BIOGRAPHY

As a soloist and chamber musician Cristina Basili has performed at international venues throughout Europe (Konzerthaus and Musikverein Vienna, Tonhalle Zürich, Gasteig Munich, Megaron Athens, Odessa Philharmonic Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Romanian Athenaeum) and has been invited to play at international festivals such as the Pärnu Music Festival, Estonia, Yellow Barn Music Festival, USA, Davos Festival, Switzerland, Riva Music Festival, Italy, International Enescu Festival in Sinaia, Romania, Aigina and Nafplion Festivals, Greece, Festspiele Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Germany. Her chamber music partners include distinguished musicians such as Oleg Maisenberg, Anthony Marwood, Lucy Shelton, Antonio Meneses, Salvatore Accardo, Barbara Moser, Alexia Mouza, Rainer Schmidt, Annely Peebo. As a soloist and orchestra musician she collaborates with conductors Hobart Earle, Claudius Traunfellner, Vitaly Protasov, Francois-Xavier Roth, Benjamin Zander, Michael Tlson Thomas, Yoav Talmi, Uriel Segal, Michael Sanderling, Marin Alsop, Neeme Järvi and Paavo Järvi and participates in projects with the Estonian Festival Orchestra, LA Chamber Orchestra, LA Philharmonic Orchestra,  Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Kaleidoskope Chamber Orchestra. 

Since 2021 she performs regularly with guitarist and composer Timotej Kosovinc. The Duo has broadcasted on slovenian, austrian and greek radio and television and is touring at various chamber music and guitar festivals throughout Europe. 

Also a very dedicated interpreter of contemporary music Basili regularly gives world premieres by living composers. In 2021 she recorded works for solo cello by the Australian-Greek composer Nestor Taylor, published by Donemus Records. In 2023 the CD “Die Rote Brille” with works by various contemporary composers as well as the sonata for cello and guitar by R. Gnattali was released.

She has collaborated with  Ensemble Wiener Collage and is founding member of the  interdisciplinary collective EnsemblART, whose video performances have received several international awards (e.g. at the Goodmesh Concours 2020 and ISA Creative Award 2020).

Together with actress Elisabeth Kanettis she created the Musicpoetry Project, a Duo (cello & acting), which is touring in german speaking countries and has performed at various venues such as Kurt Weill Fest Dessau, Cabaret Festival Vienna, Hin & Weg Festival Litschau, Festival Styraburg, Spittelberg Theater Vienna, a.o. 

Cristina is prize winner of national and international competitions such as Brahms International Cello Competition, International Cello Competition Liezen, Janigro Youth Competition, Austrian national Competition ”Prima La Musica” , Lions Music Competition, a.o. In 2012 she won a prize grant from the Rahn Kulturfonds in Zurich, which placed a master cello at her disposal.

She was a scholarship recipient of the Karajan Stiftung Vienna, Rahn Kulturfonds Zurich,  Lyra Stiftung, Onassis Foundation Greece, University of Southern California and the Accademia Chigiana Siena, Italy. In 2014 she was awarded the Premio Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

Born into a Greek-Italian family of musicians in Vienna, Cristina started her cello studies at the age of six with Vladimir Malinovsky. Since 2005, she has also worked intensively with David Grigorian in Munich.

At the age of fifteen she met the renowned cellist Antonio Meneses and was asked to join his classes at the University of Arts in Berne where she graduated her studies under a scholarship of the Onassis Foundation Greece with a Master Performance Diploma in 2015. She also holds a graduate diploma from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, where she studied with Ralph Kirshbaum , as well as pedagogical degree and a Master in Chamber Music from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where she studied with Johannes Meissl. 

In addition to her studies she has worked with and been coached by Natalia Gutman, Frans Helmerson, Wolfgang E. Schmidt, Thomas Demenga, Claudio Bohórquez, Gustav Rivinius, Leonid Gorokhov, Alban Gerhardt, Benjamin Zander, Paavo Järvi, Neeme Järvi, Belcea Quartet and Hagen Quartet. 

Cristina is also an enthusiastic teacher and gives masterclasses throughout Europe.

She plays on an instrument by Antonio Gibertini, Parma, 1744.