MPIEA Joins the Newly Founded Kronberg Institute for Music and Health
Speakers at the symposium “Music, Health, and Human Connection” (from left to right): Melanie Wald-Fuhrmann (MPIEA), Eckart Altenmüller (Former Director of the Institute for Music Physiology and Music Medicine at the University of Music, Drama and Media, Hanover, Germany), Stefan Koelsch (University of Bergen, Norway), Christian Gold (NORCE Research AS, Bergen, Norway; University of Bergen, Norway; University of Vienna, Austria), Daniela Sammler (MPIEA). Photo: Lutz Sternstein
How does music influence our health and well-being? This question lies at the heart of the research conducted by the recently established Kronberg Institute for Music and Health, located in the Musikquartier in Kronberg im Taunus in Germany. The Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main is participating in the project as a scientific partner under the umbrella of the Kronberg Academy. Alongside other partners, including the Hohe Mark Clinic in Oberursel, the Dr. Amelung Private Clinic in Königstein, and Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, they will conduct an interdisciplinary investigation to examine the effects of music on body and mind. The goal is to gain scientifically sound insights for prevention, therapy, and social participation.
The Kronberg Institute for Music and Health will be located in an extension of the Kronberg Academy on Beethovenplatz, right next to the Casals Forum. A generous donation from the Strauss family of entrepreneurs has made the financing of the building possible. At its heart will be a small concert hall designed as a “Living Lab” for conducting scientific studies under realistic concert conditions. Modern measurement techniques will be used to study the physiological and psychological reactions of listeners during musical performances. Construction of the new building is scheduled to begin this autumn, with completion planned for late 2028.
Over the next few months, a Foundation Board will be established to oversee the institute's activities beyond the realm of science, coordinating its strategic direction and international networking. The chair will be held by neuroscientist and foundation manager Michael Madeja. The Scientific Board will consist of experts in neuroscience, psychology, music medicine and music therapy. Members of the Board are: Stefan Kölsch, neuroscientist and music psychologist, University of Bergen, Norway; Eckart Altenmüller, neurologist and music physiologist, Hanover; and Christian Gold, psychologist and music therapist at the University of Vienna, Austria, and the University of Bergen, Norway.
Source:
Press Release of the Kronberg Institute for Music and Health
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