Musician, writer, educator and producer, Cristina Pato, has been hailed as “a virtuosic burst of energy” by The New York Times. After 25 years of experience as a professional musician, touring around the world with the Galician bagpipes and piano, Cristina now channels her creativity into writing, producing, and teaching, focusing on the role of the arts in society. Full bio
In her career as an educator, Cristina has developed her own path to use the arts as a collaborative bridge between the humanities and the sciences in academic institutions. Since 2012 she has worked with different universities developing projects that foster collaboration between departments and disciplines. In 2016 she began an on-going collaboration with University of California, Santa Barbara with an interdisciplinary class named “Memory: An Interdisciplinary Exploration”, co-created and co-taught by Cristina Pato, and professors Kenneth S. Kosik (Neuroscience), Kim Yasuda (Spatial Art) and Mary Hancock (Anthropology), serving as the Arnhold Distinguished Visiting Professor. In 2017 she served as Blodgett Distinguished Artist in Residence at Harvard University (collaborating with professors Kay Shelemay and Michael Uy at the Department of Music), and in the 2019-2020 academic year she served as Chair of Spanish Culture and Civilization at the King Juan Carlos I Center at New York University (NYU). Since 2021 Cristina collaborates with musician and pediatrician Dr. Lisa M. Wong, at Harvard’s Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative, co-creating and co-teaching a seminar named “Creativity at the Edge: Health, Music and Community”.
Cristina has collaborated with the Silkroad Project, the organization founded by Yo-Yo Ma, since 2006. With the Silkroad Ensemble (2006-2020) she has toured China, South Korea, Australia, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Europe and the USA, performing in iconic stages such as Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl or China’s National Center for the Performing Arts. With Silkroad she has also served as Learning Advisor (2014-2019) collaborating closely in planning residencies and learning activities, including the multi-year partnership with Harvard University, serving also as faculty member for “The Arts and Passion-Driven Learning Summer Institute” for artists and educators, designed in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
In 2016 she began an on-going collaboration with University of California, Santa Barbara as the Arnhold Distinguished Artist in Residence with her pilot class: “Memory: An Interdisciplinary Exploration” co-created and co-taught by Cristina Pato, and professors Kenneth S. Kosik (Neuroscience), Kim Yasuda (Spatial Art) and Mary Hancock (Anthropology).
In 2021 Cristina collaborated with Dr. Lisa Wong at Harvard’s Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative, co-creating and co-teaching a seminar named “Creativity at the Edge: Health, Music and Community”. With Silkroad she has also served as Learning Advisor (2014-2019) collaborating closely in planning residencies and learning activities, including the multi-year partnership with Harvard University, serving also as faculty member for The Arts and Passion-Driven Learning Summer Institute for artists and educators, designed in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
As an independent producer, Cristina specializes in events and projects developed at the intersection between art and society, including the ESENCIAIS 20/50 initiative (in collaboration with CUNDE and Xaime Fandiño), The Galician Connection Festival, and two days of culture in action for Yo-Yo Ma’s global Bach Project.
In 2019 she was appointed Chair of Spanish Culture and Civilization at the King Juan Carlos I Center at New York University (NYU).