Oliver Balaburski

In his conducting career Oliver Balaburski had an opportunities to become involved in music making in different genres equally, opera, symphonic, chamber and even in the complex and demanding Silent Movie performances. In the past few years he emerge himself in the field of composing and as result he will have a World Premiere of his first major piece, a Musical Narration in 5 parts " Sadie's Door" with the story written by Edward Moll and the Rhapsody for Orchestra "Bagosenim" which on Mnjikaning/Rama dialect means " There is Hope". The translation is made thanks to the people of Chippewas of Rama First Nation and language keepers of Mnjikaning/Rama dialect. Oliver has had many successful concerts and performances with distinguished orchestras and ensembles such as Symphony Orchestra of the Royal College of Music, London- UK, Macedonian Opera and Ballet, Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, , the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Opera of the National Theater in Belgrade, the Nish Symphony Orchestra, The Greater Toronto Philharmonic and The Huronia Symphony Orchestra. In 2008 Oliver received a degree in Master of Music, Masters in Performance (conducting) at the University of Toronto, under the mentorship of the eminent conductor, Prof. Raffi Armenian working on a broad symphonic. As part of the Master studies he worked closely with Prof. Dr. Doreen Rao at the University of Toronto, fulfilling the necessity for the philosophical and practical approach to the extensive vocal- instrumental music. His conducting career started with his first engagements in 1991 at the Macedonian Opera and Ballet mentored by the distinguish conductor Vancho Chavdarski. In 1999 he was awarded with the Norman Del Mar Junior Fellowship in Conducting at the Royal College of Music in London, UK, specializing in symphonic repertoire and studying with the distinguished conductor and Professor John Carewe. He has had the honour to actively participate in Master Classes with Sir Roger Norrington and Michael Tilson Thomas and with one of the greatest Bach authorities, Helmuth Rilling. In 1992 he graduated as Choral Conductor in the class of Prof. Dragan Shuplevski and in 1995 Oliver graduated Conducting at the University of "Sts Cyril and Methodius" in the class of Prof. Fimcho Muratovski and at the same period supported and mentored by Maestro Vanco Cavdarski he began his successful conducting career. After Oliver's return from UK, he was appointed as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Opera of the Macedonian National Theater, where he managed to significantly increase the budget, enlarge the repertoire and promote the Macedonian Opera House. Until 2004 he was the Principal Conductor at the same Opera Company after which he immigrated to Canada. He is the recipient of many awards and recognitions such as: · Newcomer Recognition Award- Immigrant Artist by County of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada · Recognition Of Outstanding Service by Hart House, University of Toronto, · The Arthur Plettner Graduate Fellowship, University of Toronto, · The University of Toronto Fellowship, · The Norman Del Mar Junior Fellowship at the Royal College of Music, London, United Kingdom, · A Scholarship from the Macedonian Government for Specialization in Conducting, · A Macedonian National Scholarship for Talented Students.