Born in Budapest in 1988, János Balázs first came to international attention at the age of 16, when he won the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition. Before graduating from the Liszt Academy of Music, he had won six international competitions, including the International Georges Cziffra Piano Competition in Senlis.
He has appeared at venues such as the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Barbican Centre in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Cité de la Musique in Paris and the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona. His repertoire includes more than 40 piano concertos, which he has performed with orchestras including the Brussels Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, under conductors such as Iván Fischer and Charles Dutoit. Péter Eötvös dedicated his piano concerto ‘Cziffra Psodia’ to him.
János Balázs founded the György Cziffra Festival in Budapest in 2016 and serves as its artistic director. He is an associate professor at the Liszt Academy of Music, a mentor at the National Talent Centre, and a frequent jury member at international piano competitions. Since 2023 he has been a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts. His discography includes more than 15 albums, and his free educational concerts have reached over 10,000 children.