Alexander Bălănescu

Alexander Bălănescu was born in 1954 in Bucharest

Bălănescu was born in Bucharest in 1954. At age 7 he began at the Special School for Music there, where his teachers included Ștefan Gheorghiu. His family was of Jewish descent and emigrated to Israel when he was 14.

He studied at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem and at Trinity College in London. From 1975 to 1979 he studied at the Juilliard School in New York with Dorothy DeLay.

In 1979 he became leader of the Michael Nyman Band and toured with it for 15 years. He also played in the Gavin Bryars Ensemble and spent 4 years in the Arditti Quartet. In 1987 he formed his own quartet, which worked with artists such as David Byrne and the Pet Shop Boys.

He composed music for films including Angels & Insects and The Way I Spent the End of the World, and for over 20 animated films. He also wrote for dance and theater, including the ballet Lorenzaccio, which premiered in Linz in 2007. He has lived in London for over 40 years.