Originally from Aberystwyth, Chrissie studied music for seven years in London; first with a Government scholarship to the Purcell School and then at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, leading various ensembles, including the Purcell Chamber Orchestra for the London Haydn Festival and the Buckingham Palace Investiture Orchestra. After graduating in 2002 with a BMus from the Guildhall, Chrissie won a scholarship to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, graduating with an MMus in 2003, with distinction in Performance.

Chrissie has been awarded a number of prizes and awards including: Cavatina Chamber Music Prize, Philippa Yardley Award from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Haydn Davies Prize from the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, first prize in the National Eisteddfod and Junior Fellow in Chamber Music at RWCMD. In 2010-11, she was awarded a Junior Fellowship in Orchestral Leadership from the RWCMD, supported by the Sir Charles Mackerras scholarship.

As first violinist of the Mavron Quartet, formed in 2002, Chrissie performs regularly on stage at St David’s Hall, where, since 2010, the Mavron Quartet has been the first Ensemble in Residence, Chrissie has also played before members of the royal family and ministers at venues including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, the Foreign Office and Winfield House, London. Recent performances abroad with the Mavron Quartet have taken Chrissie to Italy, Brussels, Romania and Holland. Collaboration projects with the Mavron Quartet include recitals with Llŷr Williams, harpist Deborah Henson-Conant and storyteller Liz Weir.

Freelancing as a violinist, she’s worked with many major artists. They include Kanye West for his Late Registration and Graduation UK Tours, as well as for the 2006 Brit Awards at Earls Court and shows at the Hammersmith Apollo Theatre which involved recordings at 3 Mills and Abbey Road Studios; Katherine Jenkins on her Living A Dream, Serenade, Rejoice and Sacred Arias tours; and Russell Watson on his 2009 Outside In tour.

Chrissie enjoys multimedia projects and in 2009 she collaborated and performed with the National Dance Company Wales Steve Reich’s Four Violin Phase at the Wales Millennium Centre. In 2012, she performed Bach’s Double Violin Concerto with Professor Robin Stowell and the Welsh Sinfonia. Chrissie has been sub-principal since 2011 of the Welsh Sinfonia. 2013 sees her performing with Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag, from Strictly Come Dancing, on their ‘Anton and Erin Go to Hollywood’ tour.

As a 1st Violin extra player for the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Chrissie has played in many WNO in productions, which include Wagner’s Die Meistersingers von Nürnberg with Bryn Terfel; a performance at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms 2010; and the Cardiff Singer of the World Competitions for the BBC. WNO’s 2012 season consisted of performances of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, which resulted in a performance at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Chrissie has also been an adjudicator for the Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year competitions.