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Kristina Barta
Critics have described Czech pianist Kristina Barta as “fiery, expressive, eloquent, and stubborn.” Originally admitted to the Prague Conservatory as an oboist, she later embraced the piano and earned a prominent position in the Euroradio Jazz Orchestra, garnering several prestigious awards.
Barta, recognized internationally as both a composer and pianist, embarked on her musical journey after studying classical music and composition at the Prague Conservatory. She graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, specializing in jazz piano. Her career has taken her on a constant whirlwind of tours, gracing renowned venues worldwide, including Jazzahead! (Germany), Bimhuis (Netherlands), Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Steyr Jazz Festival (Austria), V4 Jazz Festival (Hungary), Strasbourg’s Jazzdor (France), D'Jazz Nevers (France), A Trane (Germany), and many others.
In 2016, Barta claimed first place in a jazz composer’s competition in the Czech Republic and saw her trio advance to the finals of the 2016 Euroradio Jazz Competition in the Netherlands. She further solidified her status as a rising star by winning the 2017 Powiew Młodego Jazzu in Poland, earning an individual award for her remarkable piano skills.
Barta’s discography includes her debut album “EMA29” on the Austrian Alessa Records label in 2017, followed by “Love and Passion” in 2021. Her upcoming release, “Endless Questions and Answers,” scheduled for October 2023, features nine original compositions created for her new quartet, in collaboration with the world-renowned tenor saxophonist Jure Pukl. This latest album signifies a fresh chapter in Barta’s musical evolution.
Currently, Kristina Barta is composing a new piece for a jazz quartet and symphonic orchestra in partnership with The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Awards
“We hope that promoters in Western Europe will soon notice this exceptional talent”
— austrian magazine Concerto, 2021
“Kristina Barta comes with a fresh message from the Czech jazz scene. The album contains extensive compositions with original textures, which are often counterpoint layered and harmoniously difficult. Kristina Barta walks her own distinctive path. Her music is enriched with adult pop and rock, it is unbridledly creative and its quality is comparable to foreign works”
— austrian magazine Concerto, 2021
“As a composer and pianist, Kristina Barta is fully convincing”
— HANS-BERND KITTLAUS, German critic
“All three jurors anonymously selected Kristina Barta for her fresh approach and the great interaction within her band members”
— RALF DOMBROWSKI (German journalist), GUNTER SCHRODER (The Kurland Agency), RUDY LINKA (director of the Bohemia Jazz Fest)
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Kristina Barta: Endless Questions and Answers
by Mike Jurkovic
Czech pianist/composer Kristina Barta's Endless Questions and Answers opens on a rather ominous tone. Drummer Marek Urbánek plays on his toms a shadowy, esoteric rhythm. Tenor Jure Pukl flares in. Barta enters slowly, barely audible with bassist Peter Korman riding shotgun. But soon she controls the barely controllable rush that embodies “Breaking Through Some Border," the breakthrough opener to a fine, fine recording. Barta--a graduate from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and a finalist in the ...
read more“As a composer and pianist, Kristina Barta is fully convincing” — HANS-BERND KITTLAUS, German critic “All three jurors anonymously selected Kristina Barta for her fresh approach and the great interaction within her band members” — RALF DOMBROWSKI (German journalist), GUNTER SCHRODER (The Kurland Agency), RUDY LINKA (director of the Bohemia Jazz Fest) “Their music is a combination of jazz tradition and efforts to explore something new. The band sounds optimistic, after the periods of nervous or depressive modern jazz, perhaps, this is a new trend. Helped by the fact they are the young musicians who do not stick to the surface, but go directly to the essence of musical magic” - Vaclav Vrany, Czech Radio Producer
