LEONARDO THE SPACE PIANIST

Dr Leonardo Barilaro, also known as the Space Pianist, blends his passions for music and science.
Born in Venice, Italy, Leonardo has already sent his music to Space three times, where it premiered via streaming from the International Space Station. Leonardo is a polymath artist, his music can be described as ‘Contemporary Space Music’, merging piano, synthesizers, and bold experimentation.

This artistic pursuit began early, discovering the piano at 6 and astronomy at 9. Inspired by figures like Isaac Asimov and diverse musical influences, like Bach and Queen, at the age of 12 he envisioned playing music in Space.
This Dream led Leonardo on a unique journey. As a pianist, he graduated from the Music Conservatory in his native Italy, studying composition and developing his passion for synths and electronic music. Mentored by Dream Theater's keyboardist, Jordan Rudess, he simultaneously pursued studies in Aerospace Engineering. 
As an aerospace engineer with a PhD from the University of Padua (Italy), Dr Barilaro conducted research on mitigating space debris risks and innovative techniques for hypervelocity impacts. His expertise extends to mechanical measurements for engineering, structures, fluid dynamics, and aerospace systems, with over 30 academic publications and experience with multinational corporations.

During these years, he performed at Sweden's ESRANGE Space Center while participating in the SCRAT Project, his first Space mission. He has since recorded four studio albums, six EPs, and numerous singles, performing across Italy, Germany, the UK, France, the UAE, and beyond. Collaborations with world-class artists like Tina Guo, Steve Mazzaro, Yossi Sassi, Mariangela Demurtas, and Marco Minnemann further enrich his musical horizons.

His artistic side, meanwhile, continues to reach new levels. Guided by his daily creative philosophy, Nullo Die Sine Nota (Not a day without a note) — active since 2006 — he embarked on the "Space Piano Music Everyday" project in 2022, releasing a daily new track with a video clip on platforms like Spotify and establishing a new world record. 2023 saw the publication of his first book, Music from Space.
Bridging his two worlds, Dr Barilaro led the ASTROBEAT project, which successfully tested an innovative cold-welding adhesion technique for spacecraft repair on the International Space Station in November 2024. This mission incorporated a unique "Space Art" component: new compositions created in collaboration with Grammy-nominated cellist Tina Guo and producer Steve Mazzaro, both part of Hans Zimmer’s team, were sent to the ISS and premiered in a broadcast to Earth. Maintaining a standard of uncompromising acoustic quality for these extraterrestrial premieres, every piece of music Leonardo has broadcast from Space has been recorded exclusively on Steinway pianos. 
Pushing the boundaries of performance further, in November 2025, Leonardo recorded the ‘Zero Gravity, Note One’ EP, the first EP recorded live during a parabolic flight under microgravity and hypergravity conditions.

Dr Leonardo Barilaro is a Visiting Associate Professor of Space Technology and Sonic Arts and an Artist in Residence at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). There, he leads the NYUAD Space Art Center, developing a world-premiere polymathic hub that integrates his scientific research with advanced artistic expression.

Leonardo’s vision aims to inspire audiences, transcend cultural barriers, and connect people to the wonders of Space. His ultimate goal? To become the first pianist to perform a concert from Mars to be streamed to Earth.