Giovanni Paolo Cima

Who was Giovanni Paolo Cima?

Giovanni Paolo Cima was an Italian composer and organist in the early Baroque era. He was a contemporary of Claudio Monteverdi and Girolamo Frescobaldi, though not as well known as either of those men.

Cima came from a family of musicians and was a leading musical figure in Milan. He served as director of music and organist at the Saint Marie chapel of Saint Celso in Milan in 1610.

Cima's church music was generally conservative, but his instrumental works were more innovative. He was the first composer to publish trio sonatas and made use in them of the combination of two treble instruments and the basso continuo.

Cima died in Milan at about the age of 52. He is not to be confused with the artist Giovanni Battista Cima, called Cima da Conegliano, who was no relation.