Kristen began playing the violin at the age of 10. She got her Bachelor of Music in violin performance from the University of Utah. She got her Master of Music in violin performance from the University of Colorado Boulder. In May of 2025 she got her Doctoral of Musical Arts in violin performance at the University of Utah. While in school, Kristen was a member of the Michie Graduate String Quartet and was concertmaster of the Utah Philharmonia and the University of Colorado Boulder Symphony. Kristen has extensive experience in chamber music and orchestral playing. She has attended the Meadowmount School of Music, the Pacific Region International Summer Music Association, the Banff Evolution of the String Quartet, the Saarburg International Music Festival, and Orvieto Musical festivals. Kristen also has ten years of teaching experience in private instruction and in orchestra classes.

Through her degrees, masterclasses, festivals, and performance experience, Kristen brings a diverse range of knowledge to her teaching. The wellbeing of her students is of the utmost importance to Kristen so that they can learn and grow as musicians and people.

Kristen currently studies with Ralph Matson and is the first violinist in the Sky Island Quartet.