Concerts-workshops

Orchestre de l’Agora collaborates with the geriatric psychiatry department of the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (IUSMM), in partnership with Dr. Katerine Rousseau, a geriatric psychiatrist, working with patients living with psychiatric disorders and/or cognitive impairments.

The concert-workshops last about one hour and are led by ensembles of two to four musicians from the Orchestra. Each session alternates between musical performances and accessible introductions to the works, followed by a discussion period in which participants are invited to speak, whenever they wish.

Twelve concerts take place each year, at a rate of one per month. Since June 2022, the project has enabled hospitalized patients to experience high-quality artistic programming within the hospital itself, offering a calming respite from the context of illness—for both patients and caregiving teams.

The observed outcomes have been significant: many patients report feeling calmer, comforted, and emotionally reached by the music, while staff highlight a positive effect on the unit’s overall atmosphere. Concrete changes have also been noted, including greater motivation to take part in activities, reduced agitation among some patients, and a sense of feeling valued. For the Orchestra, the project also helps reduce stigma related to mental health and aging by creating a space of encounter between musicians and patients.