The Philadelphia Orchestra to bring the healing power of music to Penn hospitals

The Philadelphia Orchestra announced it is virtually bringing music to patients at Penn Medicine’s six hospitals, including those being treated for COVID-19.

In a press release, the Philadelphia Orchestra outlined that Penn Medicine hospitals throughout the region will stream Virtual Philadelphia Orchestra programs directly into patient rooms on a dedicated Philadelphia Orchestra television channel or on tablets, including rebroadcasts of previous concerts, chamber music from musicians’ homes, and more, with new content added each week. In addition, Philadelphia Orchestra audio and video content will be available on Penn Medicine’s employee COVID-19 support portal, PennMedicineTogether.

So far, the healthcare facilities included are the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, and Princeton Health, with hopes to expand to other health care systems.

Some of the virtual Philadelphia Orchestra music currently in rotation includes the March 12, 2020, performance of Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 to an empty Verizon Hall; a performance of Haydn’s Symphony No. 100 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 from 2010, a specially curated chamber concert of works by Beethoven performed by Philadelphia Orchestra musicians from their homes, and a concert featuring Brahms’s Violin Concerto by Gil Shaham.

Forced to suspend performances in front of audiences due to COVID-19, the Philadelphia Orchestra did a special performance on Thursday, March 12th to an empty Verizon Hall in Philadelphia. Watch it below.