Kristina Reiko Cooper, cello

Recent appearances: Prague Chamber Orchestra, Osaka Symphony, San Salvador Symphony, the Library of Congress and a tour of Asia with the Tokyo Yomiuri Symphony as well as festivals at Marlboro, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Concertante, Aspen, La Jolla, Spoleto Festival USA, and Angel Fire, among others

Television and radio appearances: National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, WNYC (New York), CNN, CBC Television, 60 Minutes, Fuji Television and an NHK (Japan) televised recital

Contemporary music premieres: U.S. premiere of Mansurian's Cello Concerto No. 2, European premiere of Davidovsky's Cello Concerto, and the world premieres of Glass' The Sound of a Voice, Zimmerli's Tosca Variations for Cello and Orchestra and Bunch's Intersection for piano trio

Award: first prize winner of the 1998 Walter Naumburg Chamber Music Award

Ensembles: founding cellist of the Whitman String Quartet; currently cellist of the acclaimed Quartetto Gelato; has also performed, toured and recorded with contemporary music group Continuum

Education: studied at the Julliard School (New York) under cellist Joel Krosnick; earned Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees

Instrument: currently plays on a cello by English violinmaker William Forster (1786)