Kristina Blaumane
Cello and jury
Kristina Blaumane (Riga, Latvia) studied at the Latvian Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. She became the principal cellist of Amsterdam Sinfonietta in 1988, and in 2007 she was appointed principal cellist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Apart from being a highly demanded soloist, she is also a fervent chamber musician. She has performed alongside musicians such as Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Yuri Bashmet, Gidon Kremer, Leif Ove Andsnes, and Janine Jansen. Kristina is a great champion of contemporary music. She has given numerous premieres and has had various works composed for her, including cello concertos by Dobrinka Tabakova, Kristaps Pētersons, Pēteris Plakidis, and Artem Vassiliev. At the Cello Biënnale in 2008, she gave the premiere of Dobrinka Tabakova’s cello concerto.