In France, mental health patients are taken to symphony concerts

norman lebrecht

March 06, 2026

Diapason magazine reports:

This programme launched in Toulouse, in partnership with the Orchestre du Capitole, is undergoing a labeling process and should soon be deployed on a national scale.

Last November, the city of Montreal announced that its doctors could now prescribe concerts to their patients . In a similar vein, a comparable initiative was launched in Toulouse in 2023: a mental health care program called “Résonance(s),” born from a partnership between various Toulouse medical institutions and the Orchestre national du Capitole. Its objective: to allow patients, accompanied by their caregivers, to attend rehearsals and concerts of the city’s iconic symphony orchestra, thereby promoting their inclusion in social and cultural life and boosting their self-esteem.

Given its success in Toulouse, this initiative will soon receive official accreditation and should be rolled out elsewhere in France. Three new cities have recently joined the program: Paris (a partnership between the Philharmonie de Paris/Orchestre de Paris and the Paris Est Val-de-Marne Hospitals), Limoges (a partnership between the Limoges Opera and the Esquirol Hospital Center), and Rouen (a partnership between the Opéra Orchestre Normandie Rouen and the Rouvray Hospital Center). Four other areas are preparing for the 2026-2027 season. The program has also just appointed an ambassador: Toulouse guitarist Thibaut Garcia .

Continues here.