EDUCATION

Cristina Spinei

Youth Works Fellow, 2007-08
Wet Ink Fellow, 2008-09

"One of the most talented young composers in America," according to Grammy award winning composer and conductor Jose Serebrier. Cristina Spinei is in demand among up-and-coming choreographers, film directors, and musicians. At 23, Cristina has already impressed critics and audiences alike with her ability to transcend musical boundaries. Cristina's compositions have been commissioned by the ETA3 Trio, the Ebony Strings Quartet, St. John's Church, Treetops Chamber Music Society, London Central School, and by Jazz at Lincoln Center saxophonist Victor Goines. Her music has been performed at Alice Tully Hall, Symphony Space, the New York Choreographic Institute, the Whitney Museum, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts at Cornell University, and Treetops Chamber Music Society.

Cristina is a Masters student at The Juilliard School studying composition with Dr. Christopher Rouse. She is the first composer to have participated in Juilliard's annual Chamberfest. The specially commissioned piece, Petrarca, was performed in Alice Tully Hall and received a rave review from The New York Times. She recently was announced as a winner of the Juilliard orchestral composition contest and her three songs for soprano and orchestra, Aquel Momento, were performed in May.

Cristina was selected to be a guest on the Connecticut television program "Creative Women Today" and has been featured in magazines including L'esperienza, Living in Stamford, and Speak Up. She is the recipient of the Composition Award from the Arts Recognition and Talent Search, the Pia Gilbert Scholarship, Peter D. Faith Prize, Marvin Hamlisch Scholarship in Composition, and the A. Ellstein Memorial Scholarship.

In 2001-02 Cristina was chosen Apprentice Conductor for the New York Youth Symphony, based in Carnegie Hall, and conducted Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Brahms' Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 1. She was named Apprentice Conductor for the Youth Orchestra of the Americas for their special concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Cristina is a founding member of Composers Interpreting Arts Organization (CIAO) which performs educational concerts in museums and art galleries. CIAO has most recently held concerts at The Juilliard School and at The Whitney Museum in conjunction with their Cy Twombley exhibit.

In addition to classical music, Cristina has also composed music for big band and film. Sangria was premiered by the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble on March 20th, 2006 in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater. She collaborated with director Richard Tarantino for the musical score to his film In the Clearing. The film was premiered at The Directors Guild Theater on May 2nd, 2006. Current projects include music for a PBS documentary and a multi-movement dance piece.

Visit Cristina's Myspace...