Kristen Nielsen

Kristen is a London-based violinist with a substantial career in performance and fierce commitment to instrumental education.

She graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2024 with a Distinction in her Master’s, where she studied with Sophie Langdon. She graduated with First-Class Honours from the University of Manchester, where she led and co-led the University Orchestras. She has performed with several orchestras, including London Contemporary Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra and Chromatica. Kristen’s playing features in the Academy Soloists’ recording of Bach’s Partitas, Re-Imagined, directed by Trevor Pinnock and produced by Linn Records.

Kristen has enjoyed playing in notable venues, contemporary and commercial settings, including the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, Cadogan Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, having also performed in Sigur Ros’s European tour. She has performed under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, John Wilson and Edward Gardner.

Kristen has a keen interest in the delivery of music education, and has a substantial career as a teacher in London. She sits on the Board of Trustees for the European String Teachers’ Association, and is an advocate for early career string teachers in the UK. Kristen was a Lead Instrumental Ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation, and has volunteered in multiple projects, both with Open Academy, and the Royal Northern College of Music.