Renée Fleming and experts unveil the transformative power of music on human health and wellbeing
Renée Fleming, world-renowned soprano and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health, participated in a panel hosted by Salzburg Global Seminar on August 1, 2023 to share about the profound effects of music on human health and the brain. Renée has been a leading advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience and has presented her program “Music and Mind” in more than 50 cities worldwide, with Salzburg as the most recent addition.
Esteemed experts joined Renée in Schloss Leopoldskron for a panel discussion delving into the intersection of music, mental health, and neuroscience, shedding light on the therapeutic potential of music and the scientific mechanisms behind its influence. Martin Weiss, president and CEO of Salzburg Global Seminar, and Kristina Hammer, president of the Salzburg Festival, both delivered warm introductions on the importance of arts for wellbeing.
The event’s core concept of arts as health connects to the approach taken by two pillars at Salzburg Global, Health and Culture. Our Health and Health Care Innovation series puts people and communities at the heart of systems transformation for healthy societies to promote a future that is generative of health, well-being, and happiness for all. Our Culture, Arts and Society series harnesses the transformative power of artists and the arts to shape a better world, with past programs including “The Neuroscience of Art” and “The Humanizing Power of the Arts: Building Back Healthier”.
Renée was accompanied by Christopher Bailey, Arts and Health Lead for the World Health Organization, Mizan Rambhoros, researcher of neuroaesthetics in the ARTIS Lab at the University of Vienna, and Auguste Tautscher-Basnett, clinical linguist and quality manager for neurorehabilitation at the Gailtal-Klinik Hermagor in Austria.
The four experts each presented their perspectives on the transformative power of music and arts for cognitive development, healing, and therapy. They shared touching examples of impressive results from music being used to improve the lives of people affected by Alzheimer’s, strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and more. Their promising insights and strong scientific evidence showcased the many therapeutic applications of music.
The engaging conversation between Renée and the other three experts enabled the audience to gain insights into music therapy's ability to enhance emotional well-being, explore how music stimulates neural pathways and influences brain chemistry, and discover how music can regulate emotions, elevate mood, and empower individuals.
Through the engagement of experts and passionate advocates like Renée Fleming, Salzburg Global Seminar continues to explore and harness the potential of music and arts to improve the lives of individuals and communities worldwide.
This event is organized under the auspices of Salzburg Global Seminar – Austria and took place in partnership with the Healing Arts series of the Jameel Arts and Health Lab in collaboration with WHO. Renée Fleming appeared courtesy of the Salzburger Festspiele.
