For more than two decades, the KSO’s nationally recognized Music & Wellness program has brought professional musicians into healthcare and community settings throughout East Tennessee. Launched in 2004, the program has grown into one of the KSO’s longest-running community initiatives.
Today, specially trained musicians perform in hospital lobbies, patient floors, infusion centers, senior living communities, and recovery programs, creating moments of comfort, connection, and calm for patients, families, residents, and healthcare professionals.
During the 2025-26 season, Music & Wellness reached more than 6,500 patients, visitors, residents, and healthcare staff, along with more than 200 individuals participating in addiction and alcohol recovery programs.
Music & Wellness performances are designed specifically for healthcare environments.
KSO musicians receive specialized training to adapt each performance to the needs of patients and the surrounding setting. Whether performing as a string quartet in a hospital lobby or offering a quiet bedside performance, musicians carefully select repertoire to create a calming and welcoming experience.
Recent support from Alan and Sally Sefton helped equip the program with iPads and digital music technology.
When Music Director Lucas Richman introduced the idea of a Music & Wellness program in 2004, relatively few American orchestras were working regularly in healthcare settings. Inspired by the belief that live music could enrich the healthcare experience, the KSO began building relationships with hospitals and community partners to explore new ways of serving patients and families.
What began with string quartets performing in hospital lobbies has grown through partnerships with healthcare providers, researchers, music therapists, and community organizations. As those partnerships evolved, the program expanded beyond public performances to include individualized bedside visits, bringing live music directly to patients and families throughout their healthcare journey.
In partnership with researchers from the University of Tennessee College of Nursing and University of Tennessee Medical Center in 2018, the KSO helped conduct one of the first structured observational studies examining the effects of live orchestral music in a healthcare setting.
Researchers compared patient and visitor behaviors during periods with no music, recorded music, and live performances by a KSO string quartet. The study found that live music was associated with significantly greater positive expressive and physical behaviors, supporting the value of live music in healthcare environments and encouraging additional research.
The League of American Orchestras has recognized the KSO as a national leader in this work.
Violinist Eunsoon Lee Corliss received the Ford Musician Award for Excellence in Community Service in 2017, followed by violinist Sean Claire in 2021. The awards recognize orchestra musicians whose community service extends beyond the concert hall to make a lasting difference in the communities they serve.
“The Music & Wellness program creates moments of calm, joy, and emotional release while fostering hope, reducing stress, and strengthening community throughout the healing process.”
— Anne B. Young, MS, LADAC II, QCS, CAS
Director of Recovery Support Services, Metro Drug Coalition
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is grateful for the healthcare and community partners who help make Music & Wellness possible:
Covenant Health
Tennova Healthcare
DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital
Metro Drug Coalition
Cancer Support Community
The University of Tennessee Medical Center
Interested in bringing Music & Wellness to your organization or learning more about the program?
Contact:
Maddie Helbling, Director of Education & Community Partnerships
Email | 865-291-3310
