The impetus comes unspectacularly via email: a university-wide call for submissions for the composition of a fanfare. The short form of two to three minutes convinces Piero Cinosi. “I thought to myself: Okay, maybe I can actually finish this.” It is precisely this limitation that is decisive. “I usually compose a lot of pieces, but I hardly ever finish any of them,” says the 23-year-old, who completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree in piano in his native Italy before moving to Vienna.

“I’m a pianist. I mean, I’m also a composer, but I don’t do it as a major,” says Cinosi, who is currently completing a master’s degree in piano at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, or MUK for short. “Disneyland for musicians,” he says of the wide range of elective courses on offer, and attends composition classes for non-composers. His long-standing interest in composition ultimately led to his work on the fanfare for the orchestra ensemble, also MUK students, who will open the 11th Science Ball.

Cinosi (left in the picture) approached his piece through images and associations. A fanfare must work immediately, be clear, direct, and recognizable, “something archetypal, as we know it from films,” he says, opting for a loud opening, “a bit like Star Wars.” He developed the rhythm and melody improvisationally on the piano before thinking through the material for the brass instruments and being surprised during the selection process. Instead of an anonymous evaluation based on a recording, his score was read and played immediately. “I think they listen to it as an MP3, and suddenly I’m standing in front of a real rehearsal with an orchestra,” says Cinosi.

In several rounds, the jury and musicians decided together on the selection, although sight-reading is also challenging for the ensemble. Composing for brass instruments was an instructive challenge for the pianist. “I can play fast passages on the piano for ten minutes. For brass players, however, this is extremely demanding due to breathing, lips, and endurance,” he says. “I really challenged them with my piece,” he jokes.