Ingrid Carbone: When Music and Mathematics meet in a symphony of talent

Music and mathematics: two worlds that seem distant, but that merge in a surprisingly harmonious way in the figure of Professor Ingrid Carbone, award-winning pianist and mathematician teaching at the University of Calabria. Guest of a recent interview on Radio CRT during the broadcast “Floro in many minutes” by Ugo Floro, Ingrid Carbone talked about her extraordinary journey made of art, science and passion for cultural dissemination.

You can listen to the full interview (in Italian) on Radio CRT’s website>>

Two sides of the same soul: piano and mathematics

Ingrid Carbone defines herself first and foremost as a musician, while proudly and rigorously maintaining her scientific identity. “I feel like a pianist,” she declared, “but also a scientist. Art, however, is a step above science, because it speaks directly to the soul.”

In her career, she has always cultivated both passions: music as a universal form of expression, and mathematics as the language of logical thought. It is no coincidence, therefore, that the link between music and mathematics continually emerges in her professional life and in her teaching approach.

The innovative method: the “lecture-concert”

Another distinctive aspect of Ingrid Carbone’s approach is her innovative communication strategy, which she herself defines as “conversation-concert”. She doesn’t just play; she takes the audience on a real journey inside the piece, describing the interpretative choices and artistic motivations. It’s a way to make music accessible to everyone, not just experts, and to transform the concert into a cultural and educational experience.

The same approach is also used in teaching mathematics, where storytelling and involvement become tools to overcome the prejudice according to which mathematics is “only for a few”.