DkIT student shares international stage with music legend

Leandro Pessina, a PhD candidate at Dundalk Institute of Technology, recently performed in Italy with Clive Bunker, the original drummer and founder member of Jethro Tull, the progressive rock band that emerged to international acclaim at the end of the 1960s. Bunker was the drummer on the first four albums, including their masterpiece “Aqualung”, from 1971.

Flautist Leandro is a member of a folk metal band named “Aexylium”, which recently recorded its third full-length album with plans for release in Spring 2025. This concert was held in Casale Monferrato, Piedmont, Italy, and was a charity event in aid of the local branch of VITAS, a non-profit organisation, focused on domiciliary palliative care. The scope of this gig was to raise enough money to support its initiatives such as the purchase of new technical equipment and vehicles.

Jethro Tull are internationally known as an eclectic band that combined rock together with folk, jazz, blues and classical music, that has performed during important events including the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. Following his success with the band, Bunker has become a requested musician for recording sessions and tours, also playing alongside the Manfred Mann's Earth Band during the first half of the Nineteens. During the event, Leandro performed with other musicians coming from different progressive rock and Jethro Tull tribute bands’ ensembles.

Leandro’s project, under the supervision of Dr Daithí Kearney (DkIT) and Dr Ioannis Tsioulakis (Queen’s University Belfast) was funded by Taighde Éireann / Research Ireland and critically considers the potential for greater consideration of the role of music for enhanced tourism in Louth. He is a graduate of the University of Milan and the University of Bergamo and, while living in Louth, has been an active member of the Oriel Traditional Orchestra.