Establishing the mood with a cerebral frequency of solar wind and a cinematic piano performance with a high emotional quotient, dramatic allure and instrumental mastery, Leonardo Barilaro opens Listen with an accelerando tempo shift, creating an air of anticipation.

The opus expands with glistening arpeggios and a sublime energy that feels transcendental, meditative and full of charisma. Magnetic, spacey risers immerse us, inviting us to trip into another dimension, with a finale of laser sounds that feel like the introduction into a new era for The Space Pianist.

We learn that Listen was written as the official soundtrack for Polymath Festival 2.0, designed to reflect the event’s theme of connecting ideas across disciplines. The Space Pianist ponders philosophically, “What if you merge art and science? What if you connect the sound of the solar wind and the auroras with a grand piano? What if a piano becomes a spaceship? This is how Art makes Space…human.”

Dr. Leonardo Barilaro manifests the piece with his dual identity as pianist and aerospace engineer. It merges NASA’s space recordings with the cinematic piano, creating a notion of cosmic intimacy. The solar wind was recorded by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, and closes with the sound of the auroras recorded from orbit. This is a sonic reminder of the link between Earth and the Sun.

Listen feels polished, yet exploratory, and captures the spirit of polymathy by dissolving boundaries between fields. It was recorded in Dubai, in collaboration with Steinway Dubai and NYU Abu Dhabi, and stands alongside his earlier space-inspired works like Moon Seeds.

Naturally, we are in awe of the visionary composition, and have added Listen to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream the expansive discography of Leonardo Barilaro, and anticipate future recordings.

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Moon Seeds, the latest masterpiece by Dr. Leonardo Barilaro (aka The Space Pianist) and Grammy-nominated cellist Tina Guo, is nothing short of a celestial triumph. This composition, premiered live from the International Space Station (ISS), transcends traditional musical boundaries, merging the grandeur of space exploration with the intimacy of human emotion.

From its opening notes, Moon Seeds immerses us in an otherworldly soundscape. The piece begins with a cerebral frequency, where Leonardo’s signature piano style immediately sets the tone. His intricate, rippling arpeggios evoke the cosmic vastness, with astral nuances that feel like starlight refracted through the infinite. This introduction beckons listeners into the composer’s celestial universe, a domain where science and art seamlessly coexist.

Tina Guo’s sublime strings further elevate the piece. Her emotive cello lines, both mournful and hopeful, create a dialogue between the earthly and the cosmic. The interplay between piano and cello is dynamic, showcasing not only technical mastery but also a profound emotional depth that resonates deeply. The orchestral arrangement, crafted with cinematic precision, builds layers of complexity, enhanced by the deft production of Steve Mazzaro.

As the composition progresses, it gains momentum with percussive elements that ripple and expand, adding texture and urgency. These elements crescendo into an anthemic finale, creating a feeling of unbounded expansion – a metaphor, perhaps, for humanity’s ever-reaching aspirations in space and creativity. The finale’s energy is electrifying, leaving us breathless and yearning for more.

The piece concludes with a hauntingly cerebral outro, echoing the ethereal soundscape of its beginning. Space-inspired sound manipulations, crafted using authentic NASA soundscapes, transport listeners back to the stars, a fitting conclusion to this stellar journey.

The significance of Moon Seeds extends beyond its musical brilliance. Premiered during a historic live stream connecting audiences across the globe, the piece is emblematic of the symbiosis of art and science. Drawing inspiration from the Apollo-era Moon Trees and the seeds flying with NASA’s Artemis missions, Moon Seeds embodies hope, resilience, and the flourishing of life in even the harshest environments.

The event accompanying the premiere highlighted the broader vision of this project – sparking conversations about creativity and inclusivity in space exploration. Dr. Barilaro’s ASTROBEAT initiative, exploring cold welding as a solution for space debris impacts, underscores how art and science can intersect to address real-world challenges while inspiring collective imagination.

Visually, the accompanying music video by Joel Moody and the stunning artwork by Chiara Rovoletto enrich the piece’s narrative. Filmed in Los Angeles and supported by the Athena Foundation for the Arts, the visuals are a seamless extension of the music, capturing its ethereal and cosmic essence.

In Moon Seeds, Leonardo The Space Pianist and Tina Guo have not only composed a piece of extraordinary beauty but also planted seeds of inspiration for humanity’s future in space and art. It’s an evocative reminder that, whether through science or music, the pursuit of the stars is ultimately a pursuit of the soul.

Available on all major platforms, Moon Seeds invites us all to embark on an emotional voyage from the stars to the heart. It’s a purely masterful creation that redefines what music can achieve. We have added the opus to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists!

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We have been intently following the growth and evolution of The Space Pianist, also known as composer Leonardo Barilaro. Once we saw that the star had just released a track called FRENZY, we were curious to learn more and share our experience.

The composition opens with a glistening astral frequency and intricate, intimate piano performance from the artist. Full of emotion and poetic nuance, the piece takes us on an cerebral journey with a dramatic build featuring subversive sound design elements as we are enveloped in a chaotic beauty before a meditative mid-way point which allows us respite from the fury.

The opus rebuilds with a recognisable flair, as the composer borrows from classic and timeless cinematic scoring vibes to bring to life a surrealist and enigmatic overarching soundscape, interwoven with his signature energy.

We learn that the spacey soundtrack accompanies an award-winning film, recognized at the Gozo Film Festival, and “born from a 48-hour whirlwind, epitomizing artistic progress”, which it turns out means that the film was created from inception to final product within a two day window. The film was recognized in the following categories: Best Professional Film; Best Actor; Best Overall Film and Nominated for Best Director.

