Violist Steven Baloue hails from Chicago, Illinois. He is currently studying with Atar Arad at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. In December of 2021, Steven participated as the violist for the Heifetz Institute Holiday Tour. Steven was selected as the violist for the full duration of the HEIR: Heifetz Ensemble in Residence program in the spring of 2022. He 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.