Petra Cini is a composer and pianist focusing on the creation of musical representations (metaphors) of mathematical groups analyzed through the lenses of violence and purity. Her works address questions of musical rendering of abstract meaning. Alongside her main artistic objective, she engages with an exploration of the intersection of early and contemporary music and of irrational imagery and ideas. She is also concerned with the development of a rhythmic and contrapuntal sensitivity as reflected in her repertoire choices as a pianist. Her artistic output ranges from large ensemble compositions to solo performances, working both acoustically and with electronics.
CV
Worked with:
Quatour Bozzini, Nieuw Amsterdams Peil, Residentie Orkest, Ensemble Klang, Gerard Bouwhuis, Pelargos Quartet, New European Ensemble, Parandrus Consort, Sean Bell, Stolz Quartet and others.
Music presented at:
Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ (Amsterdam, NL), TivoliVredenburg (Utrecht, NL), Zuiderstandtheater (The Hague, NL), Boekmanzaal – Nationale Opera & Ballet (Amsterdam, NL), l’Auditorium Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze (Florence, IT), Splendor Amsterdam (Amsterdam, NL), Korzo Theater (The Hague, NL), Museum Voorlinden (The Hague, NL) and others.
Seminars and presentations:
(10 July 2025) Nikhef Theory Seminar, presentation of my work at the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Amsterdam (NL)
(9 November 2024) MaMuPhi seminar, presentation of my work at IRCAM, Paris (FR)
(20 April 2023) Presentation of my work at the Municipality of The Hague for the week of Innovation organized by the ministry of Culture, Education and Science.
(15 April 2023) A Meta-Musical Evening, Concert/seminar with mathematician Raf Bocklandtat HaagsPianoHuis Den Haag.
(14 April 2023) Music and Mathematics – Studies of symmetries in sound and space Petra Cini and Raf Bocklandt, at the NH Noordwijkerhout conference hotel de Leeuwenhorst, Noordwijkerhout (NL), for the Nationale Wiskunde Dagen.
(25 March 2023) A Meta-Musical Evening, Concert/seminar with mathematician Raf Bocklandt at Splendor Amsterdam.
Collaborations:
(2024-2026) development of the meta-mathematical framework for the work SL(2,C): Attraverso in collaboration with mathematicians Eric Opdam (University of Amsterdam (UVA)) and Raf Bocklandt (UVA).
(2021-2023) development of the meta-mathematical framework for the work SO(3) Etudes in collaboration with mathematicians Eric Opdam (University of Amsterdam, UVA) and Raf Bocklandt (UVA).
(2023) supervision in collaboration with Raf Bocklandt of the development of the booklet “A Meta-Musical Evening – 25 March 2023” by UVA mathematics students J. Groot, G. Grevink, Y. Chen and M. de Yong.
Scholarships and prizes:
(2024) Awarded the Henk van der Meulen prize for the best composition and prizes exam at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (NL).
(2022-2024) Awarded an Excellence Scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Composition at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (NL).
(2023) Funding by Stichting De Zaaier for the research project “The Musical Metaphor and Representation Theory” (Master’s degree in Composition at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague).
Education:
(2022-2024) Master in Composition from the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (NL), supported by an Excellence Scholarship.
(2023) Course at the Korteweg-de Vries Institute for mathematics of the University of Amsterdam (UVA) : Galois Theory.
(2018-2022) Bachelor in Composition from the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (NL).
(2008-2015) Master in Piano from the Conservatory “Luigi Cherubini“ (10/10) (diploma di vecchio ordinamento in Pianoforte Principale, equipollente a diploma accademico di secondo livello) (IT).
(2012-2014) Studied piano with the pianist Jin Ju at the Accademia Pianistica Internazionale “Incontri col Maestro” di Imola (IT).
(2011-2013; 2000-2005) Studied piano with the pianist Gloria D’Atri.
(2009-2014) “Guido Castelnuovo“ Scientific High School (91/100).
SHORT BIO
Petra Cini is a composer and pianist whose works address questions of musical rendering of abstract meaning. Central to her practice is the creation of musical representations (metaphors) of mathematical groups analyzed through the lenses of violence and purity. She also focuses on the exploration of the intersection of early and contemporary music and of irrational imagery and ideas. She has worked with, among others, Nieuw Amsterdams Peil, Ensemble Klang, Quatuor Bozzini, the Residentie Orkest, Parandrus Consort, and her music has been presented at venues like the Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ (Amsterdam, NL), Nationale Opera & Ballet (Amsterdam, NL), TivoliVredenburg (Utrecht, NL), the Auditorium Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze (IT), and for occasions such as the 50th International Viola Congress (Paris, FR). Petra holds a Master’s in Composition from the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, supported by an Excellence Scholarship, and a Master’s in Piano from the Conservatory “Luigi Cherubini” (10/10). She also studied piano with Gloria D’Atri and at the International Piano Academy “Incontri col Maestro” in Imola with Jin Ju. As a soloist, she has performed in venues such as the Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ (Amsterdam, NL), Korzo Theater (The Hague, NL), and the Auditorium Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze (Florence, IT). She was awarded the Henk van der Meulen prize for the best composition exam (2024, Royal Conservatoire The Hague) and funding by Stichting De Zaaier for the research project “The Musical Metaphor and Representation Theory” (2023). She has collaborated with mathematicians Raf Bocklandt and Eric Opdam (University of Amsterdam) for the metamathematical development of her works SO(3) ETUDES and Attraverso : SL(2,C) and has given seminars at IRCAM, Paris (FR) for the MaMuPhi seminar series (2024), the Municipality of The Hague for the week of Innovation organized by the ministry of Culture, Education and Science (2023) and the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics (2025), among others. Her artistic output ranges from large ensemble compositions to solo performances, working both acoustically and with electronics.