From Keele to Coldplay: Davide Rossi's remarkable musical journey

If you've ever sung along to Viva la Vida or Paradise by Coldplay, you've already heard the work of Keele graduate Davide Rossi.

The musician behind the iconic string arrangements on two of Coldplay's biggest hits has enjoyed a remarkable career that has taken him from Glastonbury Festival's Pyramid Stage to the Super Bowl 50 half-time show.

A violinist, string arranger, orchestrator, songwriter, composer and conductor, Davide moved to the UK from Italy in 1995 to study and later completed an MSc in Digital Music Technology at Keele University in 2000.

Reflecting on his time at Keele, he said: "I was at Keele during a transitional period in my life, and I used my time there to focus on my violin playing, both classically and towards pop music.

"My biggest memories from Keele are the professors and technicians who were always very supportive, and the grounds and the beauty of the countryside surrounding the campus."

Not long after graduating from Keele, Davide joined British electronic music duo Goldfrapp, embarking on a worldwide touring career that saw him perform with the band for more than a decade.

He also forged a long-standing creative partnership with Coldplay and frontman Chris Martin. His work features on six tracks from the band's acclaimed album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, and he has performed alongside the group on some of the world's biggest stages in front of tens of thousands of fans – including Milan's San Siro stadium.

Photo credit: Vistoria Smith

Davide's extensive list of collaborators includes Depeche Mode, U2, The Killers, Neil Diamond, Alicia Keys, Dido, Duran Duran and Ed Sheeran, among others.

Other career highlights include performing with The Verve when they headlined Glastonbury in 2008, leading the BBC Philharmonic, and contributing to Coldplay's artistic production team for the Super Bowl 50 half-time show alongside Beyoncé and Bruno Mars.

For Davide, one moment stands above the rest.

"When Viva la Vida was released by Coldplay in 2008, it changed my life," he said.

"I was fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time, with a band who wanted to experiment with what I had to bring, which was, and still is, a unique approach to string arranging.

"It became the first number one single for Coldplay in the US and the UK at the same time, which was a pretty big deal. The beautiful thing about it was that I found out after a concert with Goldfrapp in Birmingham, when I heard Chris's voice telling me how thankful he was and that my contribution had played a part in that success.

"I was lucky that my part was really strong on a song that I could only have dreamt of working on in my whole life, and it was a magical coincidence that it became one of the band's most renowned tunes.

"My memory of performing with The Verve when they headlined Glastonbury in 2008 also remains one of my dearest, as it felt like reaching a summit I never thought possible."

Having spent more than two decades working at the highest levels of the music industry, Davide has witnessed first-hand how the profession has evolved.

"It has changed enormously, not just because of the time that has passed but because of the technology involved and, of course, the internet," he said.

"I feel like nowadays we are living in a strange limbo where it's getting harder and harder to be a musician. However, it has never been easy, to be honest. I feel extremely lucky and it's surreal that I can still make a living out of doing what I love.

"I'm proud of all I've done and at the same time I often feel that I still haven't really achieved what I want. I find that a lot of artists share this frustration somehow.

"It's what makes you move forward, I guess. It is a lifetime search into what you can or cannot do, while trying to remain as creatively active as possible."

Despite an already remarkable list of achievements, Davide shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to collaborate with some of the biggest names in music while supporting emerging artists and developing his own projects.

He said: "I'm working with many different producers and artists, including Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh and Oscar Holter of the Max Martin production team, with artists such as Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Chloe Qisha and many more.

"I'm always working with Coldplay in some capacity. I've also been working with exciting UK talents such as Myles Smith and Elliot James Reay, while continuing to work on my own music, which I intend to release at some point."

Asked what advice he would give to current Keele students hoping to build a career in music, Davide encouraged them to embrace their natural talents and pursue their passions.

"I think whatever comes to you easily has to be followed through. There's a great advantage in following your talent somehow, and there are many different ways to make music."