The creators tell us that the short film presents “a vivid exploration of caffeinated creativity in its most electrifying form. The narrative gracefully unfolds over the course of a day, capturing the essence of an artist’s journey as chaos and inspiration intertwine to birth captivating works of art. The crescendo leads to an unexpected plot twist, seamlessly transitioning from a realm of fantasy to a haunting sense of horror, unveiling nuanced layers that intrigue and captivate.”

We love what Leonardo Barilaro and his collaborators create, and we have added FRENZY to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream his extensive discography!

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By now, you will know that Leonardo Barilaro has been releasing music every day to streaming platforms, under the year-long project “Space Music Everyday”. We have been developing an archive of reviews featuring the artist, which you can view here.

Today, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the release of 100 Days, which starts of with an intricate and cinematic piano, as additional base synth notes start to immerse us.

The drama of the track expands, as the energy of the composer becomes more directional and cerebral. The piano riffs are exquisite and we could see easily this in a major cinematic space movie.

100 Days is inspired by the concept of trusting the process. Leonardo instills wisdom with every release and on this opus, he says, “In life, what really pays off in the long term is showing up every single day and embrace the grinding, with all its difficulties and related rollercoaster of emotions.”

“Every activity developed step by step during the years in a self-conscious and active way is a form of art, and the project of Leonardo The Space Pianist wants to honour this”, concludes the artist from Italy.

The build of the track sees the synths expand as the piano reaches the highest points of the instrument and we are absorbed in a magnetic riser which takes over us wholly.

The artwork features model and casting director Karolina Thea Kosiba, portrayed by photographer Lorenzo De Donno.

The videoclip is minimal, in black and white, and we love watching Leonardo perform, it is truly mesmerizing.

Space Piano Music Everyday is a daily project, we have included the Spotify playlist here, and added 100 days to our New Music Spotlight playlist.

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In a rare move, our favourite celestial pianist, Leonardo Barilaro opens his latest release Spusa de pesse with spoken word details fused with cerebral sounscaping.

You might have read our review of The Space Pianist‘s epic Genesis EP and Not 66 days without a note, however Spusa de pesse serves for a different experience.

A fusion of Italian and English spoken word samples immerse us entirely, almost as if it is the conversions before taking off into space. The spoken word is fused with synths and samples, creating a dynamic and sometimes brutalist experience.

The final thirty seconds of the song features an arpeggiated high synth that also feels like a video game or space telephone. Speaking on the release, Leonardo says, “The track features a nuance of retro-futuristic sounds.”

We find the intensity of the track in juxtaposition to the artist’s main body of work, and love the subversive element that would make for a magnificent moment during a live show. The incredible featured artwork is by Chiara Rovoletto.

Spusa de Pesse is inspired by the reading, as ‘beta-tester’, of the book “Auf Wiedersehen Sgranphogemund – The Italian Journey of Reversed Goethe”, to be published on Amazon. The author, going by the art name of Asiago Wurzburg, is a young writer and astronomy enthusiastic currently based in Italy.

The short story selected for the release gives a glimpse of the difficulties of walking alone in life and of how a simple event can change our path, the so called ‘butterfly effect’ (referred as ‘bai’ in Italian). The music also highlights with a pinch of irony how love can give and can take. The voice over in the recording is performed by Asiago Wurzburg himself.

One audible soundbite says “funny guy”, and we love that, as this piece from Leonardo Barilaro is perhaps the most comedic one that we have experienced to date. Spusa de pesse is part of Leonardo’s yearlong journey project, Space Piano Music Everyday. We have added Spusa de pesse to our New Music Spotlight playlist along with songs from Genesis EP and Not 66 days without a note.

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We first featured Leonardo Barilaro for the release of his emotive composition Not 66 days without a note, so we are thrilled to now experience the four track EP, Genesis.

Opening with four enigmatic notes on the piano and expanding celestial textures, the first track, which serves as an introduction for the EP is called Half orbit around the destination planet and landing.

We then experience Exploring the dry valley which is a cerebral track, where we have landed on the planet and are exploring it’s terrain. The anticipation is built as we perhaps discover something, whilst the production of the track builds to a climax.

The third track is called 500 years back in the Future and features an airier energy and a featured flute lending itself to an ancient civilization energy. It is also the longest track on the EP. The choppy strings build intensity and we feel more connected to the cinematic nature of Leonardo Barilaro‘s artistry.

Keeping to the same tune, but expanding to vibrant electric guitar, we experience Travelling home without me, which paints a picture of a separation, awe and visual depth.

The new EP is part of Leonardo Barilaro‘s project Space Piano Music Everyday, a yearlong journey where every single day new music is published by the artist.

Speaking on the release, Leonardo tells us that “Genesis has a fractal inspiration around the concept of creation, where similar patterns repeat on increasingly smaller scales and can model chaotic events like crystal structure and galaxy evolution. A similar path is seen in the process through the Universe and the human point of view with art and science. This is reflected in the visuals of the release. Genesis is a journey in one breath through space piano music overture, an orchestral neo-classical composition and a progressive metal outro.”

The artwork is a creation of visual artist and scientist Antonio Polidano Vella, while the mixing and mastering were done at ACSY Sound studio. The final track of the EP features drummer Andrea Giovannoli and guitarist Marco Pellizzari.

Genesis comes with a music video that showcases a moody and relatable human take on the highly astral composition. The video stars Ozlem Basman Barilaro.

We are obsessed and are grateful that The Space Pianist continues to deliver such exquisite work on a daily basis and have added 500 years back in the Future to our New Music Spotlight playlist!

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