dr. Sándor Balatoni, together with prof. Tamás Lakner and dr. Péter Hoppál has participated at the 14th International China Chorus Festival in Beijing and at the Yellow River Festival in Lanzhou at the end of July. During the festivals he participated as a conductor, accompanist, soloist but also held several masterclasses and workshops with his colleagues and the choir of the University of Pécs.

In March 2018 Sándor Balatoni had been awarded with an Erasmus + scholarship to held masterclasses and presentations at the Music Academy of Novi Sad.

The jury of the European Choral Association has given 1st Prize for the composition Cantate Domino from Sándor Balatoni, which has been selected from 51 anonymous works sent from 16 countries. The prestigious prize will be awarded at the 20th Europa Cantat in Tallin, for which the Ministry of Human Resources also given a Certificate of Honor.

With the title, Hungarian organ music the first solo organ recordings of Sándor Balatoni has been released. Besides the classical and less known organ works the CD features his own composition and two transcriptions as well.

With the title Hungarian organ music Sándor Balatoni had a concert series in the United States, at the Saint Anne church in Rochester (NY), the Holy Trinity in Manhattan (NY), the Good Shepherd in Brooklyn (NY) and at the biggest pipe organ of the world in Atlantic City (NJ) at the famous Boardwalk Hall.

Sándor Balatoni was awarded with the Csorba Prize for his composition Zöld és fény at the Kodály Center in Pécs, where the work has been also premiered by the Mecsek Choir.