Barbara Halfter was born in Stadthagen. After completing her secondary education (Abitur), she studied violin from 1987 to 1991 at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover with Prof. Atila Aydintan, and from 1993 to 1995 at the Rubin Academy of Tel Aviv University with Prof. Yair Kless. Parallel to her music studies, she pursued degree courses in biology and German studies at the Universität Hannover. 

At the Studio for Early Music of the Musikhochschule Hannover, under the direction of Lajos Rovatkay, she gained important experience in historical performance practice and in playing the Baroque violin. Until her move to Berlin in 2000, she was also a member of his ensemble, the Capella Agostino Steffani. 

From 1993 to the present day, she has performed regularly with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and has now been a member of the orchestra for almost 20 years. Concert tours with the ensemble have taken her to nearly all European countries as well as to Japan, Central and South America, and Australia. 

She was artistically associated for many years as a regular guest with the Berliner Barock-Compagney. With both ensembles, she has participated in a large number of CD productions for the labels harmonia mundi France and Capriccio. 

In 2011, Barbara Halfter was a founding member of the Cornelis Quartet, one of the few string quartets dedicated to historically informed performance on period instruments of the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Since 2024, she has been engaged as a violin teacher and orchestra conductor at the Oranienburg District Music School. In addition, she regularly gives courses at the Rheinsberg Music Academy.