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The Freiburg Institute for Musicians’ Medicine will celebrate its 20th anniversary in May 2026. It embodies the close connection between artistic training, university research, and specialized patient care in Freiburg

The Freiburg Institute for Musicians’ Medicine (FIM) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The anniversary will be marked from May 7 to 9, 2026, in Freiburg as part of the 24th Symposium of the German Society for Music Physiology and Musician Medicine. Since its founding in the winter semester of 2005/2006, this joint initiative of the Freiburg University of Music and the Faculty of Medicine – University of Freiburg has combined the training of professional musicians with research on topics in music physiology. At the Medical Center – University of Freiburg, the institute operates a specialized outpatient clinic that provides specialized diagnostics and treatment for instrumentalists as well as patients in voice- and speech-intensive professions. 

“The field of music physiology and music medicine in Freiburg emerged from the very beginning out of the conviction that artistic practice and medical expertise need each other and that innovation arises where the two work closely together,” says Prof. Dr. Dr. Claudia Spahn, who heads the FIM together with Prof. Dr. Bernhard Richter. “For two decades, the Freiburg Institute for Musicians’ Medicine has stood for this integrative approach and has built a specialized profile that closely links teaching, research, and patient care,” Spahn continues. “Our clinical affiliation with the Medical Center – University of Freiburg enables us to provide highly specialized care in the areas of voice, hearing, movement, and mental health,” says Richter.

A field with a strong foundation in teaching and care

Students at the Freiburg University of Music benefit at the FIM from a nationally unique curriculum in music physiology within the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in music, where they learn about resilience, performance skills, and body-based health promotion for their artistic and pedagogical practice. At the same time, music medicine is integrated into medical training and offers medical students insights into a specialized field that exists at only a few locations in Germany. 

The institute was founded with the support of the state of Baden-Württemberg. Since then, the FIM has evolved from a pioneering idea into an internationally recognized center of excellence for music physiology and music medicine. Key research areas include vocal physiology, instrumental motor learning, and the prevention and treatment of performance anxiety. In addition, the institute has established new formats in teaching and advanced training and has strengthened the transfer of knowledge into musical practice—particularly in amateur music. The close collaboration between the University of Music, the University, and the Medical Center – University of Freiburg has had a lasting impact on music medicine in Freiburg and has generated momentum beyond the region.

The 20th anniversary will be celebrated from May 7 to 9, 2026, with the 24th Symposium of the German Society for Music Physiology and Music Medicine in Freiburg. The program will feature lectures, workshops, and poster presentations, as well as a formal ceremony, a panel discussion, and a gala concert. The program thus reflects the FIM’s mission: music physiology and music medicine are further developed in Freiburg through the exchange between science, artistic experience, and clinical practice.

Journalists are cordially invited to cover the symposium. 

For more information on the program, visit www.dgfmm.org/veranstaltungen/symposium-2026 

Contact:

Director of the Freiburg Institute for Musicians’ Medicine
Prof. Dr. Dr. Claudia Spahn
claudia.spahn@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Richter
bernhard.richter@uniklinik-freiburg.de