Today, your host is Rachel Deloughry, UX at Collabwith and former musicien. Our GUEST is Leonardo Barilaro, TheSpacePianist who is a pianist, composer and aerospace engineer.
Leonardo graduated with a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Padova, researching on hypervelocity impacts and space safety. During those years he did a concert at the ESRANGE Space Center in cold Sweden while taking part in his first space mission with the SCRAT Project.
And he will play the first piano concert on Mars. His compositions can be described as Contemporary Space Music, where he merges piano solo, prepared piano, synths and embedding a wide range of experimentations.
The special episode EuroSpaceHub we want to share every month with you stories behind the space technology and space research. Enjoy the conversation!
ABOUT LEONARDO BARILARO
Leonardo is a pianist, composer and aerospace engineer. And he will play the first piano concert on Mars.
His compositions can be described as Contemporary Space Music, where he merges piano solo, prepared piano, synths and embedding a wide range of experimentations.
Born in Venice, Italy, Leonardo Barilaro discovers the piano at the age of 6 and astronomy at 9. At the age of 12, by reading Isaac Asimov, playing Beethoven and Bach, listening to Queen, Steve Vai and Robert Miles, he decided he would travel the Space and play his music outside planet Earth. So, he became a professional pianist AND an aerospace engineer. The Journey of Leonardo hit important milestones to reach his Dream. As a pianist he graduated from the Music Conservatory in Italy, studying composition and developing his passion for synths and electronic music. He was mentored by Jordan Rudess, Dream Theater’s keyboardist. In the meanwhile, he graduated with a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Padova, researching on hypervelocity impacts and space safety. During those years he did a concert at the ESRANGE Space Center in cold Sweden while taking part in his first space mission with the SCRAT Project. He recorded four studio albums, five EPs and several singles, with always new music in the flow. He played in several countries like Italy, Germany, UK, Netherlands, UAE and Turkey. Leonardo teamed up with many world-class artists during the years, like Yossi Sassi, Mariangela Demurtas, Marco Minnemann, Aliki Chrysochou, Victoria Kryukova and Anna Utopia Giordano.
In 2022 Leonardo Barilaro embarked on a yearlong journey with his project “Space Piano Music Everyday”. The Space Pianist releases every single day a new track on Spotify and all main music digital distribution platforms, with the related videoclip. The inspiration for this venture originates from his mantra, Nullo Die Sine Nota – Not a day without a note. In Art there are no shortcuts and everyday Leonardo takes a new step forward his Dream, wishing to bring on Mars with him also the people closest to his music.
His composition “Maleth” was onboard the International Space Station, after the successful launch from Cape Canaveral on 14th July 2022 with the SpaceX CRS25 mission! “Maleth”, is the ancient Phoenician term for Malta, and the idea of bringing the music is space has risen from the desire of inspiring people and spread awareness about this new era for mankind, on the path of becoming a multi-planetary species. Leonardo, known as the Space Pianist, as next step is planning to go to Space and stream a concert directly from there.
ABOUT EUROSPACEHUB
EuroSpaceHub is a group of 5 founding members, VilniusTECH, International Space University, Complutense University Madrid, Lunex Foundation and Collabwith Group.
EuroSpaceHub aims to connect digitally the space ecosystem in Europe, from tech transfer offices to industry, space accelerator networks, research centres, and other universities. The project will allow these actors to easily connect with financial opportunities from the Horizon Europe framework, the venture capital programme, and the InnovFin initiative. EuroSpaceHub will bridge the gap between academic institutions and industry using a collaborative mindset and entrepreneurship programmes inside the universities connected through tech transfer offices.
ABOUT COLLABWITH
Collabwith is a technology and a service to structure collaboration for innovation. It’s a tool to connect academics-startups-organizations. Because a tool is not enough to transform how you collaborate, here we have created a new methodology, personalized trainings, a new way of communication and a tailored made consulting for you to be more effective and efficient, now.
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This podcast is edited by Alejandra Nettel, Original Music by Sandra Loewe and Direction by Jara Pascual.
EUROSPACEHUB IS FOUNDED BY VILNIUSTECH, INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY, COMPLUTENSE UNIVERSITY OF MADRID, COLLABWITH, LUNEX FOUNDATIONS AND FUNDED BY THE EIT HEI INITIATIVE LEAD BY EIT MANUFACTURING & EIT RAW MATERIALS.