Cristian Vasile studied at the Bucharest College of Music from 1979 to 1982, then at the Munich College of Music from 1982 to 1985.

He has won two international prizes, one at the Michelangelo Abbado International Violin Competition in Sondrio in 1981 and the other at the Maria Canals International Violin Competition in Barcelona in 1984.

From 1984 to 2000, Cristian Vasile was a member of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, playing second violin. Since 2001, he has been a member of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, also playing second violin.

He has performed under the baton of Sir Colin Davis, Lorin Maazel, Sergiu Celibidache, Carlos Kleiber, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Mariss Jansons and Jonathan Nott, and has taken part in numerous international tours.