CristinaSpinei • Artist Spotlight

What got you in to Crypto art?

My husband sold a work of his on a crypto art platform in the summer of 2020. I started doing research on crypto art and learning about artists in the space. I have always looked for ways to reach an audience without middlemen and I was struck by the freedom and opportunities that crypto art provides artists.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I find inspiration in many things! Since I have collaborated with so many dance companies I am inspired by movement. It is important for me to create music that moves people, both physically and emotionally. Some of my work is inspired by my Italian-American, Catholic background. And of course I am inspired by visual art. There is such a strong connection between color and sound. It has been fun to experiment with different musical worlds to match visual ones.

What do you think of traditional artwork?

If art resonates with an audience, it doesn’t matter what form it is in. We have so many options to view art and discover artists who speak to us. Many of my compositions were inspired by traditional art - I would often roam around the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cloisters for ideas. I organized a concert at the Whitney Museum for their Cy Twombly exhibit. Two other composers and I wrote pieces to go along with specific Twombly paintings and then performed them live in the gallery. It is beautiful that we have access to art in so many different forms!

Do you think your art is fulfilling a purpose?

I hope that it is! When I create I envision the music as a place to go to be reflective. I hope that people are moved by what I create, and that they can find a moment of calm through the music.

How did you start out as an artist?

I always knew that I wanted to be a composer. I started piano lessons when I was nine and went to the Juilliard Pre-College Division at fifteen to study composition and piano. After I graduated from Juilliard I started writing music for dance companies and small ensembles. I still love working with choreographers and now I’m lucky to be able to create my own projects.

Who or what inspires your work?

I am inspired by whomever I’m collaborating with at the moment. When I first discovered Marterium’s work I knew that I had to reach out to him - I connected with his aesthetic immediately. The worlds that he creates are transportive and mesmerizing. There is something wistful about his work and it’s easy to get lost in all of the stunning details. Studying Marterium’s art for Triptych gave a new dimension to my music. I tried to capture the subtle emotion of Marterium’s spaces through a combination of acoustic and electronic instruments. It was fun to come up with new sounds to compliment Marterium and I am so pleased with our collaboration.

Which other artist(s) do you admire?

There are so many, too many to list here! I especially admire what 3LAU and RAC have done for music NFTs.

Final question, what’s next for you as an artist?

I want to continue exploring how NFTs can help the classical music world with things like royalty distribution, commissions, and audience building. I released the first new orchestral NFT on the blockchain and I would love to collaborate with other orchestras and musicians on releasing their own NFTs. I’m lucky to be working with Arium, a classical streaming platform utilizing blockchain technology. I also have traditional performances coming up. There is an orchestral premiere this summer, performances with Parsons Dance in the fall, and other collaborations that I can’t disclose at the moment.


We would like to thank CristinaSpinei for giving up their time to collaborate on this with us.