Biography

“…This is one of the best solo instrumental albums of the year and deserves a wide audience beyond fanciers of viola music…”

Fanfare magazine

“…Kristina Fialová has a velvety tone, perfect for the works’ lyricism…”

The Gramophone

Kristina Fialová is one of the most outstanding personalities on today’s international viola scene. Music critics consistently rank her among the Europe’s leading violists and often refer to her as the “Queen of the Czech viola.” (Classic Praha, 3/2023). With remarkable naturalness, she combines flawless technique, fiery temperament, and refined musical intelligence with charismatic stage presence and an exceptional ability to communicate and breathe with the orchestra. As Klasika Plus (6/2023) wrote, “Kristina Fialová undoubtedly belongs among the finest violists in the world,”.

Beyond her brilliance as a performer, Kristina Fialová is driven by a clear artistic mission: to promote the viola as a solo instrument. Through her international concert career, recordings, and the expansion of contemporary repertoire, she has played a significant role in reshaping the perception of the viola on the world stage. Numerous composers have written works for her, which she has premiered internationally, and her artistic path has become a powerful source of inspiration for younger generations of violists, for whom she represents both artistic excellence and visionary leadership.

Kristina Fialová, Jakub Hrůša, Bamberger Symphoniker

She has appeared on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Tonhalle Zürich, Tokyo’s Sumida Triphony Hall, Gran Teatro Nacional in Lima, and the Cologne Philharmonie, and has performed at the Prague Spring International Music Festival as well as the renowned Tivoli Festival in Denmark. Kristina Fialová regularly collaborates with leading Czech and international orchestras such as the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Chamber Philharmonia, Mannheim Kammerorchester, Cappella Aquileia, Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Slovak State Philharmonic Košice, Pardubice Chamber Philharmonic, Brno Philharmonic, Pilsen Philharmonic, Elbland Philharmonie, Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc, Zabrze Philharmonic, Slovak Chamber Orchestra, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, and Czech Virtuosi. She has worked with distinguished conductors including Krzysztof Penderecki, Libor Pešek, Jakub Hrůša, Case Scaglione, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Marcus Bosch, Rafael Payare, Petr Popelka, Fao Tan, Tomáš Brauner, Stanislav Vavřínek, Petr Vronský, Arild Remmereit, and Stanislaw Chrzanowski.

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chuhei Iwaski

Chamber music forms a vital part of her artistic identity. She is a highly sought-after partner for collaboration with exceptional artists such as Antoine Tamestit, Lars Anders Tomter, Cynthia Phelps, Tabea Zimmermann, Garth Knox, Radovan Vlatković, Sophia Jaffé, Alexander Gilman, Irina Zaharenkova, Václav Hudeček, Igor Ardašev, Ivan Ženatý, Martin Kasík, Jitka Čechová, Atos Trio, Petr Nouzovský, Adam Skoumal, Stamitz Quartet, and Kocián Quartet. She has performed throughout Europe, as well as in Russia, Africa, Asia, and both North and South America, and is a regular guest at major international festivals including Prague Proms, Leoš Janáček International Music Festival, Bratislava Music Festival, Smetana’s Litomyšl, Prague Premieres, Copenhagen Summer Festival, Hindsgavl Festival, Svátky hudby in Prague, Smetana Days, South Bohemian Chamber Music Festival, Mahler Jihlava, Kulturtage Dresden, Festival Internacional de Santander, Bergen International Festival, Tallinn Chamber Music Festival, and Vesna v Rossii.

Kristina Fialová is a prizewinner and laureate of numerous international competitions, among them the Michal Spisak Competition in Katowice, Talents for Europe, Conservatory Competition, ACT London, Beethoven’s Hradec, Forbest Competition, Alexander and Buono International String Competition, Val Tidone Competition, Danish Soloist Competition, and the Johannes Brahms Competition. Many contemporary composers have dedicated works to her, which she has premiered worldwide, including Petr Fiala, Jiří Teml, Karel Pexidr, Rune Glerup, and Sylvie Bodorová.

Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Libor Pešek

Her artistic path began at the Brno Conservatory with Miroslav Kovář and continued at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden with Vladimír Bukač, at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with Tim Frederiksen and Lars Anders Tomter, and at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Jan Pěruška. She further refined her artistry through masterclasses with leading musicians such as Leif Ove Andsnes, Wolfram Christ, Sheila Browne, Tatjana Masurenko, Jerry Horner, Helen Callus, Charles Avsharian, Václav Hudeček, and Siegfried Frühlinger.

Kristina Fialová is also a prominent cultural organizer. She is the founder and director of the Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition in Prague, which has, within just a few years, become one of the most respected viola competitions in Europe. Through this initiative, she has created a unique platform where young violists can gain international visibility, professional connections, and genuine solo opportunities that were previously rare. At the same time, she serves as director of the South Bohemian Chamber Music Festival, which under her leadership actively supports the Czech performance tradition, chamber music, and contemporary repertoire, shaping its programs with a strong emphasis on quality, authenticity, and artistic dialogue between generations.

Janáček filharmonic Ostrava, Krzysztof Penderecki

Alongside her concert and organizational activities, she is deeply engaged in education. Since September 2020, she has taught viola at the Prague Conservatory and is a faculty member of New York University in Prague. She is regularly invited to serve on juries of prestigious international competitions, including the Prague Spring International Music Competition and Beethoven’s Hradec. Since 2016, she has also been an ambassador for the Impuls Foundation, which supports patients with multiple sclerosis; the annual benefit concerts she helps organize fund psychotherapy for patients and their families.

Kristina Fialová has released ten CDs with the labels Supraphon, ArcoDiva, Sound Trust, and the Danish label Dacapo. She records regularly for Czech Radio, Czech Television, TV Noe, and Danish Radio, and has given masterclasses in New York, Delaware, Lima, Copenhagen, Budapest, Szczecin, Beijing, and Qingdao. She performs on an Italian viola “Carlo Antonio Testore – Contrada 1745,” is a Pirastro Artist, and plays exclusively on strings by this brand.

Updated: August 2025