Tessa & Petr | HNV 2026

Tessa Balaz is a multi-disciplinary artist from Sudbury, Ontario. A graduate of Laurentian University, she performed as a cellist with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra and is a founding member of YES Theatre.

For more than a decade, Tessa has written, recorded, and produced original music while collaborating with creative teams connected to artists such as Daniel Caesar, Drake, The Weeknd, Migos, and Mariah Carey. Her work has earned four Northern Ontario Music and Film Award nominations and a nomination for the Sudbury Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. She has toured throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Tessa’s original music has been featured in film and television, including the acclaimed series Kim’s Convenience. Passionate about artist development and equity in the music industry, she created two programs for the  SOCAN Foundation: the TD Incubator for Creative Entrepreneurship and Equity X, a professional development program for women and non-binary music producers.

She is also the founder of  Balaz Media, where she provides artist development, grant writing, creative consulting, and music production services.