Cristina Prats Costa
Baroque Violinist | Chamber Musician | Artistic Collaborator
Praised by The Strad as “a leader playing with uncommon sensitivity,” BBC Music Magazine for her “superb Baroque violin playing,” Gramophone for her “curvaceous elegance,” “increasingly virtuosic lines,” and “captivatingly expressive” playing, and Opus Klassiek for her “absolute instrumental mastery,” Spanish violinist Cristina Prats Costa is an internationally acclaimed Baroque violinist whose artistry combines historical insight with imagination, virtuosity, and expressive freedom.
Her debut solo album, Spiritillo Mediterraneo (PENTATONE, 2026), has received widespread international acclaim. BBC Radio 3 praised its “brilliant performances full of Baroque imagination and virtuosity” and “wonderfully improvisatory” interpretations. AllMusic described it as “a solo debut [that] demonstrates rare artistic confidence and personal vision,” calling it “an album shaped by genuine cultural identity rather than generic early music presentation.” The WholeNote hailed the recording as “a dazzling array of spirited, colourful music,” while textura described it as “a disarmingly accomplished debut,” praising Prats Costa’s “bewitching wizardry as a player.” MusicWeb International commended her “technical and musical skills” and “passion and zest,” calling the programme “compelling,” in which "there is no dull moment."
Building on the success of her debut recording, Cristina is currently working on her second solo album for PENTATONE, scheduled for release in April 2028.
Available now on all major streaming and download platforms: Spiritillo Mediterraneo.
Cristina performs regularly with many of the world’s leading period-instrument ensembles, including The English Concert, Il Pomo d’Oro, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, L’Harmonie des Saisons, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Arcangelo, Finnish Baroque Orchestra, Toronto Consort, and Theatre of Early Music. Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer, she is recognized for her imaginative musicianship, stylistic versatility, and collaborative spirit.
Her honours include the Baroque Music Prize and Special Award at the 2025 Manhattan International Music Competition (New York), the Shalom Ben-Uri Doctorate Recital Prize and Mary H. Beatty Fellowship from the University of Toronto, the Christopher Hogwood Award from the Royal Academy of Music, and the Excellence Scholarship Award from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. In 2019, she was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition of her professional achievements.
Beyond her performing career, Cristina is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Harmony Is in Our Hands, presented by the Gentileschi Baroque Ensemble, a Toronto-based concert series that combines artistic excellence with social impact through accessible, pay-what-you-wish performances supporting local charitable causes.
A committed chamber musician, Cristina was the founding first violinist of the award-winning Alauda Quartet, recipients of the Chamber Music Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music, the Park Lane Group Award, and the Making Music Philip and Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists. The quartet’s debut recording of the complete string quartets of Roffredo Caetani was released on Brilliant Classics with the support of the Caetani Foundation.
Cristina studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Royal Academy of Music, the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, and The Juilliard School, where she completed a Master’s degree in Historical Performance in 2024. She is currently a DMA candidate in Performance at the University of Toronto, where her research explores ornamentation as a musical language and the pedagogy of improvisation in early Italian violin music.
Originally from Ibiza, Spain, Cristina believes that music is at its most powerful when it connects people across cultures, communities, and generations.
When she’s not on stage or in rehearsal, Cristina can often be found on a mission to discover the best ice cream spots in town — a sweet ritual that follows her from city to city.
You can follow her ice cream favourites around the world page.
