Since graduating from Yale with an MM in 1984, Kirsten has been active as both a composer and performing/recording artist (cellist), dedicating her career to the forward /crossover movements in film, electronica, dance and new media.

Kirsten began her film scoring career in 1989 as composer /fellow at the Sundance Institute where she worked with top composers and conducted the Utah Symphony in her own film music. Since then Kirsten has created scores for over 15 feature length films, specializing in epic, suspense and dramatic scores. Most notable are her scores for The Reunion (1997) starring Timothy Devlin, Riding With James Dean (1998), Love Notes (1996) starring Margaux Hemingway and Hero Lover Fool (1997) starring Jon Jacobs. Currently she is scoring the upcoming feature and series Vampyre Confidential, created by Joe Ritter.

Recently Kirsten has completed a diverse array of recording projects including a techno song for the Bayern Meunchen soccer team, songs and lullabies for a mother/daughter book/CD compilation titled Heart of A Mother by Sheryl Roush released by World Sound Productions and Borders Books and at work on a long term trance/electronica project.

In 2001, Kirsten was honored to receive the Spirit of Moondance Award for Filmscoring, which she accepted at the 2001 Moondance Film Festival. Kirsten has also received annual awards from ASCAP since 1990.

In addition to her filmscoring work, Kirsten has worked as a session cellist in the LA Recording Music Industry since 1990. She has recorded for over 200 movies, television shows and commercials. Among the prominent composers she has recorded for – David Newman, Hans Zimmer, the late Michael Kamen. Alan Menken and Richard Marvin in films such as X-Men, Ice Age, Last Samurai, 101 Dalmations, Alladin… She has recorded for tv shows Futurama, King Of the Hill, Star Trek, Jag, Columbo and Murder She Wrote. She has recorded on records for Kenny G, Jewel and Callahan. In addition, she has recorded jingles for Miller Beer, Applebees, Home Depot, Lexus and more. Kirsten has substituted with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pacific Symphony and the Las Vegas Symphony.

Previous to composing for film, Kirsten wrote music for the dance and concert world in New York. She was a composer in residence at the American Dance Festival where she composed a score for the June Watanabe Dance Company. She composed a second score for this company in 1990 for a large scale work which premiered in San Francisco in 1990. She has also composed for the Keith Young Dance Co, Neolabos Dancetheatre (5 commissions), choreographer Carol McDowell and has received awards and grants from the American Music Teachers Assoc., the Jerome Foundation and Meet the Composer. Her work has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Whitney Museum, P.S. 122 and throughout Europe.

Kirsten is one of few cellists to perform and record on the Zeta Midi Cello, which she has used on her own scores as well as numerous record projects including tracks on records for Michel Polnareff, Guns & Roses, the band Alchemy and for the films The Reunion and Love Notes, for which she also composed the scores.

Another aspect of Kirsten’s career is her screen appearances as a musician in films such as the recent Adam Sandler movie Click, the upcoming film Walk Hard, the tv shows 24, Frasier (3 appearances), Beverly Hills 90210 and Wings (for which she was also a body/hand double…). She has also been featured on Celine Dion’s TV specials, Got My Bush, Lexus commercials, music videos for Jewel, Vanessa Carlton. She was a featured performer on the Ray Charles Diet Pepsi Commercials in 1992.

Kirsten has a MM from Yale University and BM from Mannes College of Music.