principal second violin with the Amore Opera Company. Ms. Balint still performs solo concerts on both instruments and in ensembles.
Education: Graduate Plymouth-Carver High School, 1966. Attended Hartt College of Music. B.M. degree on Violin from Manhattan School of Music.
Music Education: Began piano studies at age 6. Violin lessons at age 8. Studied with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra: Minot Beale; Einar Hansen; Alfred Krips (assistant concertmaster BSO, concertmaster of the Boston Pops). Orchestra techniques with Roman Totenberg, former concertmaster of the Boston Symphony. Chamber music with Robert Bloom and Virginia Bacon. Master classes with Joseph Szigeti and Janos Starker.
Youth Orchestras: Greater Boston Youth Sympony; New England Conservatory Preparatory Chamber Orchestra; Southeastern (Mass.) District Festival Orchestras, Mass. All-State; All-Eastern States Orchestra. Concertmaster of Harvard Summer Orchestra (3 years)
Professional:
Mandolin: Mandolin soloist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 1973. Performances with the Paris Opera and the Boston Symphony. New York City Opera, Little Bach Society.
Violin: Former Concertmaster of the New Rochelle Opera Company; Former member of the Amor Artis Orchestra, Caramoor Festival Orchestra, Westchester Symphony (assistant concertmaster), Worcester (Mass.) Orchestra, Chappaqua Chamber Orchestra. Member of the Amore Opera Company in NYC (former concertmaster, presently principal second).
Performed with many musical organizations both as orchestra member and soloist.
New York Debut: Carnegie Recital Hall, 1974, performing on both the violin and mandolin. Review in the New York Times: Headline Joyce Balint Shines in String Recital. Her playing came close to the ideal and a superb performer.
Solo recitals, also with her husband, Sandor Balint, as The Balint Duo, throughout the Eastern seaboard, Europe, and Japan.
Teaching Experience: Private violin and classical mandolin teacher. Mozartina Musical Arts Conservatory in Tarrytown, NY since 1975. Private studio in Bronxville, NY. Master classes in Italy.
Professional Organizations: Chamber Music America; Classical Mandolin Society of America; Music Teachers Society; Assoicated Chamber Music Players, Inc. (for professional and avocational musicians); Musicians Union, Local 802.
Co-director and founder of Chamber Music Westchester, 1996, which produced three concerts a year of world class instrumentalists and singers. Founder and former director of Midland Music, the professional music series of the Bronxville Women's Club.
Directed and produced the annual Elmendorf Opportunity Center Benefit Concert for twenty years at the Reformed Church of Bronxville.
President, Eastchester Arts Council, 2001-2003.
President, Bronxville Women's Club (2007-2010; 2014-2017).
Memberships: Reformed Church of Bronxville (former member of the Music Committee, Bronxville Women's Club (Past President, former Music Department chairman, former Program Chairman), The Villager magazine (editor, photographer, writer). Westchester County Federation of Women's Clubs (current president and former Vice-President and Program Chairman).
Was married to Sandor Balint (died 2014), violinist with the Metropolitan Opera Company.
Resident of Eastchester, Bronxville vicinity, since 1971.