Christina Giuca, Pianist

Hailed as a “sensitive partner” by the New York Times, Romanian-American pianist Christina Giuca Krause enjoys a dynamic career as a performer and educator.  

Heard on stages throughout the US and Europe, Christina has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Steinway Hall, Preston Bradley Hall, and festivals including the Aspen Music Festival and International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove, England. She has served on the music staff of the Houston Ballet Academy, HGOco, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Patrick W. and Shirley G. Ryan Opera Center.

As the pianist winner of the Music Academy of the West’s 2017 Marilyn Horne Song Competition, Christina and soprano Hannah Rose Kidwell gave a recital tour that included sold-out performances in Houston, Santa Barbara, and New York City. Christina was invited to perform in Carnegie Hall’s 2018 “The Song Continues” masterclass series with Renée Fleming, Graham Johnson, and Marilyn Horne.

Christina has premiered many solo and chamber works by living composers and assisted in the premieres of new operas, including Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Opera Theatre of St. Louis) and Dan Shore’s Freedom Ride (Chicago Opera Theater). She is a member of contemporary piano duo 4×5 with composer and pianist Benjamin Krause. They were recently guest artists of the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium.

Christina holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory and Master of Music degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Her teachers include the late Emilio del Rosario, Peter Takács, Monique Duphil, David Breitman, Brian Connelly, and Frank Corliss. Christina was a recipient of the Postgraduate Collaborative Piano Fellowship from the Bard College Conservatory, where she worked with the Graduate Vocal Arts Program under the direction of soprano Dawn Upshaw and pianist Kayo Iwama.

From 2019-2022, Christina served as the Artistic Director of LYNX Project, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that amplifies diverse voices through new song commissions, inclusive recital programming, and innovative educational initiatives. Under her leadership, LYNX grew its Composition of a City program, which now reaches more than 700 students in the Chicago area (and beyond). She was the recipient of a 2021 Alumni Enterprise Award from the Music Academy of the West to develop a digital curriculum for Composition of a City.

Christina currently resides in Holland, MI, where she is on faculty at Hope College and Lutheran Summer Music Festival, and continues to perform as a collaborative artist. 

4x5

Formed at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, 4×5 members Christina Giuca and Benjamin Krause have appeared together in performances on the stages of Weill Recital Hall, Sweetwater Sound, and the 2019 MTNA National Conference. They have been featured as ensemble-in-residence at the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium and Lutheran Summer Music Festival. Listen

Premiere of "Cappuccino Caprice" (Benjamin Krause), Carnegie Hall, June 2015
World Premiere of Terence Blanchard's "Fire Shut Up in My Bones," Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, June 2019

World Premieres

Dedicated to showcasing the music and stories of today, Christina has premiered numerous piano solos, chamber music works, and art songs, including “These Strangers,” a song cycle written for her and soprano Hannah Rose Kidwell by Jake Heggie (commissioned by the Music Academy of the West). Christina has prepared world premieres of operas by composers including Terence Blanchard, Huang Ruo, Elena Langer, Dan Shore, and Stacy Garrop. 

Teaching

Christina is passionate about sharing the lifelong joy of making music. Through individual lessons, she helps students develop technical agility at the piano, musical expression, a healthy practice routine, an understanding and appreciation for music theory and history, as well as important life skills including self-discipline, patience, and perseverance. Christina’s dedication to creating a safe and nurturing environment for learning helps to grow curiosity, joy, and confidence in her students. She maintains a private piano studio in Holland, MI, where she works with students of all ages and abilities. She is an active member of MTNA, MMTA, and the Holland Piano Teachers Forum. She also teaches at Hope College and Lutheran Summer Music Festival. 

If you are interested in lessons, please email christina.giuca@gmail.com.

Student Julia Nguyen, before her Carnegie Hall debut, June 2015

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