CLEVELAND Clinic and The Cleveland Orchestra will present a symposium called Music and the Brain Aug. 16 in Salzburg, Austria. The program will convene experts from Cleveland and around the world to examine the intersection of music and neuroscience, the impact of music on health, disease and the social implications of the music-brain connection. The international Music and the Brain Symposium is part of the Salzburg Festival, an annual five-week-long music and drama festival. It is the first program of its kind to be held during the Salzburg Festival. “Music has a universal impact on humans. It has a profound impact on human health and wellness and is also used as a therapeutic tool for patients,” said Ali R. Rezai, M.D., director of Cleveland Clinic's Center for Neurological Restoration. “Music and the Brain crosses multiple disciplines and is an exciting and emerging field of study.” Music and the Brain will cover a variety of interrelated topics including the neurobiology of music (the unique way in which music and the brain interact), the impact of music on health and a sociological perspective of the role of the arts in neuroscience. The day-long symposium will consist of presentations and panel discussions, and will feature an internationally recognized group of experts representing the fields of music, neuroscience, health and wellness and philosophy. Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center, consistently ranked among the top hospitals in America by U.S News & World Report. Founded in 1921, it is dedicated to providing quality specialized care and includes an outpatient clinic, a hospital with more than 1,000 staffed beds, an education institute and a research institute.
