Alexander Bălănescu
[2] His studies continued at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem with Iair Kless, London's Trinity College with Bela Katona, and from 1975-79 at the Juilliard School, New York with Dorothy DeLay, where he also took part in master classes with Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, Felix Galimir and Robert Mann.The Bălănescu Quartet has worked closely with Michael Nyman, Gavin Bryars, Kevin Volans, as well as musicians from varied musical fields such as John Lurie, David Byrne, Keith Tippett, Carla Bley, Rabih Abou Khalil, Spiritualized and the Pet Shop Boys.2009 saw a renewal of his collaboration with the director Philip Haas for the film installations Skeletons Warming themselves by the Fire and The Death of Pentheus commissioned by the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.His increasingly strong links with his Romanian roots have been the catalyst for a collaboration with the singer and actress Ada Milea, resulting in the pieces The Island and God’s Playground.[3] One can find recordings of Bălănescu's original work on his albums for Mute (Maria T, Possessed, Luminitza, Angels & Insects) as well as his tribute to the Yellow Magic Orchestra, East Meets East (Con-Sipio), his score for the Italian war film Il Partigiano Johnny (Virgin, Italy), collaborations with electronic artists, Lume, Lume (Staubgold), being featured on Carla Bley's Big Band Theory, as well as guesting on albums by Goldfrapp, Gianna Nanini, Malika, To Rococo Rot, Spiritualized, Rabih Abou Khalil, The Pet Shop Boys and Grace Jones.