Jason Balla

Jason was born in Wales and began studying piano at age 5 and was later awarded the prestigious organ scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford where he also sang in the choir of New College, Oxford. Jason sang and toured as a soloist with the National Youth choir of Great Britain and at age eighteen he became the youngest member of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. After completing post-graduate studies in voice and opera at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London Jason went on to a busy schedule internationally as a singer, pianist, organist and music director.

As a conductor and choral trainer his choral repertoire ranges from masterworks of the renaissance through Handel oratorios and Mozart masses to 20^th century English choral pieces. He has conducted performances of Mozart operas as well as operettas by Gilbert and Sullivan. His orchestral repertoire includes Handel Concerti Grossi, Mozart symphonies and orchestral works by Benjamin Britten.

As a teacher of music and voice in particular Jason has tutored at the University of Oxford, Hong Kong International School, Goldsmith’s College of Music, and is a former faculty member of Roosevelt University, Chicago. As a singer he appears regularly in opera, concert and oratorio throughout the U.K., Europe, the Far East, and North America. He has performed most of the major concert and oratorio works, including Verdi’s Requiem in Chicago and London; Lloyd Webber’s Requiem in London and Edmonton; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Victoria, B.C. and London, and Dvorak’s Requiem with the Birmingham Festival Chorus and Orchestra in the U.K.. He has also recorded recitals of French and English music for Radio Hong Kong and has also been featured on CBC and BBC radio broadcasts, as well as CD recordings of Mozart’s Requiem and Haydn’s  Lord  Nelson Mass  with  the Slovak Philharmonic.  Jason was a company member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago from 1995-2018.

His Organ and Piano instrumental recital tours have taken him from the West Coast of the U.S.A. to Germany, the U.K. and the Far East. He has been a guest organist at such places as Westminster Abbey, London, Grace Cathedral, California, St. John’s Cathedral, Hong Kong. He is also in demand as a vocal coach and accompanist having worked as a rehearsal accompanist for the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Grant Park Festival Chorus.

Jason moved to Nelson, NZ in July 2021 and is currently the Music Director of the Nelson Civic Choir.

A teacher of music and voice.  Organ, conducting.