Puttylike contributor Davide Greco photographs multipotentialites in their many habitats and interviews them about their many passions. We featured some images and stories from his To Be or…To Be series back in May. For today’s post, Davide profiled…another Davide. :) Here’s his story in his own words, translated from the Italian by D. Greco. Enjoy!

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Davide // Orchestral Conductor + Electronic Engineer

I have always been always fascinated by both art and science. I took my first music class at the age of six, and spent my teenage years as a young scientist, enjoying my research into the great issues of life and the universe.

My love for  playing music has led me to explore other aspects of the field, especially composition, orchestral direction and choir. I now lead a professional orchestra called Nova Symphonia Patavina, which is comprised of 50 university and conservatory students. The group performs all together, as well as in various smaller ensembles.

As I was traveling my musical path, I also studied and graduated in Electronic Engineering. I specialize in biomedical applications and currently teach “technology laboratories” at a high school.

Throughout my life, I’ve also practiced numerous sports such as track, swimming, biking, target practice and parkour. The next on my list might be fencing!

Usually, I don’t stop when I achieve “success” at something. I actively research a course that will allow me to take on new challenges and gain further enrichment as I move forward. Even during my academic studies I went beyond my compulsory education, undertaking highly specialized examinations in Applied Optics, Biomedical Instrumentation, Autonomous Robotics, Neuroengineering and Quantum Electronics.

For me, any endeavor—composing the soundtrack of a theatrical production, founding an undergraduate orchestra, or working as a lecturer—represents an unmissable opportunity: to play and grow as a professional and as a human.

My curiosity and desire to grow has drawn me to many art forms beyond music, primarily wood sculpture, iron manufacture and drawing. Thought I was initially self-taught, even in these fields I always seize the opportunity to work with more experienced artists, which helped me improve my technique.

By combining different aspects of my scientific training, I have slowly moved towards a union between artistic impression and a mathematical consciousness of matter. This intersection of art and science is, for me, a very generative and fertile place.

Both my artistic and scientific studies can be seen as languages that must be mastered in order to build complex narratives. By comprehending and creating language, we are able to link ways of knowing that seem far apart. Take physics, music and sculpture: by reasoning about the nature of things, we can observe and manipulate matter—whether it is a wooden trunk, a sound, or an electronic device.

There are a few necessary elements common to every type of work that I do:

1. I involve other people in my projects, and
2. I make sure that what I do is of some importance to the world outside myself.

I don’t believe in innate talent, but I’m convinced that with willpower, determination and the awareness that every opportunity has to be taken on the fly, every person can realize their dreams, whether or not something comes easily to them.

Your Turn

How do your many passions relate to each other? Do you find common threads or elements in your work, as Davide does?

If these images + stories resonated with you, keep an eye out for the next installment of What Does a Multipotentialite Look Like? on Puttylike later this summer.