Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at MCAST in Malta, Leonardo Barilaro‘s focus is always on what lies beyond our planet’s atmosphere. When he’s not working on his academic career, he’s also revered as an accomplished pianist and composer whose cosmic fascination filters through into his unique artistic expression.
With his ultimate dream being for him to be the first person to play a piano concert on Mars, in the meantime he’s been sharing his sonic vision down here on Earth. Though he’s made some progress in this aspiration with his music being taken up to space by astronauts and beamed back to Earth.
Coming off the back of an astonishing 2022, a year that saw Leonardo release a new piece of piano music every single day, this year he’s continued his prolific output with a string of new compositions. It’s baffling to consider his artistic work when you factor in everything else he’s part of.
Currently he’s leading a new space mission onboard the International Space Station called ASTROBEAT, as well as writing a book, ‘Music from Space,’ about his journey and his music in space. Now he brings us one of his most recent releases with his new single titled “Chrysalis,” an instrumental piano work that revolves around a story of resilience, depicting the concept of a chrysalis as a vessel for transformation.
Armed with only his musical mind and his Zanta ZB 200 grand piano, made by the Zanta Pianoforti brand which he endorses, on “Chrysalis,” Leonardo Barilaro crafts a stunning musical experience that’s inspiring and moving. Opened by bright plinks, Leonardo crafts an inviting and playful rhythm that varies its tempo and intensity through deft performance.
Trading melodies between bass and leads, “Chrysalis” develops with the bold strikes of chords to inject brooding energy before delicate top lines begin to flutter, mimicking the process of metamorphosis that informs the composition. It’s another breathtaking musical moment from Leonardo Barilaro as he continues to operate at the very highest level as a visionary composer of modern piano music.
Listen to Chrysalis below
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