Curtis Appoints Renowned Violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley to the Visiting Faculty

The first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic and member of the Rosamunde String Quartet steps into this new role, mentoring Curtis’ violin students

Curtis has appointed renowned violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley, first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic and member of the Rosamunde String Quartet, as the school’s first visiting faculty member, starting in fall 2025. In this role, he will visit for one residency each semester and mentor Curtis’ students. Mr. Bendix-Balgley’s appointment follows a recent announcement in November 2024 that the Rosamunde String Quartet had joined Curtis Artist Management, the school’s full-service, bespoke management and worldwide representation for a roster of world-class alumni and faculty of Curtis Institute of Music.

“I am thrilled to take on a new role as visiting violin faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music,” says Mr. Bendix-Balgley. “My connection to Curtis has grown because of the Rosamunde String Quartet: My colleagues in the quartet are all Curtis alumni and we are represented by Curtis Artist Management.”

He continues, “With this new teaching position, I look forward to deepening my own relationship with this extraordinary school. I can’t wait to work with the talented young violinists at Curtis!”

As first concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2014, Mr. Bendix-Balgley tours both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. His recent highlights include a debut at Carnegie Hall as featured soloist on the Berliner Philharmoniker tour of the United States, a tour of Japan with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and concerto appearances with the Philharmonic Orchestras of Dresden, Buffalo, Auckland, and Nagoya. He has also performed with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and the Shanghai, Guangzhou, Utah, Quebec, and Royal Danish Orchestras. Highlights from the 2024–25 season include debuts with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra de Valencia, and the Orchestre National de Lyon.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Noah began playing the violin at age four and is a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and the Munich Hochschule. His principal mentors were Mauricio Fuks, Christoph Poppen, and Ana Chumachenco. A laureate of the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Competition, he also won top prizes at the Long-Thibaud Competition in France and the Postacchini Competition in Italy.

Prior to his appointment in Berlin, Mr. Bendix-Balgley served as concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra beginning in 2011 at age 26. In his four seasons there, he performed often as a soloist with the orchestra, and his performances of Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben received acclaim on tour in Europe. His Pittsburgh debut recital in 2012 was named “Best Classical Concert of the Year” by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

A renowned performer of traditional klezmer music, a musical style that has been part of his life since an early age, he has played with world-renowned klezmer groups such as Brave Old World and has taught at klezmer workshops throughout Europe and the United States. In 2016, Mr. Bendix-Balgley composed and premiered his own klezmer violin concerto, Fidl-Fantazye, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Manfred Honeck, and has since presented the concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Baltimore Symphony, China Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Guangzhou Symphony and at the Brevard Festival.

Mr. Bendix-Balgley’s album Mozart–Sinigaglia with Kirill Petrenko and the Berlin Philharmonic was released in June 2024 to critical acclaim. A passionate chamber musician, he serves as a member of the multi-genre ensemble Philharmonix in addition to playing violin with the critically renowned Rosamunde String Quartet. His recent festival appearances include the Seattle Music Festival, La Jolla SummerFest, and the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

Visit Noah Bendix-Balgley’s official website. Visit Curtis Artist Management’s Rosamunde String Quartet page.

Portraits of Mr. Bendix-Balgley courtesy of Nikolaj Lund. Photo of the Rosamunde String Quartet by Robb Davidson. Photo of Mr. Bendix-Balgley tuning the Berlin Philharmonic, courtesy of artist’s website.