How can we create positive change and stay resilient in today’s stressful and chaotic world? In her keynote, Katharina Schulze explores how collective action, open dialogue, and a refusal to settle for the status quo can tackle society's biggest challenges, from the climate crisis to social inequality. With inspiring stories and a call to action, she shows that progress is possible when people work together.

Katharina Schulze is the face of the Bavarian Greens and the Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens in the Bavarian State Parliament. Since November 2019, she is also a member of the party’s Executive Committee on the federal level. “Don't moan to get the world better, make it better yourself” is her political compass, with which she inspires people all over Bavaria to get interested in politics. Katharina Schulze wants to advance Bavaria into a state of ecological sustainability, digital opportunities, equal rights for women and cosmopolitanism, in which everyone can live freely and safely.

Some challenges in orchestral performance are louder than others—literally. By raising awareness for hearing protection, leveraging new technologies to measure stress, and integrating playful learning methods, we can help young musicians not only hit the right notes but also thrive on and off the stage. Project Link: https://tfoyo.eu

Matthias Bertsch is dedicated to interdisciplinary Performance Science, combining Acoustics, Physiology, and Psychology. As a systematic musicologist, he teaches and conducts research at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw), utilizing a wide range of psychophysiological and acoustic tools in the "Motion-Emotion-Lab" to support and enhance musicians' well-being and performance. As President of the Austrian Society for Music Performance Medicine and Music Physiology (ÖGfMM) and an active member of its research team, he leads initiatives that integrate practical health strategies and scientific research into youth orchestra projects, fostering resilience and sustainable musicianship.

This talk will address what teachers and caregivers need to know to support the physical and psychological development of young musicians, and how older musicians can use health literacy to meet and manage the changing demands of music making as they age.

Jane Ginsborg is Professor of Music Psychology and Associate Director of Research at the Royal Northern College of Music. A former professional singer with degrees in music and psychology, she was President of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (2012-2015), and Editor-in-Chief of Musicae Scientiae (2019-2025). Her publications include Performing Music Research: Methods in Music Education, Psychology, and Performance Science (2021), and many articles and chapters on topics including expert music practice, memorization and music performance, and musicians’ health and wellbeing. She is currently investigating the experiences of older musicians.

Susanna Cohen is a postdoctoral researcher and music performance coach. She is a former professional bassoonist and worked as a freelancer in the UK before moving to Israel to become the Principal Bassoonist of the Israel Chamber Orchestra. After qualifying as a music therapist, she completed her PhD at Bar Ilan University, examining the relationship between music performance anxiety and flow. Her research interests include musicians’ health and wellbeing, peak performance, music performance anxiety and positive aging. She is currently investigating the experiences of older musicians and experiences of older adults post-hospitalization.

Sarah Upjohn EdD MA is a UK based physiotherapy practitioner / educator / researcher, specializing in prevention of playing-related injuries in instrumental musicians. She works regularly at The Purcell School for Young Musicians, and with the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Benedetti Foundation and for the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM). She has contributed to several book chapters about musicians’ wellbeing, and has presented at National, International and World Conferences across the fields of Performing Arts Medicine, Music Education and Physiotherapy.

Explore how peak performance techniques from sports can transform music practice and performance! This presentation introduces performance profiling, a powerful tool athletes use to enhance focus and growth, now adapted for musicians. Learn strategic planning methods, avoid common pitfalls, and discover ways to sustain steady development and achieve your highest potential.

Johannes Lunde Hatfield completed his master’s degree in music performance (cello) at Lund University in 2006. Following his master’s in music, Johannes accomplished a bachelor of sport science at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, and a post graduate diploma in education, Østfold University College, and ultimately a multidisciplinary Ph.D. in sport psychology and education, Norwegian Academy of Music. Dr. Hatfield is currently working as a Professor of Educational Psychology at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences where his main research targets human motivation and deliberate practice. His main research interests are performance psychology, human motivation in high performance, and deliberate practice. His most important research investigated the adaption and application of performance psychology in music acquisition and performance from a motivational perspective.

Musicking the Margins is a collection of stories of Brazilian musicians from underserved communities on community-based and university music programs. Their drive to thrive is complex, multifaceted, and informative for universities who train musicians to work with these groups.

Beatriz Ilari, PhD, is a Professor and Chair of music teaching and learning at the University of Southern California. She has conducted extensive research with infants, children, and adolescents to examine the intersections between musical participation, child development, cognition and culture. A Brazilian native, Beatriz is a violinist and music teacher, and a research fellow at USC’s Brain & Creativity Institute. She collaborates regularly with colleagues from various fields in Brazil, Portugal, Spain, UK, USA, and Hong Kong. Beatriz is currently working on a book entitled “Musicking the margins: Musical selves in Brazilian sociomusical programs and universities,” in collaboration with Graziela Bortz.

Performing convincingly live – but how? Video examples illustrate ways to create a persuasive stage performance.

Reinhard Kopiez received a degree in classical guitar (1982) and a master’s and PhD (1990) in musicology from the Technical University in Berlin. Since 1998, he has been a professor of music psychology at Hanover University of Music and Drama, Germany and head of the Hanover Music Lab. His journal publications concern psychological research on the relationship between music performance and handedness, historiometric analyses of Clara Schumann's repertoire, groove and sound in popular music, the evaluation of audio-visual music performance, and the experience of immersive music listening (3D audio). Since 2022, he has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook of Music Psychology (Jahrbuch Musikpsychologie).

