Christina is a mezzo-soprano who, with a vocal range of over 3 octaves, is particularly interested in works from the 20th and 21st centuries and is incredibly quick to take on and develop new and challenging works. She is also a human rights activist and official ambassador for Amnesty International and has been working as a volunteer since the beginning of the war against Ukraine.
We are very much looking forward to working together on our 1st subscription concert “Die und Wir?” – featuring new works by Yurii Pikush, Sergei Nevsky, Aleksandra Słyż and Stefan Keller.
1. How did you first come into contact with “classical music” and why have you never been able to get away from it?
It was decided before I was born that I would become a musician. I heard Bach's Chaconne in my mother's womb – and later recognized a passage from it as a child.
I ended up in contemporary music, among other things, because I couldn't imagine performing a Mozart opera, for example, over and over again – with all due respect to him. For me, art always means new intellectual challenges.
2. You are not only a singer, but also a human rights activist. What drives you in your commitment to others? And how did you get involved?
Being there for others has been natural to me since I was a child – like breathing the air. In particular, I tried to defend those who were treated unfairly or attacked.
3. At our joint concert in September entitled “Them and us?”, we want to offer an open space for different perspectives on the discourse currently being held on and through Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. How important is it for you to listen to other people's opinions, even if they are uncomfortable or provocative?
I am absolutely open to other opinions and perspectives – as long as they are based on facts – and I am always available for a constructive discussion.
4. Art is often politically instrumentalized. How can contemporary music take a stand without running the risk of being misused? Is there a “red line” for you?
For me, a “red line” is when people hide behind an “art façade” just because they and their environment are doing well. If, on the other hand, a missile fell on a concert hall where relatives were present – then attitudes would quickly change.
And it is often an abuse to refer to human rights as politics – but it is by no means the same thing. “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” – is written in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. When this right is brutally destroyed before our eyes, art must not look away.
5. The Basel Sinfonietta has made it its mission to perform “music at the pulse of time” and to participate in social discourse with its programs. How do you think this can be achieved?
This questionnaire is a good step –
