Petra Veenswijk became a certificated teacher of organ in 1985 and a harpsichord teacher in 1990; she was qualified as an executing organ musician in 1989. She was pupil of André Verwoerd, Bernard Winsemius and David Collyer at the Rotterdam Academy of Music. In 1985 she won the National Organ Competition in Leyden in the category of twentieth century music. In 1990 she gained the third prize and the prize of the audience during the International Organ Competition of the Rhine Country in Nimeguen. With a scholarship from the Department of Education, Science and Culture she for one year attended interpretation lessons by Daniël Roth in Paris. She continued her studies in Paris at the "Conservatoire National de Région de Paris" with Marie-Louise Jaquet- Langlais and Jean Langlais, which resulted in her gaining the "Prix d'Excellence". She belongs to the last group of students of Jean Langlais. In 1996 she was decorated with the Silver Medal of the Société Academique "Arts, Sciences et Lettres" in Paris.