Kristen Bruya joined the Minnesota Orchestra as principal bass in February 2015. Prior to this, she was the assistant principal bass of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 2010 through 2014, and a member of Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s bass section from 2006 to 2010. She received an undergraduate degree in music from the University of Michigan, studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and received a Master of Music from Rice University. From 2000 to 2004, she was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida.

Kristen loves collaborating in chamber music, performing with various groups in the Twin Cities and at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival from 2013 to 2015. She teaches privately, and has led classes at New World Symphony, Northwestern University, Peabody, Indiana University, the University of Houston, and other schools. From 2011 to 2014 she taught at the University of Toronto. She currently serves on the New World Symphony's Alumni Advisory Council.

Kristen was last in Aspen as a Fellowship student from 1998–2000, when she played one summer with the Festival Orchestra and the other two with the Chamber Orchestra. She is absolutely thrilled to be returning as a member of AMFS artist-faculty in 2023!