Meandering With the Wind by Petra Cini and Sean Bell

In a time of growing polarisation and social distress, this project aims to create and present

a music that explores a dialogue between the old and the new by exploring the intersection

of contemporary musical practices with early music, and that indirectly addresses the

question of musical identity as European makers.

The project consists of the writing of a new work by Italian composer/pianist Petra Cini

for piano, synths, voice, baroque guitar and electronics, that will take inspiration from the

Intavolatura de Cimbalo (1576) by Italian composer Antonio Valente, and the creation of

new arrangements by Norwegian countertenor/performance artist Sean Bell of songs by

English composer John Coprario from the collection Funeral tears (1606) for the same

instrumentation. The new piece and arrangements will then be weaved together with

different pieces to curate programmes that we plan on presenting in 2025-2026 in a series

of concerts in Europe. https://youtu.be/U-VEYNXmZg4

Petra Cini is an Italian composer and pianist. She has worked with, among others, Gerard

Bouwhuis, Ensemble Klang, Nieuw Amsterdams Peil, and the Residentie Orkest, and her

music has been presented at venues like the Muziekgebouw aan't IJ (Amsterdam, NL),

Nationale Opera & Ballet (Amsterdam, NL), TivoliVredenburg (Utrecht, NL), and the

Auditorium Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze (IT). 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 at Muziekgebouw aan't IJ (Amsterdam, NL),

Splendor Amsterdam (NL), Korzo Theater (The Hague, NL), and the Auditorium Ente Cassa

di Risparmio di Firenze (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 development of SO(3) ETUDES and has given seminars at IRCAM, Paris (FR) for the MaMuPhi seminar series (2024) and at the Municipality of The

Hague for the week of Innovation organized by the ministry of Culture, Education and

Science (2023).

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.

Sean Bell is a countertenor and performance artist from Oslo, Norway. He holds a Master’s

degree in Early Music Voice from the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague (NL), where he

studied with Catrin Wyn-Davies, Pascal Bertin, Robin Blaze, Peter Kooij and Tineke

Steenbrink. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Performance and Music Pedagogics from

the Norwegian Academy of Music, studying with Mona Julsrud. Sean performs operatic,

chamber, and sacred works from the classical and early music canon. He also investigates

new methods of interpreting this repertoire. Through contemporary sonic imaginations he

has made new arrangements of old works, including a synth-pop album of songs by John

Dowland. His investigation into refiguring early repertoire has led to a series of

collaborations and solo performances on the border line between classical music and

performance art. Sean also works extensively with contemporary music and has premiered

and commissioned several pieces for countertenor. Sean has worked with a variety of

ensembles including Ny Norse Messingkvintett (New Norwegian Brass quintet), Oslo 14,

Early Voices and The Norwegian Soloist’s Choir. Bell plays baroque guitar, is an active

improviser, and engages in instrument building and music electronics. In 2021 he made his

debut at Høstutstillingen (the Norwegian state’s annual exhibition) with his performance

work ’Stille Amare'. In November 2023 he made his solo debut at the Norwegian Opera

and Ballet in the role Johan in the opera ‘Ingenting (Nothing)’ by David Bruce. In spring

2024 he did a European tour of his album ‘Dowland Downloaded’.

Sean Bell – Short Artist Statement

At the core of my artistic practice is how I relate to the repertoire I perform. My interpretation

and artistic choices are informed by my relationship to the material. This is often

experimental, investigative and questioning. Different materials and ideas are often woven

together by my own poetic approach. I am an active improviser, play baroque guitar and

build instruments and music electronics. I consider all of my work to be a form of research,

investigating how these multiple strands of my artistic identity as a performer can coincide

and reinforce each other