In January 2025, CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti attended the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. She joined world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma on stage for a discussion on the connections between science, nature and art, before accompanying him on the piano for a duet of “Le Cygne” by Camille Saint-Saëns.
During the event, Gianotti highlighted CERN’s successful model of global collaboration.
“Only by uniting brilliant minds from around the world can we hope to find answers to the most complex and profound questions,” she said. “Both physics and music are forms of exploration. Arts, science, philosophy – it’s all culture, they are what make us human.”
During her time as CERN Director-General, Gianotti has been invited to Davos on several occasions, with contributions ranging from participating in debates to co-chairing. And this year’s contribution is not her first time collaborating with Ma. You can watch their CERN Science Gateway performance from December 2023 here.