To celebrate World Music Day on October 1, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, invited its scientific community to “connect with music” by sharing a selection of tracks that are significant in their lives. For the fifth consecutive year, eight researchers from various Técnico research units accepted the challenge and curated playlists featuring ten songs each.
These selections span a wide range of genres and styles, reflecting each researcher’s relationship with music, whether at work, during breaks, or outside the academic setting. The result is eight unique playlists, showcasing personal choices that reveal different aspects of Técnico’s researchers.
Through a diverse array of sounds, artists, and genres, this initiative highlights the variety within the scientific community and the role that music plays in their everyday lives.
António Aguiar (Técnico/ CERENA – Centro de Recursos Naturais e Ambiente
«I started studying music at the age of 6 and continued to be a musician until I was 27. So, music is not just a balm for the soul; it is part of my history, my identity, and who I am, even as a scientist».
Bruno Gonçalves (Técnico/ IPFN – Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion)
«Music has always accompanied me on my journeys, both the physical ones and those within myself. It has been the driving force that sustained me during the lonely hours of study and the language that gives voice, form, and serenity to my feelings».
Catarina Caneira (Técnico/ INESC-MN – Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores – Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias)
«At its core, science and art share the same essence: understanding how vibrations can produce extraordinary effects—some reveal how the world works, while others help us understand who we are».
Henrique Oliveira (Técnico/ CAMGSD – Center for Mathematical Analysis, Geometry and Dynamical Systems)
«For as long as I can remember, my connection to music has stemmed from an innate love, born of listening and wonder: my first teacher was my grandfather (…) For me, music is not only something to listen to and discover, but also my own unique form of artistic creation».
Isabel Correia (Técnico/ CQE – Centro de Química Estrutural)
«Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve experienced countless concerts, festivals, and discoveries with friends, all along searching for new sounds. With the rise of social media, I’ve made many friends by sharing music. The world has opened up for me».
Leigh Sutherland (Técnico/ CENTEC – Centre for Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering)
«I grew up in the ’70s, experiencing the inevitable questionable hairstyles and even more questionable clothing choices. The soundtrack to those memories is filled with British classics, which is why I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t a constant presence in my life».
Miguel Felizardo (Técnico/ C2TN – Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares)
«As a physicist, I spend much of my time trying to understand how the universe works. Music does exactly the opposite for me: it reminds me that not everything needs an explanation».
Rute Pedro (Técnico/ LIP – Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics)
«Her movement
Brings comfort to the Earth
For which the world is thirsting
The breath of the heart».
– Carminho, Maria (2018).
