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Hartford Symphony To Showcase Mental Health in IOL-Sponsored Concert Series

March 09, 2022

Since ancient times there has always been a connection between music and mental health.

Locally, that connection has never been stronger as the Institute of Living, celebrating 200 years of being on the cutting edge of psychiatry, and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra have come together for a concert series in April to showcase how music can help infuse the spirit. The three concerts feature the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, legendary artists who endured lifelong struggles with depression.

Please join the Hartford Symphony Orchestra for Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky, sponsored by the IOL, April 8-10, to hear soloist Henry Kramer perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, in a concert that also features Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 at the Belding Theater at the Bushnell. The shows will be at Friday (April 8) and Saturday (April 9) at 8 p.m. and at Sunday (April 10) at 3 p.m. For tickets, click here.

Research shows a clear link between health and music. Not only is music therapy helpful for depression and trauma, but listening to music has been shown to reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure and decrease stress levels. Showcasing these two artists at a time when the IOL is celebrating 200 years as a leader in the field of psychiatry is a poignant reminder that mental health and addiction can happen to anyone, but there is hope for recovery and success.

Javeed Sukhera, MD, PhD, chair of psychiatry, Institute of Living, will be part of the evening pre-concert conversations with HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan. These 30-minute presentations take place in the concert hall one hour prior to each Masterworks Series concert. Kuan was appointed the 10th musical director in the 2010-11 season, as the first female and youngest music director in the history of the HSO. She is recognized as one of the most innovative, exciting and outstanding conductors of her generation.

For the Sunday matinee, Hank Schwartz, MD, psychiatrist-in-chief emeritus at the IOL, will participate in the pre-concert conversation.

Marking its 78th season in 2021-2022, the HSO is Connecticut’s premier musical organization, the second largest orchestra in New England, and widely recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras.

The IOL is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2022 and 2023 to match the years it was founded and incorporated. The celebratory calendar includes the Black & Red gala, this concert series, and other public events.

For concert tickets click here.