Chicago native Steven Baloue will be returning to the Heifetz Institute for the fifth time in 2025 as one of just eight young artists selected to be a full-scholarship Heifetz String Scholar.  He is currently pursuing his Masters’ degree with Heifetz faculty member Atar Arad at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.  Steven’s history with the Heifetz Institute also includes performing as a member of the Heifetz Holiday Tour troupe and as a member of the HEIR: Heifetz Ensemble in Residence program.  Steven is also a recipient of a 2022 WCEJ Thornton Foundation Music & Art Scholarship. In 2019, Steven was a FOOSA Fellow and Concerto Competition finalist. He also performed at the 2019 Chicago Mayoral Inauguration. Steven was selected as a 2018 Rising Star by the City of Chicago. He won the 2018 Merit School of Music Conservatory Concerto Competition and is a recipient of the Alice S. Pfaelzer Leadership Award and scholarship. Steven is also a recipient of the 2018 Congressional Black Caucus Spouses Performing Arts Scholarship. In 2017, Steven was chosen to be a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) which performed at Carnegie Hall along with various halls in Mexico, Columbia, and Ecuador. He was also selected to participate in the inaugural year of National Youth Orchestra 2 in 2016. Steven is a 2017 recipient of the Sphinx Organization MPower Artist Grant. Previously, he served as principal violist with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Merit School of Music. Steven has participated in masterclasses with Li-Kuo Chang, Roger Chase, Paul Katz, Matthieu Herzog, and the Calidore String Quartet.