Kristina Barta (MgA. Kristýna Urbánková Bárta) is a Czech jazz pianist, composer and bandleader based in Prague. She studied classical and jazz piano at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and later earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Jazz Piano at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
Throughout her career, she has performed at renowned festivals and venues across Europe, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazzahead!, Bohemia Jazz Fest and Bimhuis in Amsterdam. Her achievements include first prize at the Jazz Prix Competition in 2015, the OSA and Bohemia Jazz Fest Award for Best Jazz Song in 2016, and an individual piano award at the Krokus Jazz Festival in Poland in 2017. She was also a finalist in the Euroradio Jazz Competition and a member of the Euroradio Jazz Orchestra.
Kristina has released four albums of her original compositions: EMA29 (2017), Love and Passion (2020), Endless Questions and Answers (2023) and Red Landscape (2026). Two solo piano albums and an album recorded with the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra are scheduled for release in 2027 and 2028. Her composition Newborn is featured in The New Standards Real Book: 101 Jazz Pieces by Female European Composers. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with internationally acclaimed musicians including Jure Pukl, Omri Abramov, Ofri Nehemya, David Dorůžka, David Friedman and others.
Alongside her artistic career, Kristina is the director of Prague Impro Room, an independent curatorial and production platform she founded in 2024. The platform focuses on contemporary alternative music, jazz, hip-hop, improvisation and experimental music, presenting innovative projects and facilitating collaborations across musical genres.
Selected Reviews and Interviews
“The music is an excellent example of modern European jazz, which elevates jazz exploration beyond well-trodden paths. Full of great music and passionate performances, this album is a joy from start to finish, making European jazz proud.”
— Adam Baruch (Israel)
“Endless Questions and Answers does not disappoint—it delivers many promises, if not many answers.”
— Mike Jurkovic, All About Jazz (New York City, USA)
“Barta presents a fresh voice from the Czech jazz scene. We hope promoters in Western Europe will soon recognize this exceptional talent.”
— Concerto (Austria)
“All three jurors anonymously selected Kristina Barta for her innovative approach and the great interaction within her band members.”
— Ralf Dombrowski & Günter Schröder (Germany)
2025
Concert review — Boskovice Festival (Czechia)
2024
Concert review — Edinburgh Jazz Festival (Scotland)
2023
Album review — Endless Questions and Answers — All About Jazz (USA)
Album review — Endless Questions and Answers — Adam Baruch (Israel)
2022
Interview Czech Television Art — ArtZóna (Czechia)
2021
Album review — Love and Passion — Jazz’halo (Belgium)
Album review — Love and Passion — ČRo Vltava (Czechia)
Album review — Love and Passion — skjazz.sk (Slovakia)
Album review — Love and Passion — Jazzradar.com (Netherlands)
Interview Czech Jazz Radio (Czechia)
2019
Interview — Czech Television (Czechia)
2018
Album review — EMA 29 — skjazz.sk (Slovakia)
Concert review Jazz Festival Steyr — skjazz.sk (Austria)
2017
Album review — EMA 29 — Kind of Blue by Hans-Bernd Kittlaus (Germany)
Album review EMA 29 Francemusique.fr (France)
Interview Kristina Barta: “I See Black and White Music” — Harmonie Magazine (Czechia)