In a world grappling with numerous challenges, merely asking questions and identifying issues no longer seems to be enough. People are yearning for action, seeking a sense of movement, and craving transformative momentum. Let’s find the groove in civil society that could drive sustainable change in Global Health.

Dr. Janina Kruse, MD, MSc Global Health, is a neurologist and yoga teacher with a commitment to musicians´ medicine and global health. With a background in neurological rehabilitation and movement disorders, she is passionate about health equity and actively engages in interdisciplinary initiatives for sustainable health improvements. She combines clinical excellence with a global perspective, enhancing health access and quality of care in resource-limited settings. On and off the yoga mat, she blends medical insight with bodywork techniques, empowering patients, musicians and professionals alike toward sustainable health and wellbeing.

What can we learn from the way nature thrives to set and achieve meaningful goals in the performing arts? This talk explores parallels between natural processes and human performance, offering strategies that may help to balance ambition with well-being. Combining insights from research with inspiration from nature’s rhythms and resilience, I will attempt to approach goal setting in ways that foster both excellence and fulfillment.

Dr. Veronika Jana Lubert is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in sport psychology at the University of Vienna and an independent psychologist with her own coaching practice. Funded by a uni:docs fellowship and a Marietta Blau grant, she worked at the University of Vienna, the Swedish School of Sports and Health Sciences, and the Royal Northern College of Music. Her research focuses on knowledge transfer between sport psychology and the performing arts, adapting sport psychological interventions to enhance performance under pressure in music, dance, and acting. With degrees in psychology and violin performance, as well as various coaching certifications, she is active as a psychological coach for musicians and as a violinist.

Physical exercise in natural settings whether they comprise outdoor environments or their virtual counterparts is grounded upon complex interactions between humans and their environments. The essence of nature is that it too is complex and moving creating a dynamic interface based on our preconceptions, perceptions and experience. The psychological consequences of moving in nature go beyond simple dualistic approaches that focus on attention and stress reduction, and topics such as our connection with nature, social connections and resilience require further exploration.

What does it take to transform music training into a space where health, artistry, and inclusivity thrive? Drawing insights from over 100 global experts, this initiative unveils groundbreaking, consensus-based guidelines for integrating health education—especially mental health—into higher education music institutions. Join us in reimagining the future of music training, where well-being is not an add-on but a foundation for sustainable and meaningful careers.

Raluca Matei, a chartered psychologist and postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University, focuses on musicians' health through a multidisciplinary approach. She develops health programs, fosters critical thinking in music training, and challenges western classical music conventions to inspire creativity. In 2024, she and her colleague Giulia Ripani received funding from the Bloomberg School of Public Health for an ambitious project on musicians' mental health. Furthermore, she was awarded the British Psychological Society’s 2024 Public Engagement Award for her workshops on performance anxiety. Raluca also coaches performing artists on health, practice optimization, and both personal and artistic growth.

As one of three functional affect regulation systems, the motivational properties of exhilaration and vitality in the drive state fast become unstuck when desired performance goals are not achieved. The destructive feedback loop of self-criticism in the face of failure inflames perceptions of threat and recoiling self-protective behaviors – the very antithesis of the drive to thrive. In this talk I summarize emerging research from our Compassionate Performer Program showing how self-compassionate wisdom and courage – making a commitment to turn towards difficult experiences and relieve distress through skillful action – can exert powerful effects for mental health and perceived performance enhancement.

Dr Margaret Osborne is a consulting performance psychologist, senior lecturer in psychology and music (performance science) and convenor of the Master of Professional Psychology at the University of Melbourne. She is notable for work in music performance anxiety and conducts research, teaching and clinical practice in performing arts health and performance enhancement. She has served as President of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare, chairs the Australian Healthy Conservatoires Network, and is an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Psychology (Performance Science).

Our efforts to open space for greater nuance in how people engage with different pursuits may ultimately help people achieve more meaning in their lives. Beliefs about the primacy of work, which sideline other activities to lesser importance, combined with beliefs about what work and non-work constitute in the first place, may constrain how people think about the portfolio of activities in their lives. Thus, moving away from prescriptive notions about how meaningful work and activities should be pursued may contribute to a fundamental shift in how people make life choices and reinforce the idea that a wider range of possibilities may not only be possible, but highly desirable.

Chia-Jung Tsay is an associate professor at University College London and an associate fellow at University of Oxford. Her work examines the psychological processes that influence decision making and interpersonal perception about performance. Featured in media outlets from the BBC to the Wall Street Journal, She received a PhD in organizational behavior and psychology with a secondary PhD field in music from Harvard University, and previously taught at Peabody, Oxford, Tsinghua, and Wharton. As a classical pianist, she has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the U.S. Embassy and holds degrees from the Juilliard School and the Peabody Institute.

Permaculture design following David Holmgren’s permaculture ethics and principles are more than a set of guidelines for gardeners. The design principles mimic nature’s way of doing things and helps us to approach cultural, social and economic systems in a new, more sustainable fashion. In preparation of the on-site visit of the permaculture garden of Nantesbuch this lecture sheds light on the transferability of permaculture design to the educational, social and cultural setting.

Sinan von Stietencron is the lead curator of the nature program at the Art and Nature Foundation in Germany since 2020. He is a philosopher, adult educator and artist. In addition to his studies in philosophy, educational science and art, he continued his education in other disciplines such as ethnology-medicine, indigenous cultural techniques and communication psychology. He publishes and gives lectures on educational philosophy and applied, organismic process philosophy. Currently in print are another two articles for the Metzler Handbook on Alfred North Whitehead treating his book “The Aims of Education” and the concept of “Rhythm” in his work.