Baritone, voiceover artist and sound artist
"King Hrothgar...
a sonorous Neil Balfour"
Neil Balfour is a baritone, voiceover artist and sound artist based in Leeds.
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He works across performance, composition and sound, with a particular focus on voice and piano. His practice spans opera and contemporary music, film and sound design, education projects and collaborative performance, and has taken him across the UK and internationally.
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Neil has worked with major music organisations and education departments, and his work has been recognised with awards for sound design and original music. He is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music and Leeds Conservatoire, and a Samling Artist.
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Alongside his performance and composition work, Neil runs Open Voice Studio, a contemporary practice for voice, breath and creative expression.
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Neil works with microphones from sE Electronics and Rupert Neve Designs.
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Steven Swales Artist Management represents Neil Balfour worldwide.
VOICEOVER
CLEAR | NATURAL | ENGAGING
Neil Balfour is a professional voiceover artist with a background in music, sound and performance.
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His work is known for clarity, warmth and musicality, and spans commercial, narration and character voice, including animation and gaming. He brings a strong sense of timing, tone and intelligibility to both scripted and conversational material.
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Neil works from a broadcast-quality home studio and records regularly for national and international clients. He is represented by agents in the UK and USA.
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His animation work has reached audiences of many millions worldwide.
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Neil records using microphones from sE Electronics and Rupert Neve Designs in an acoustically treated studio.
“Neil was an audio director's dream. His range of voices and ability to adapt accents/timbre and energy is incredibly nuanced.”
- Anna Wheatley for Now>Press>Play
SOUND
ARTIST
Neil Balfour is a sound artist working with piano, voice and live sound.
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His work explores attention, time and listening, often using simple musical materials and live recording processes. Projects range from solo piano works and sound pieces to film scores, immersive audio experiences, and collaborative performance.
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Recent work includes award-winning sound design for short film, commissioned piano pieces, site-specific sound projects, and recorded works created in his Leeds-based studio.
VALUES
I believe in an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative world, and I strive to align my creative life with those values. I’m a member of the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, committing to reduce carbon emissions and to operate in ways that respect people and the planet.
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A portion of my income supports verified environmental and social causes, and I aim to integrate sustainability and equity into my practice — from the spaces I work in to the collaborations I choose. To date, I’ve contributed to verified carbon reduction projects and supported reforestation efforts in both the UK and Kenya.