His Life, His Music
John Balamos - musician
His Life, His Music 
Play with purpose and passion – the rest will follow 
— John Balamos
John Balamos, 1927–2011
Our beloved teacher, John Balamos, passed away late one Tuesday night. It was completely unexpected. John had been a teacher in the 60+ Program for approximately 25 years. There, he led the chorus, taught piano, conducted an amazing music improvisation class and taught a favorite class called “The Art of Listening to Music.”
John’s work with the choral group and the children in the 92nd Street Y’s nursery school was nothing short of extraordinary. He worked with the youngest children there, and created an array of holiday celebrations for Thanksgiving, Purim and Passover over the course of many years.
A memorial event celebrated his life on Friday, February 11, 2011 in the Weill Art Gallery, followed by a reception in the Warburg Lounge.
Academic Music Education & Training
- Millikin University, student of Elizabeth Travis, Decatur, IL (Ms. Travis was a student of Olga Samaroff-Stokowski and Arthur Schnabel)
- Indiana University, student of Bernhard Heiden (Mr. Heiden was a student of Hindemith)
- Indiana University, student of Anis Fuleihan (Professor of Music at Indiana University and later Director of the National Conservatory of Beirut)