Kristina Reiko Cooper, cellist, was born in the USA. She completed her studies at the Juilliard School of Music. She performed as a soloist with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Yomiuri Orchestra and others. She performs recitals and chamber music concerts throughout the world including in the USA, Japan, France and other countries as well as in the Mostly Mozart, Musicians from Marlboro, Bang on a Can All Stars and the Stresa International Music festival. She performs many contemporary works, some of which were written especially for her, by composers including Phillip Glass, Tan Dun, Yosef Bardanashvili, Lera Auerbach and others. She received the first prize in the Naumburg Chamber Music Award with her former quartet, the Whitman Quartet. She initiated and is the soloist of the Sugihara Symphony project. She recorded many CDs as soloist and as a chamber musician. She plays as 1743 Ex-Havemeyer Guadagnini cello.